This morning I wrote a long post....then I hit something (I know not what) and voila the whole thing was gone!!! How completely frustrating!
So now what? Well I was talking about was how I woke up this morning thinking I need to put paint to canvas........and knowing I wanted to do it with complete and total abandon. No forthought, no pre-drawing or theme.......just smoosh and paint and dab and glue and whatever I felt like. Just one with the canvas and various mediums and see what happens.
When I got up having my morning cuppa I checked email, Facebook and followed a few random links to blogs. It was on one such blog I saw a video.........I watched as this wee girl was doing exactly what I woke up knowing I wanted to do. Serendipity?
Aelita's parents are both artists. Her father does all the videos and all the music.
a quote "Aelita started painting before she was two years old. Michael Andre, the girl's father, said that at as early as nine-months, Aelita would crawl on to her parents canvases (both are artists) and begin to paint."
another quote:
"Little Aelita Andre, of Australia, has set the art world on fire with her post-modern paintings that sell for thousands of dollars -- tens-of-thousands in some cases. And she's only five-years old. But some question whether anyone that young can be a true artist, and whether her work will stand the test of time."
There are several articles trying to dissect everything.......my question to you all....and please google and read a few........shouldn't this child be allowed to pursue what is obviously her passion without scrutiny? and further make money while doing it without scrutiny? As an artist who wouldn't want that kind of notoriety and money? OR do you think her parents are exploiting her? Forcing her? Manipulating her and her work?
I so wish we could be sitting all together discussing this but since we can't we'll have to do it through comments. I want to know what you think.
I will say this one last thing:
I think to be encouraged EARLY, to pay attention to your child's passions and talent......to REALLY pay attention (be it singing or dancing or writing or art or athletics) and help to nurture it in some way (even if that's just listening).....is essential to their overall growth and becoming the human beings they were meant to be. And I don't mean being a pushy "stage parent" and pushing them in the direction YOU want them to go or controlling everything the way YOU want it to go. I realize the world can be harsh and those pursuing the arts don't always prosper.....I don't think a Plan B is a bad idea either...but don't discourage their dreams either by not even actively listening or actively paying attention. I wish my parents had done both but they were from a generation where a female had only 2 or 3 options and anything else was folly. It made my dreams seem foolish and unattainable and the artistic me hid her light under a bushel for MANY years because of it.
I wanted to have the environment and encouragement this wee girl has at an early age.....heck, one day she may stop but if this is truly her passion she has been given a great gift by letting her immerse herself in it. (and make money for her future doing it, all the better) IN MY OPINION!
OK I'm going off on a tangent here and I am no psychologist. I don't pretend to have the answers - I'm just saying if her parents are truly giving her a foundation without there being a hidden agenda OR cohersion or force......she's lucky. I'd hang any one of her paintings in my home!
SO now YOU say something......let's discuss!
Love,
Lisa XOXO
P.S. this video shows she's just your typical wee girl and her parents perspective
P.S.S.
I love her work, her energy, her explosion of color - I love watching her face as she paints in the videos because she seems so contemplative yet totally free! Who wouldn't want to dance around their canvas!?