Bastian brought the sidewalk chalk down from the porch and tried to draw a boy, but got very upset at his lopsided limbs and crossed the body out. Bastian does not normally draw. I walked him through this and, as it turns out, he can in fact draw. I think he simply chooses not to since it is Aleks' great talent. I think he feels that he needs to be perfect. I am hoping that in time I will be able to convince him otherwise.
Aleks visited me too, asked me many questions - none of which I can now remember. When I tired of his questions - due to being wrapped in the climax of my book - I suggested that he grab a sketchbook and a pencil (both of which I had already available on my magic yard blanket) and try to draw from life.
First we attempted a dried fruit of the neighbors Sweetgum tree, which litters all the driveways and much of the gutter starting in late fall. He drew a variation, then I attempted one. Due to the fact that neither of ours looked much like a Sweetgum fruit at all, I decided that the Sweetgum fruit was far too complex. Plus I wanted to get back to the book (the fifth and last in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, if you must know). Thus I suggested Aleks attempt a drawing of the house. Which he then did. Bastian was quite fascinated by it and yelled encouragingly that Aleks draw the interior of the house afterward, which he declined. They then ran off for more play with neighbors and dogs and dirt.
3 comments:
Re: drawing.
My son was a perfectionist about drawing. He always wanted me to draw for him. I sort of worried.
One day, he just went to it. On his own. He was at the point where he could either draw how it looked in his brain (or close enough) or he didn't care as much.
Sounds like a lovely time.
Do you know how old he was?
Aleks started drawing full time at about 3 and is really really dedicated to it. It's just something he does all the time to deal, to tell stories, to pass time, to explain things, to entertain himself... He just draws.
Bastian I'm not really worried about. He can draw a circle and add eyes and limbs and stuff, so it's not like he's developmentally delayed. He's sort of a more cautious type in general, so it's not really surprising. I guess sometimes it just occurs to me to wonder about it, even if most of the time I don't really notice.
He was just past 5 when he really started to do some serious drawing. It was in the fall after his birthday because he did have some drawings for the chapbook we made of his stories (to give to unsuspecting relatives for Christmas presents). He did do some basic drawing stuff before that but wouldn't attempt anything complicated.
He got really into it in a big way when he was 7. He's cooled off a bit right now but I think that's because his desk is messy. I should see to that, I 'spose.
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