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 
A children’s book would be awesome!!! You two do great work and my daughters (ages 6 & 4) loved the art!!
[…] kid’s crafts, but when it comes to my own art projects, I don’t like to share,” says Hendricks on her blog. “Since she was engrossed in her own project, I thought I might be able to pull it off… […]
[…] kid’s crafts, but when it comes to my own art projects, I don’t like to share,” says Hendricks on her blog. “Since she was engrossed in her own project, I thought I might be able to pull it off… […]
[…] kid’s crafts, but when it comes to my own art projects, I don’t like to share,” says Hendricks on her blog. “Since she was engrossed in her own project, I thought I might be able to pull it off… […]
[…] kid’s crafts, but when it comes to my own art projects, I don’t like to share,” says Hendricks on her blog. “Since she was engrossed in her own project, I thought I might be able to pull it off… […]
I used to sing with my mother and father. That’s one skill I’ve been totally confident about my whole life, even when surrounded by professionals (which I’m not). Great artwork. I love the combination of styles and also your finishing touches. The whole thing is a true expression of love.
My husband and I saw this post as we were browsing reddit together- as soon he saw the mermaid he said I needed it for my mermaid art collection, but he didn’t read closely enough to see that you actually had them for sale. So I can’t WAIT until the print I just bought arrives so I can hang it up – he’s gonna be so surprised.
This is just beautiful, and such an imaginative and inspired way to bond with your daughter.
Loved your post and the drawings. I read the whole thing to my own artistic 9 year old and she loved it too. Then we looked through all the pictures and she picked out the one she wants on a pillow for her birthday. Thanks so much!
Awesome! How exciting, thank you!
This is just WONDERFUL! I work at the Arizona Museum for Youth, and our current exhibit is called “Dream On.” Wish I’d seen this earlier, as we would’ve asked to borrow a piece for the exhibit, as the pieces do have a “dream” kind of thing going on as far as your daughter dreaming (and having it become a wonderful reality) of being an artist like mommy! I will definitely be passing your name onto our curators to see if we can get one of your pieces in, especially since we’re a child focused museum! HUG HUG! These are WONDERFUL (and I hear you, “MY new sketchbook” is like me with my smelly markers and crayons!)!!!
Thank you so much! That’s awesome!
try and get a show together. It would be so great for her, and you. They’re great.
I absolutely love these!! I’m a 1st grade teacher and I love when my kids draw things for me. They’re so creative! Have you ever considered doing custom art? Doing something like drawing people’s face from a photo they send you and then letting your daughter’s imagination run wild with the body! I would totally LOVE to buy one and I think they would make amazing gifts!! Please let me know if you’d consider this as I’m super interested in purchasing one! My email is michele.mccully@yahoo.com 🙂
That is awesome! Don’t you just love kids’ creative minds?!? You could totally make a business out of that art! Heck, I’d love to have every member of our family drawn into a picture!
Can’t even express how much I loved this post nor how much I needed this kick in the pants artistically. I am abandoning my earlier plans for practical productivity. Today I will unpack and organize my studio! Thank you!
Love these! I would love to see a book of them, with poems, also as a collaboration of course!!
[…] Collaborating with a 4-year Old | the busy mockingbird. […]
I *loved* this post. I especially love how you came to see your daughter as an equal in collaboration. Wonderful for both of you! I am blogging about a similar theme at http://modelmirror.org/. You might enjoy this post (http://modelmirror.org/2013/07/20/drawing-gallery/) where I also talk about the line between my sketchbook and my children’s getting blurred.
Children’s book
How is the work better with out the collaboration?they go from being stylised illustrations to unique isqusit corpses I’d run with this wile you can!
This is the best thing on the internet. I seriously adore this so much. Beautiful work.
Thank you so much!
What started as simulation evolved to collaborative creative expression. Marvelous!
[…] дорослої мами та зовсім юної дівчинки, викладена у блозі Міки Енджели. Жінка переконана, що їхні з донькою роботи повинен […]
Would you and your daughter d
o a custom one for me?
Thank you so much for sharing these. I’ve been trying to have my first child (going into month three of no success– I know it’s not as long as some people have been trying, but when you’re ready, it feels like an eternity). I, too, am an artist; I co-own a tattoo shop with a friend of mine in Wisconsin, and much like you, I love to draw (and can be terribly possessive of my art supplies as well!) But I’m really looking forward to a day where I can sit down and draw/paint/be creative and uninhibited with my future offspring. 🙂 The print I ordered from you two will get me through the hard days; thank you so much for sharing and showcasing both of your talents! The art world couldn’t be more enriched by these beautiful pieces! 🙂
Thanks so much for this post. I love it! Aren’t you glad you shared? 🙂 You seem like a wonderful mother-daughter duo.
It’s frightening putting something so close to me out there, but hearing stories about how they spur creativity in other people is inspiring!
I love this work A LOT! Just an aside, I wish some more of the male images were available for sale.
I’ve been trying to do a variety of them (skin colors, expressions, genders). I’ll look into putting a few more males up. Thank you!
Oh you definitely give more freely of yourself than I but it’s something to be worked on for sure. I’m a writer, not an illustrator so it doesn’t quite work in the same sense with my almost 4 year old but a lot of me cringes when he does something crafty I don’t envision. Or uses something that has a specific purpose in my mind for something totally different.
Thanks for telling me to work on it in such a beautiful way!
Thanks for reading,
Sarah Butland
author of Arm Farm, Brain Tales and Sending You Sammy
She reached out and she added her touch to your faces – and I must say that they are fabulous! What a wonderful experience, lasting and priceless. Definitely material there for great children’s stories! Thanks for sharing.
What a beautiful gift you’ve given her (and she’s given you!). They came out so amazing too. One of those kinds of pictures that catches your eye and you want to stop and stare at it for a while. You’re a great mom; that girl is blessed beyond measure!
This is wonderful in so many ways! I saw a link to your post on facebook and it made my day!
These are wonderful! I work at a preschool, and when I started the job I was blown away by the children’s creativity! I’ve wanted to take some of their paintings home! Alas, the kids always choose to give it to their parents.
I bought a print of your “Pretty’s on the inside.” I love the colors and the feathers! Have you considered showing your and your daughter’s work at a gallery?
Thank you! I’d consider it–I know she’d love it!
I love these. As a suggestion for what to do with all of the “characters” you have created, I am totally imagining a collaboration now between you, your daughter, and Calef Brown. He seems like the perfect children’s poet for these illustrations.
I LOVE Calef Brown!!!!!!
[…] . – Mica Angela Hendricks […]
Seriously loving this! And yes to whoever said “children’s book.” I’m a librarian and would put in our kids’ in a heartbeat. What an inspiration!
That is so cool!
These are so so so fantastic love it!!!
I absolutely loved reading this post! I enjoyed not only looking at the amazing, whimsy pictures you were able to create with your daughter, but also the beautiful story. I think that the photos would make a wonderful children’s book! (that I would totally buy) Thanks for sharing the story. I’m feeling inspired to do something creative now!
I love these pictures if you were to make these prints I would buy one of each as these are completely unique and its not everyday you see a parent and their childs art skills come together to create something so original and beautiful xx
Thank you! They are prints at the Society6 link at the bottom of the post!
Where is your button to tweet this? It needs to be shared!
I’m on twitter! There’s a link on the blog!
These are beautiful!! I just showed my husband so we can pick one out as a print – I love how pure and innocent and creative the pieces are. Well of COURSE that one had to be a chrysalis. OBVIOUSLY she was meant to be a mermaid. I love the way kids think – these are just amazing. Thanks for sharing with us. 🙂
[…] one of the best collaborations this blog has seen in ages, professional illustrator Mica Angela Hendricks has been collaborating with her 4-year-old daughter on a series of wonderful drawings that pass […]
These are amazing! Kids imaginations really do take us so much farther. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
So beautiful! I love all of the beaver people 🙂
Wow, I love these! I want to try something like this with my little sister now. And I will definitely be getting one of those prints…choosing will be the hard part!
Love this! I am going to be more aware of opportunities to collaborate with my kids now. Thank you!
[…] here if this lovely project appeals to you. You can also check out the full blog post over at Busy Mocking Bird to see more of the […]
This is a fantastic idea! I love the idea of selling them too. Could start developing her car or college fund with her own collaborative artwork! 🙂 These are so unique. Awesome.
Terrific!!
As a mother and a children’s writer, I have to tell you how much I love this!, The artwork is brilliant, beautiful and creative. Beyond that, though, is the melding of your adult-level talent and skill with your daughter’s creativity and wild abandon – the driving force of art! I collaborate with my children, too. At dinnertime, we sit around brainstorming crazy adventures for my characters to have, and even new characters themselves. Some of my best work has come from those conversations, or watching my kids play out new adventure games they’ve made up based on my worlds. Quality family time is just that – quality – for so many reasons.
Anyway, all that is to say, thank you for sharing this. It’s beautiful, in more ways than one!
Hi Mica,
Great collaborations. I spend quite a bit of time drawing with my daughter too. She’s 8 now and I loved her drawing when she was 4 but they’re still a riot most of the time. Here’s a post with an example of one of our collaborations… http://jimgottuso.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/porcine-transportation/