One day, while my daughter was happily distracted in her own marker drawings, I decided to risk pulling out a new sketchbook I had special ordered. It had dark paper, and was perfect for adding highlights to. I had only drawn a little in it, and was anxious to try it again, but knowing our daughter’s love of art supplies, it meant that if I wasn’t sly enough, I might have to share. (Note: I’m all about kid’s crafts, but when it comes to my own art projects, I don’t like to share.) Since she was engrossed in her own project, I thought I might be able to pull it off.
Ahhh, I should’ve known better. No longer had I drawn my first face (I love drawing from old black & white movie stills) had she swooped over to me with an intense look. “OOOH! Is that a NEW sketchbook? Can I draw in that too, mama?” I have to admit, the girl knows good art supplies when she sees them. I muttered something about how it was my special book, how she had her own supplies and blah blah blah, but the appeal of new art supplies was too much for her to resist. In a very serious tone, she looked at me and said, “If you can’t share, we might have to take it away if you can’t share.”
Oh no she didn’t! Girlfriend was using my own mommy-words at me! Impressed, I agreed to comply. “I was going to draw a body on this lady’s face,” I said. “Well, I will do it,” she said very focused, and grabbed the pen. I had resigned myself to let that one go. To let her have the page, and then let it go. I would just draw on my own later, I decided. I love my daughter’s artwork, truly I do! But this was MY sketchbook, my inner kid complained.
Not surprisingly, I LOVED what she drew. I had drawn a woman’s face, and she had turned her into a dinosaur-woman. It was beautiful, it was carefree, and for as much as I don’t like to share, I LOVED what she had created. Flipping through my sketchbook, I found another doodle of a face I had not yet finished. She drew a body on it, too, and I was enthralled. It was such a beautiful combination of my style and hers. And she LOVED being a part of it. She never hesitated in her intent. She wasn’t tentative. She was insistent and confident that she would of course improve any illustration I might have done. …And the thing is, she DID.
Soon, she began flipping through my sketchbook, looking for more heads. “Do you have any heads for me today?” she would ask me each morning. So I began making a point at night to draw some faces for her (which was my pleasure–faces are my favorite part, anyway). She would then pick up a pen with great focus, and begin to draw. Later, I would add color and highlights, texture and painting, to make a complete piece. Sometimes she filled in the solid areas with colored markers, but I would always finish with acrylics later on my own.
Sometimes I would give her suggestions, like “maybe she could have a dragon body!” but usually she would ignore theses suggestions if it didn’t fit in with what she already had in mind. But since I am a grownup and a little bit (okay a lot) of a perfectionist, I sometimes would have a specific idea in mind as I doodled my heads. Maybe she could make this into a bug! I’d think happily to myself as I sketched, imagining the possibilities of what it could look like. So later, when she’d doodle some crazy shape that seemed to go in some surrealistic direction, or put a large circle around the creature and filled the WHOLE THING in with marker, part of my brain would think, What is she DOING?!? She’s just scribbling it all up! But I should know that in most instances, kids’ imaginations way outweigh a grownup’s, and it always ALWAYS looked better that what I had imagined. ALWAYS.
For example, the filled-in marker of the one above, she told me, was a chrysalis, for the caterpillar to transform into a butterfly. Of COURSE it is. I never would have thought of that. And that’s why kids make awesome artists.
Later, I would show her what I had done with our drawings–the painting and coloring. She seemed to critique them pretty harshly. “That’s silly, mama.” or “you put WATER behind her?” But for the most part, she enjoyed them. I enjoyed them. I LOVE them.
And from it all, here are the lessons I learned: to try not to be so rigid. Yes, some things (like my new sketchbook) are sacred, but if you let go of those chains, new and wonderful things can happen. Those things you hold so dear cannot change and grow and expand unless you loosen your grip on them a little. In sharing my artwork and allowing our daughter to be an equal in our collaborations, I helped solidify her confidence, which is way more precious than any doodle I could have done. In her mind, her contributions were as valid as mine (and in truth, they really were). Most importantly, I learned that if you have a preconceived notion of how something should be, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE DISAPPOINTED. Instead, just go with it, just ACCEPT it, because usually something even more wonderful will come out of it.
SIDE NOTE: As an idea (mainly for myself) I decided to put just a few of our collaborative prints up for sale on a site called Society 6. I purchased one myself (the space beavers, called “Outer Face”) to see how they would turn out, and I’m pretty happy with it. We’ve done dozens and dozens of collaborative sketches, but I only put a few up as prints. I’m not sure what to do with the others. Maybe make a children’s book out of them? Make poems to go along? I’m not sure, but I love them with a very large portion of my heart, and they need a special place.
busy mockingbird 
Definitely a collaborated book!
THIS is what good parenting is about.
Oh, and the illustrations are good, too. 😀
Such a wonderful work! Would it be possible to buy one?
Beautiful work! Would it be possible to buy one?
These are gorgeous! My son and I used to paint together. I have to admit, I suck at colors without him. 🙂
These are incredible!!
Just bought. Totally agree with you about children and there imaginations. Just let them go, you will always be inspired. I teach Shakespeare to kids and I am always moved by their inspirations and fearlessness. Grown actors are afraid of Shakespeare…these kids have no fear. thank you!
Love this idea. Often asked my what was 5 year old to help me with collages and then I would add black ink to them and turn them into something else. Lovely work.
I LOVE these! What a lesson in letting go, going with the flow, surrendering to the process! Good for you, they turned out great! Your daughter has art in here genes apparently!
Let me know if you turn them into greeting cards, I love mail art.
Reblogged this on OnePerspective by Nick Martin and commented:
Love the creativity and message about collaboration here.
These are beautiful and wise! I learned of your work through Noah Scalin. My daughters and I sometimes collaborate on poems. What if we worked on poetic stories to accompany your images? What a fun book that would be! Let me know if you’re interested: bgnyland@gmail.com.
[…] Collaborating with a 4-year Old | the busy mockingbird. […]
I am also stingy with sharing my supplies with my son because he has an array of his own. but how nice that you get to share something together as well as make beautiful art. I will be taking a lesson from you great job beautiful work.
[…] was so excited when I read about mother/slash Mica Hendricks on her blog, the Busy Mockingbird, because I knew exactly where she was coming from. The mother of a very creative 4 year-old, she […]
These are great.
Thanks for sharing this.
Can you two draw me? 🙂
Innovative thinking, I really like it.
They are absolutely gorgeous! I’d happily buy prints of some so I hope you’ll put more up for sale? A children’s book is a good idea too but artwork like that should be displayed in my opinion. Thank you for sharing and good luck with your projects! 🙂
You “nailed it”. Thank you so much for the words.
These are simply spectacular! Your work is inspiring. I am an editor for an up and coming literary and arts journal, Decades Review (decadesreview.weebly.com) and we also have a blog here on WordPress, decadesreviewblog.wordpress.com. If you would be interested in doing an interview and allowing us to feature you and your daughter’s collaborative work in the magazine/on the blog, we would be absolutely honored! Please send an email to: decadesreview@gmail.com (In the subject line please write, Interview Interest) Thank you!
What a beautiful thing. Thank you both for the inspiration you give us all.
This post is fantastic. I went to see if it had been share to Reddit already, and YEP! There’s so much happening in this. Your ability to release control of your own work, sharing, seeing the promise in the the kiddos line-work, then your technique to bringing it to a compelling, quirky, and imaginative finish. Such a treat!
[…] Angela Hendricks, ilustradora e artista plástica, teve uma sacada simples, mas muito original. A ideia surgiu sem querer quando um dia ela resolveu rabiscar seu caderno novo, super especial, que havia encomendado e ainda estava bem pouco usado. Ao ver as folhas de papel intactas sua filha de 4 anos não pensou duas vezes, quis desenhar também. […]
These are just marvelous, and I so enjoyed your telling this story. Bought one!
Fantastic! And yes, very inspiring on all counts! Great job. These are really incredible. You are such a good artist and the collaboration takes it to a whole new level!
[…] Collaborating with Young Artists […]
These are stunning. I would love to buy an original and willing to pay well for it. Please email me if interested in selling one and suggested price.
[…] recomendamos visitar su blog para ver más de estos increíbles […]
Beautifull !! I want cousters with these pictures on them. I would buy them, that would be a nice gift too!
I love how these turned out, and love that you let your daughter be so involved in what you love to do! What special memories…
Oh, I loved these, best artworks I’ve seen in a while, I could say!:) I read through the whole post with a huge smile. Thanks to you and your little artist!
[…] https://busymockingbird.com/2013/08/27/collaborating-with-a-4-year-old/ […]
Wow. Absolutely fantastic…we are expecting our first child, who is a girl, this November. I hope she will want to collaborate with me!
This is simply wonderful!!!
[…] a ilustradora Angela Hendricks conseguiu dar um toque de genialidade infantil junto com sua filha, e o resultado ficou […]
Love it!
Reblogged this on Lemon's Tree and commented:
Thank goodness my friend Lindsey tagged me on Facebook to show me this post by Busy Mockingbird. As I will be a new mother this November, I (selfishly) wondered if I would still have time to make art. This wonderful post opened my eyes to how a child can expand creative horizons for a parent. This is wonderful, and take time to check out Busy Mockingbird’s work. Truly amazing blog.
I think that’s just in her blood
The art that have come out after your daughter’s basic creativity is perfectly meant to be der as if it has actually completed dose sketches
Have to mention; these sketches looks more beautiful n full of life cause of that collaboration with the kid that has made it more worthy an attention 🙂
I am in love with this! It’s so true that kids add a different dimension to things that we do not always have the ability to see. Somewhere we tend to lose our creative edge.
You now have another follower 🙂
[…] This post originally appeared on Busy Mockingbird. […]
I adore these – they nearly made me tear up. Or maybe that’s the combination of the sweet sentiments and the sad music I’m listening to. Anyway, I seriously love this idea. My Dad used to do this with me as a kid, but perhaps not quite so detailed. It brought back memories and is a fantastic art prompt!
absolutely gorgeous sketches… but more den dat I marvel at d imagination that these toddlers have… while we adults merely are creative… are more into making it look appealing… but these lil angels know hw to give wings and let the imaginations fly in the sky.
I am loving this! The drawings are so cool and abstract now. What a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing! I need to be less rigid.
There is a book called “Calliope: a handbook of 47 poetic forms and figures of speech” that I have found useful for doing poetry with my kids. You could also try creating a story for each illustration, together. Whatever you do, these are wonderful, and as interesting as her take on them and her contributions are, it’s your creative details and colors that bring them to life.
“If you can’t share, we might have to take it away if you can’t share.”
Completely amazing! Thank you for sharing 🙂
AWESOME. IWANT ONE . IWANT ONE . IWANT ONE.
What wonderful pictures your daughter and you have created together! I had such a hard time deciding which ones I wanted to purchase, but ended up with three! Thank you for sharing! (You did learn from your daughter…)
You & your daughter should think of illustrating a children’s story together. Think of what could happen! 🙂
Great!