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 
Hark! Hark! The child within me speaks. I shared, like my foreparents – the child within me speaks. And so do you, beautiful face, intellect so crystal pure you need no functioning body to justify your real face. Hark for one day you will share this story to your own. Hark for I myself was faced with a shallow so very different home. Hark to the words that tell of the beauty and of the led that leaves a trace – hark to the axiom that we are more than flesh, body and face.
wow…love this
These. Are. AWESOME! I love the space beavers! If I saw these as a book, I would have to have it…. Maybe a couple if them….
so interesting. your talent seems to come easy for you (as in, you were able to create many faces for the collaboration), but you were reluctant to share. you can create so much…. i’m glad for this lesson you learned. thanks for being honest about the struggle. what a wonderful outcome for you both!!!!
WONDERFUL!!! Love them! Great work – keep em coming 🙂
You should create a doodle book like those Rosie Flo books. Let the children finish the bodies for your heads… I know my daughter would like it!
http://shop.rosieflo.co.uk/product/rosie-flo-s-holiday-colouring-book
Awesome idea ! Hope she does it.
This is a fantastic idea. I think it would make a great addition to the coloring book world out there. ❤
these are beyond special I especially love the pink lady with the seashell bra. Freaking beautiful, both of you. Plus you learned a great lesson in sharing your special mommy toys!
LOVE the outer face one!
I can see these being printed on cups for coffee shops. They have a pleasant, sophisticated, playful vibe about them. Love it
Great idea! They definitely feel whimsical and that is a perfect coffee shop vibe. I could also see them being printed on totes/canvas bags. This is a brilliant mother/daughter team!
Love this post. So fantastic!
A book would herald, both your and your daughter’s talents for years to come. And as your little girl grows, this book will, perhaps, encourage her to hold confident to the wonders of her imagination and the validity of her contributions. And, I, really believe that other children might recognize their own attempts as wonderful and merit worthy.
I would definitely go with a children’s book, I love them!
I would love to see a children’s book of all of these, but written like an example of a gallery. Like a child’s introduction to an art gallery. This is the title, these are the artists, this is the medium(s) used… Very basic art for the toddler/young child.
I’m sooooo blown away by not only the inspired-ness of this collaboration & the beautiful results, but also the parenting process it takes to let go, share, give kids space to do their thing…Not kidding when I say this might be my favorite thing this year!!!! Shared it like crazy all over my Facebook pages. You & your daughter are an awwwwesome team!!! 😀
Honestly, letting go! How wonderful to have the gift of giving the child freedom to do such. I am sorry to say, I would have come unglued with this. I am so excited for you both. Congratulations!
This made me so happy I cried a bit.
Simply beautiful!
I would love to buy some of these as T-shirts 🙂
[…] Fonte […]
Thank you so much for this post, what an amazing journey of discovery!! We can learn so much from our children as they seem to embrace life and go for what they want to without hesitations or lack of confidence.
My son is into vlogs and I am learning from him to be confident and ‘just do it!’
Love the illustrations, what a brilliant coming together of two artists 😀
This is going viral! Great story and very interesting art. She will be as amazing an artist as you some day.
Ummm oh my gosh I am in love!
These drawings are really funky and cool. I think a book of poetry is a great idea. Kind of Shel Silverstein-esque. Keep up the collaboration!
I love the sometimes droll expressions on the faces contrasted with the whimsical bodies and backgrounds. This is the freshest and cleverest art I have seen in a long time !
This is amazing! Thanks for sharing and please keep up the good work. I would love to see this as a book 🙂
I absolutely love your collaborative work! While you are talented all on your own, her additions make the work so much more creative and visually stimulating. I applaud you for letting go of your sketchbook and sharing with your daughter.
Have you considered taking commissions? I know there are some of us who would love a portrait of someone we know turned into a fun and funky creature.
It’s amazing! You should definitely make a children/poem book, I think it shows pretty much how different is the children and adult fantasy 🙂
These are brilliant! I definitely think a book is in order – maybe poetry/brief narrative for them based on your daughter’s point of view?
Your daughter’s imagination is fabulous. These pictures are wonderful.
Love these collaborative drawings! I also love that she drew the lady as a chrysalis! Just precious! Keep up the fascinating work! Mother-daughter time = priceless! 🙂
Would be interesting to see you draw the bodies and let her add heads. Or draw the shape of the head with hair and let her do the face.
[…] ソース：Collaborating with a 4-year Old | the busy mockingbird […]
T-Shirts!!!!
Although I learned in my mid-thirties that I could not have children, I often wondered (and wonder still) what kind of child she might have been. Would she have been like I was as a child? Would she have happily lost herself in the smallest of moments, belly down in the grass conjuring worlds populated with roly-polys and tadpoles and fireflies. The collaboration between you and your daughter made me realize that I could also do a collaboration of sorts with my own “child” — the child that I was. As a poet, there are moments (albeit, very few) when I’m finally able to quiet that inner, raging critic and write freely and without judgement – it is during those times when I realize that while my inner voice is still my own, it is my five-year-old voice and it is telling me to not forget about the fireflies. Thank you. Thank you.
I love them too. AMAZING. What respect you have shown her. What confidence you have built. Beautiful.
Can someone please tell me where to buy her work?
There’s a link at the end of the post to Society6….thank you!
Ever hear of a book titled “The Stinky Cheese Man…”? These pictures remind me of that book. As a Kindergarten teacher, I was most impressed by the learning that took place (by you) throughout this project. I wish more parents would share their life with their young children in this manner. The notion of treating a small one as an equal, and valuing their insight and opinions as you would another adult is not easy for most people, but as you found out, it can be oh so rewarding. I love the idea of turning these collaborations into a childrens book. I would suggest making it a collection of short stories, each built around a different picture. Even cooler would be to record your daughter’s ideas for each story as she describes each picture to you, then you build from that (if needed). Make the entire project a collaboration and promote your little artist as an author/illustrator. I believe it has the potential to become a classic children’s picture book. One made in part by a child, to be shared with other children. I’m eagerly looking forward to what you do with these great sketches. A+ Momma!!
Love this post! What a great way to share your time and talent with your child. The art is wonderful!
Impressive – and wonderful! Your daughter will someday be a grownup artist in her own right, and she will owe it to the affirmation you have given her talent. I love the pieces you’ve posted…I, too, am fascinated by faces and love to draw them. I hope the sales are fantastic, and do consider a small book of these great works.
What a terrific idea
[…] for something beautiful in the form of these incredible drawings created by an artist and her four-year-old. I know I shouldn’t wish Freddie’s life away, but things like this make me so look […]
The drawings look awesome, and it gives them more meaning since you and your daughter both created them.
These are wonderful! It’s amazing how a young mind will work to take an idea into a whole different direction.
Please, please, PLEASE make this into a book. As a counsellor, it is this kind of thing I strive for! But not for the clients – I work with children – but for the parents! It is things like this that allow me to involve parents and teachers in their children’s work! It is things like this that brighten the world for art and acomplishments for children! Without people like you, we wouldn’t HAVE the Mona Lisa or the Arc de Triomphe! Please, make a book out of these prints. Let your daughter have a say in the book too!
Great article, I love your artwork! You might consider putting some up on http://www.hitrecord.org. It’s an online artists collaborative website. Your (and your daughter’s) artwork would fit in beautifully. There are tons of talented writers on the site that would be thrilled to write tiny stories for each one. They could even be published in the next volume of “The Book of Tiny Stories”.
Check it out and if you have any questions about the site, feel free to look me up: humunkulus
Your work and your daughter’s work is so inspiring! Love this!!!
Collaborations
By Gabriela, inspired by your drawings.
The spirit of a daughter,
The wisdom of a mom,
The colors of a child,
The drawings of a parent.
People-beavers in space,
A mermaid on a rock,
A lady dinosaur,
A woman in a chrysalis.
These are the things we draw,
These are the things in our imaginations,
These are the drawings in our heart,
These are the drawings that bring us closer.
[…] also the mother to an adorable 4-year-old girl, who like her mom, loves to draw. On her blog, the busy mockingbird, Hendricks explains how she had recently drawn a face in her sketchbook but had not yet completed […]
Reblogged this on Butterflies and Starlight and commented:
This is just too cool to ignore.
These are fabulous!! What great results! I hope your prints do well. I would love a calendar of these!
Love, love, love! Good for you!
WOW< WOW< WOW…… these are amazing, inspired , and VERY COOL.