The Art Show

I love that my children are creative. My son is into music and filmmaking, and my daughter enjoys dance and visual arts. I like to think that they got it from me. Okay, from me and my husband. But they continually do things neither of us can do. They always surprise us.

Maybe for them it’s second nature and they don’t get as excited about it as we do. Case in point…my daughter let it slip that a relief tile she made was featured at the county art show at our local mall. She also made it sound like it was too late for me to go and I “would see it when she eventually gets it to bring home.” She doesn’t understand that I live for this stuff. I just found out that tile is actually STILL there.

I was delighted about a week later when I got an email that there was an art show at school featuring works by some high schoolers, and some from local middle and elementary schools. I eagerly texted her, “Are you in the art show tonight at school?” I know, I shouldn’t text my daughter while she’s at school. But I had to know if my husband needed to clear his schedule to witness his child’s genius. “Oh, I think my bird house is there.” Gee, thanks, AGAIN, Daughter for the notice.

That evening my husband and I ventured among the crowds of artist’s families, impressed by the volume of talent among all the students. Some pieces were astounding. Some were dark. Some were funny. All were fabulous. My daughter’s class had been assigned to sculpt bird houses out of clay to represent animal heads. We saw some very clear giraffes and leopards, a cool lizard. She attempted to make a head to look like our cat, Floyd, but declared, “It kind of got away from me.”

I have pictured the cat monster here. It is creepy, and hilarious, and I love it. It does not look like Floyd. It’s better because it has a unique personality. It’s a new animal! It looks like it belongs as a prop in some gothic, fantasy movie. Is it mad? Is it laughing at us? Who knows? But that’s what I appreciate about art. It’s always up for interpretation. I can’t wait to see how she surprises us next.