I loved art GCSE, creating a painted mannequin and an ever so hippy style eye study in oil pastel for my final projects, and it was my lead course at college, where I enjoyed mixed media. However, my patience and skills only developed so far and it was at college I found my love for media which would ultimately lead me to the career I have now.
I wish I had kept up some kind of drawing since those days, though. I've dabbled now and then, creating some fun children's characters for books that I thought I would one day write. But life, and other interests, got in the way.
That's why I'm so excited to see Ethan take a keen interest in being creative. At nursery, he is always doing something that involves paint and glitter and I love how varied they make his days there. I have a whole Cath Kidston suitcase packed full of Ethan's creations to date.
Before Christmas, my in-laws asked if there was anything that Ethan needed or would like and I immediately said a table and chair, so he would have somewhere to sit and play, draw and eat. We found one that had a dual-sided top to it, where one side is flat for drawing and the other is raised to build bricks on. There's storage in the desk itself, where Ethan's Happyland figures now live, and in the Summer, we can take the table outside for water play or to build sandcastles in.
For now, it's where Ethan feeds himself breakfast or dinner and where he gets his pens out and creates his next masterpiece.
He generally asks us to draw something or to at least start the process, then he picks a colour in turn to squiggle across the page with before changing his mind, putting one back and picking another instead.
We put a pack of Maped felt pens into his stocking and these are his favourite go-to colouring tools now, everytime. They're easy for him to hold, they have a soft tip and what's great for me to know is they use washable ink which comes out of most things... trust me!
What I particularly like is the clever stand they come in - it took us a little while to realise just how clever it is!
With no need for lids, the pens are put away into integrated caps within the soft, round stand itself. This keeps all the pens together and pushes out into a fun looking stand that's also really practical, as it stands quite firm on the table top.
Ethan knows where the pens are kept and regularly points excitedly in their direction and says 'PENS!' (he will often do this when he sees me writing too), so drawing is becoming part of his daily routine at home as well as at nursery.
And he's getting pretty good, I think!
My budding little artist.
* Thank you to Maped for sending us the Color'Peps Jungle Innovation colouring pens, which I believe retail around £4.99 which is great value for such a good quality, fum product in my opinion, and Ethan's too.
For now, it's where Ethan feeds himself breakfast or dinner and where he gets his pens out and creates his next masterpiece.
He generally asks us to draw something or to at least start the process, then he picks a colour in turn to squiggle across the page with before changing his mind, putting one back and picking another instead.
We put a pack of Maped felt pens into his stocking and these are his favourite go-to colouring tools now, everytime. They're easy for him to hold, they have a soft tip and what's great for me to know is they use washable ink which comes out of most things... trust me!
What I particularly like is the clever stand they come in - it took us a little while to realise just how clever it is!
With no need for lids, the pens are put away into integrated caps within the soft, round stand itself. This keeps all the pens together and pushes out into a fun looking stand that's also really practical, as it stands quite firm on the table top.
Ethan knows where the pens are kept and regularly points excitedly in their direction and says 'PENS!' (he will often do this when he sees me writing too), so drawing is becoming part of his daily routine at home as well as at nursery.
And he's getting pretty good, I think!
My budding little artist.
* Thank you to Maped for sending us the Color'Peps Jungle Innovation colouring pens, which I believe retail around £4.99 which is great value for such a good quality, fum product in my opinion, and Ethan's too.
Bless him. Glad he's developing hobbies and interests so young.
ReplyDeleteLizzie Dripping