Savvy Spotlight: Taro Gomi

Thinking about a seamless way that art comments on life -- and life begets art -- makes us think of Taro Gomi, an author and illustrator about whom we are especially fond here at the The Savvy Source.  In case you've missed some of his gems, let us bring you some faves:

My Friends -- a truly lovely book about all the different kinds of friends one needs in this world.  It makes an especially lovely gift to a new friend.  And this edition is charmingly enough the bilingual one.

Scribbles -- the greatest all-in-one, size-of-a-telephone book creativity generator there is.

Doodles All Year -- the portable version of creativity generation, this time with seasonality added in for extra credit.  Also a darling preschool birthday gift, especially if you personalize a page or three with the birthday boy's name.

Everyone Poops -- in case you are starting potty training, or even just wondering if it will ever stop (!!), this book is a good reminder that we should all find commonality in this.  In other words, go with the flow.

Wise Words From the Author Who Guided Us Up the Mountain

The Daddy Mountain, that is.  The author who taught George how to bark, sort-of.  The author who taught us how to handle a missing bear.  Wise words from one of our stranded-on-a-desert-island faves, Jules Feiffer.

"Artists can color the sky red because they know it is blue." -- Jules Feiffer

Talking with our Little Artists about Their Work

We hope some of you were reading along yesterday as we blithely advised that the best way to handle the stream of artworks your child produces on a daily basis is to "manage the art" -- save one thing and dispose of another, identify the keepers and toss the rest without guilt. And perhaps you thought, yes, I can do that! Here I go! I'm ready to bring order to the jumble of drawings, paintings, and crafts that are piling up in various corners of the house.

But it's not quite that easy, is it? Because when we start to go through the piles, and look at these images (hopefully *dated* which we urge you to do if it's the only bit of organizing you manage) that reflect our little ones' growing up, our steely resolve goes all to mush. These paintings are just gorgeous! We love the abstraction, the whimsy, the expressiveness of children's art, and most especially our own precious child's art.

So we're not exactly rational on this one. Not as objective as could be wished for. When our little artist holds up another work to add to the pile and says "Look!", we just want to exclaim "It's beautiful!" and give him a big hug.

But that's when the experts and parents and artists all tell us the same thing: take a moment to think before you speak. How we talk with our kids about the art they make is too important for a tossed-off compliment, no matter how sincere. So what are the dos and don'ts for talking with children about their art?

-Don't overpraise. Indeed, try as much as you possibly can to avoid value-judgments of any kind. In their new book Practical Wisdom for Parents (to which we shall be referring often here at Being Savvy), two of the true sages of the preschool scene, Nancy Shulman and Ellen Birnbaum, directors of the famed 92nd Street Y, have this to say about about overpraising: "In the classroom, we see children who are overpraised at home asking teachers or other children, 'Is this okay? Do you like my picture?' rather than relying on intrinsic feelings of self-worth." Of course that's the last thing we want. So let's try to avoid that one.

-Don't direct or take over. We all feel tempted to ask our kids to draw this or that, or show them how. Resist, resist as much as you can. Even when your child asks you to draw a sun, for instance. Instead, try questions to help him along. What shape is a sun? What color? Think how proud he'll be when he manages on his own.

-Do describe what you see. When your child says "Look!", do just that. Really look. And talk about all that's in front of you: the colors, the shapes, the lines, the texture, the materials, the scene, or whatever it may be. It's the best way of showing our little ones that we're really paying attention to and valuing what they are up to. And it gives them a vocabulary for talking about art. The absolute parenting bible, How to Talk to So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, calls this "descriptive praise." We call it easy and just right, once you get the hang of it.

-Do, as we've mentioned before, find a lovely spot to display your child's work so you can show your appreciation, and continue the conversation. And listen to what your growing-up-every-day child has to say about his creations of yesteryear (or yesterday). You'll learn a lot about that little mind in there.

And by the way: when presented with a wild swirl of green paint, few of us can refrain from blurting out "I love it!" every now and then. And there's nothing wrong with that. Just move on into the describing and noticing from there. We love it because we love them -- and that can't be helped.

Beyond the Fridge: Managing Your Child's Art Projects Before They Take Over the House

We love preschools that allow our children to do interesting, inspired art projects.  We love seeing the work of our little artists.  We also wonder what on earth to do with all the stuff that comes dashing in the door every single school day.  We admit it, we are drowning.

 

Looking for some great ideas for how to appreciate the work, display it, delight in it, store it, and (as necessary) dispose of it?  Look no further.

 

-- Make an art wall, but this time in your child's room in addition to the one on the fridge.  Your child's art in your child's room is the preschool equivalent of a one-man show.  Pop the bubbly; we've got a gallery opening here! 

 

-- Manage the work, whether on the fridge or the art wall or wherever.  One painting goes up, another cherished work goes away.  One in, one out.  Just like financial accounting rules or best practices when it comes to buying shoes.  Ruthless management is sometimes the only way to go.

 

-- Get an empty box or oversized portfolio and label it with your child's name and the school year or age.  The keepers go in there.  If there is too much to fit, some decisions need to be made.  When you are done, you'll have a nice tidy set of boxes for your child(ren), already organized by year from preschool on up. 

 

-- Assemble an art collage out of cuttings from numerous paintings and drawings and paper works.  Glue together and frame, and presto, you've got her first retrospective.

 

-- Take pictures of the works as they come in, and then you'll always have a digital record of the wonders, even when reasons of space and practicality dictated tossing a big stack.  And from those pictures, make a gorgeous book from Blurb or one of the photo sites and cherish it on a shelf forever.

 

-- Looking for a good way to identify a keeper?  One that shows the child's size (with a handprint, perhaps) or a new skill (his first titled work, her first signed work, the first tadpole figure, the first family).

 

-- Use flat works as wrapping paper for gifts. 

 

-- Get a clear plastic table cloth for your kitchen table and put drawings and paintings underneath.  Rotate as necessary.

 

-- Take a painting or drawing to a local copy shop and laminate it as a placemat for the dinner table (or as a gift for grandparents or aunties)

 

Then toss the rest, without guilt.  You delight in the works as they are made.  You diligently a subset of whatever size and amount makes you happy in your home.  And then the rest goes away.  It's okay -- it is good practice for the years and years worth of school work and spelling tests and cursive exercises and book reports that are headed your way.

Top Sites for Sparking a Little Imagination

The best way to be more artful about your art-filled life (and your life-filled art) is, of course, to grab a kiddo and a crayon and have at it. Sometimes we spend too much time plotting and planning and too little time doing. But we are inveterate "knowers;" so be it.

Tuesday is list day at Being Savvy, and this one is more of a launching pad for a nice, bigga list of your own than a definitive, all-in list.

Without further ado, here are some of our favorite sources of information and inspiration:

1. Our coolest friend -- If you go to one spot and one spot only, go to the gorgeous Design Mom site and work your way through the "make something" tag. Come to think of it, even if you go to lots of spots, do the same thing.

2. Our muse -- From this week's giveaway, you know that our source for inspiration from matters of gratitude to matters of three-year-olds embroidering and snapping away with their cameras is Amanda Soule, our SouleMama. www.soulemama.com

3. Our professor -- Ginger Carlson (whose great new book we'll review on Monday, so mark your calendar) is the one who shows us how all this art matters, how it adds up, how it fits into parenting and development and life. You can find her work in the book, at her main site, at her blog, at her other blog (if cooking is your path to creativity), and in her newsletter.

4. Our would-be neighbor -- If Jean (aka the Artful Parent) lived right next door, then all of our darlings could join the toddler art group. And that would be grand.

5. Our wish-they-were-on-the-corner stores -- The art supplies, and practically everything else, at Natural Pod make us swoon. And the art supplies and all the other tiny person life supplies (very Montessori, whether you are devotee or a picker-and-chooser), at For Small Hands delight us.

6. Our starting place -- For all things pertaining to the littlest ones in our houses and families and circles, we turn early and often to Rookie Moms. They have great activity ideas for the younger set, as well as for preschoolers. And their new book is the perfect way to start -- or start over!

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Reminder: We've got a fantastic Being Savvy giveaway still going through Thursday! Read Monday's post for all the details, and enter now!