Artist On Vacation

We were in Florida for a week. It was way too hot, of course, but thankfully I brought some drawing materials.

And I asked this fourteen-year-old girl, our friends' daughter, if she would pose for me. We sat in the SandBar at Club Med for over an hour. She seemed to like the completed drawing. And I got to draw someone other than myself.

A vacation from self-portraits!

I asked her if she read blogs. Yes, she said, mostly political ones.

Isn't that great?

So, go ahead, artists. Ask someone if you can draw them. They'll probably enjoy it. And you might just learn something new and unexpected about a person.

Another Post About My Kid

Madeline drew this portrait-- of me! I only wish I were so glamorous, but I do think she caught my essence.

On our morning walk to school today, she said, "Mom, is it true that snakes used to have legs?"

Thrown somewhat by the unexpected question and early hour, I replied, "No. Yes. Maybe. I don't know. Why?"

"Well," she said, "if we evolved, then snakes must have evolved too."

"And, " she added, as my head continued to spin, "can you believe we started being a million years ago? We were covered with hair. Lots of it. And then, in 1492, .... oh, no, that was something else."

Madeline pauses for a breath.

"We're having punch tomorrow!"

for their Valentine's Day party, of course. This disjointed thinking, this jumping from one concept to the next is what makes my husband observe at times that having a kid is like living with a crazy person. I think it may also be somehow the seed of creativity.

After all, tomorrow is Valentine's Day.

And we used to be covered in hair!

Now, who wants some punch?