a message to spark summer inspiration
Reminder:
I’m taking a break to have some fun family time for the next couple weeks. Paid posts will still go out.
Friends,
I know today’s email is off-cycle. It’s a message to hopefully spark inspiration.
The 10-year-old is into art. Ahead of our Rome trip, he’s telling me all about Da Vinci. He’s also taking an art class from our long-time friend, the amazing surrealist artist Juan Pablo (whose art is all over our house).
This was taken years ago:
Juan Pablo is surprised at how mature the kid’s questions and knowledge are. We already went through that suprise. The reward he chooses for fulfilling his monthly Math Academy quotas is going to the Blick Art store in Oakland for supplies. When he talks to the clerks in the store they are stunned about how specific he is about what he’s looking for and they just look at us like “who is this guy?”
We shrug. We don’t know anything about this stuff. He taught himself using the Shrimpy YT channel. Just the channel, we’ve never enrolled him in the courses even.
With summer upon us it’s a great time for projects. (Our older kid turns 13 soon and his project is to convert a portion of the garage into home gym). The little guy and I are building a simple gallery website where he can start displaying his efforts. Of course, we’re overthinking what domain name to buy.
Anyway, if you have a burgeoning artist in your life, below are the links to Shrimpy and the app Max uses for digital art and animation (he’s taken to animation as well due to the app, but it’s still early on that. Other than making flip books in class while bored growing up, I wasn’t into animation, but I can appreciate the soothing bliss of frame-by-frame incremental progress).
This has been the first time Juan Pablo has taught children (he does teach adults) and knowing him for a long time, I totally expected him to crush this. He’s patient and carries the wonder and inquisitiveness we associate with children throughout his life. He also treats everyone with such respect, and I hear him level with Max as he would an adult, giving him credit in a way that builds a sense of quality, care and standards in Max's attempts. I’ve never seen Max so alive on a project, as Juan Pablo's approach is boosting the kid’s light (and that’s quite a statement since he’s generally dialed up in the passion department vs say his brother who’s more “chill”. If you’re a parent, you know what I mean and everyone else can probably relate from thinking about when they were young regarding differences like this).
JP is frustratingly modest, so I feel a duty to encourage him to teach more because we are so thankful for Max’s experience. I’ll keep nudging him because nothing would make me happier than promoting his art lessons. I’ll let you know if I make progress on that front. I think I will.
You’re learning how to see. You’re not assuming. You’re not making up what’s there. You are now seeing what’s in front of you.
-Words of encouragement I overheard after Max’s revisions after accepting feedback.
As I eavesdrop from the neighboring room, the detail of the conversation is awesome. So many little things that live at the level of craft. I have no idea what role art will play in Max’s life, but my hope is the broader appreciation of what craft and honesty look like and what it requires will apply to anything he pursues.
A few pics from the week, including in-class and homework:
A few older works from the spring…
Stay groovy
☮️
,
Thank you so much, Kris! It has been an absolute delight to share my knowledge about the art of drawing with Max. Max is incredibly talented and eager to learn the intricacies of perceiving deeply to create..
Super Groovy today! Enjoy the Summer Break :))