2.03.2005

Announcing Ava Thursday

Since I'm too busy and/or too lazy to do anything for Illustration Friday I've decided to start my own weekly creative outlet for this blog. But it won't be me showcasing my own work. Oh no, that'd be too easy. And narcissistic.

Announcing Ava Thursday! Where each week you'll be graced with artwork by my sweet and adoring daughter, Ava. She's got quite an eye for things, so hopefully it'll make your mid-week seem a little more fun.

Here's the first installment:


This is Daddy at work. There's my sunburst clock on the wall there, along with my lamp on my side table over on the left, and my work chair on the right. She's even added the 50's fuzzy area rug in front of me. Notice, too, that she's drawn my soul-patch-gone-wild, my glasses, and my "crazy hair," as she likes to call it. Another interesting detail: those squiggle lines on my shirt are similar to my guayabera shirts that I wear all the time. This kid is destined to be an animator. (A dad can dream, can't he?)

14 comments:

  1. Thanks for the post of Ava's work, I really like it! However, I thought the title of your last post was much more creative than this one.

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  2. I agree. (I think.)

    And on a side note, I was just kidding about that narcissistic remark, in case anybody was wondering. Everyone knows that artists are exhibitionists to a certain degree.

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  3. I can't quite remember the exact circumstances of the story, but Picasso was visiting a kindergarden art class late in his life, and remarked something like "It has taken me eighty years to paint as they paint." I just KNOW I'm screwing up that quote, but you get the idea. That's what Ava's wonderful drawing brought to my mind. One more thing: watching her daddy hunched over a desk at all hours of the night and day should be more than sufficient to scare Ava into a respectable business. You know, the kind where people have lives and make real money and stuff.

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  4. Amazing! I often look in awe at the artwork that Mandy's kids crank out. I always think of that quote from the play SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION--which is really similar to Robert's Picasso Quote. A character in the play, an art dealer, recounts visiting an elementary school. As he looks at the art on the wall he is amazed. They are "...Matises, every one." I know I'll never have the sense of wonder, the unfettered creativity that Ava has right now--that I had when I was her age. Sigh...

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  5. That is too cute!!!

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  6. Thanks for the comments on Ava's work, guys. She's getting a big kick out of seeing her work on the computer. I also read all your comments to her. She gets all embarrassed and acts cute.

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  7. Nice Blog Ward. I've been trying to get more variety into my blog and seeing your daughters artwork posted was enjoyable and I think that I'll put up some of my Grandson's works of art on my Blog. I'm hoping he will get good and support me soon. I'm 61 you know and need help. I'll be back. Thanks

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  8. sweetest ava, well done!
    all the way from dubai, a random blogger.

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  9. Beautiful work from Ava. So glad I stumbled upon your blog. I will definitely look forward to future additions of Ava Art Thursdays.

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  10. I'm so glad you all are enjoying Ava's work. She's 4 1/2, by the way. And brilliant--yes, I can't say enough about her. Thanks, guys for the kind words and for stopping by.

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  11. Now that's a very good idea. I love scans of real life things. It adds a little reality to our digitized world.

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  12. For 4 1/2 yrs Ava is immensely gifted.
    My 12 yrs granddaughter is drawing animation style page after page. Any advise?
    For sure I'll send her a link right away to your site here. Thanks!

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  13. Wow. Thank you all so much for the compliments on my daughter's work. I do relay to her what everyone says about her work. It does freak me out that she's noticing so much detail in things way before I ever did, but I'm not pushing her. I do not force her to draw, as she'll just decide to draw whenever the mood strikes her.

    To the one with the granddaughter drawing in animation-style, just keep encouraging her. Don't let her think that her art is a passing phase or that she should be doing something else with her time. If she has an interest, then she should have support from her family to keep doing what she loves, even if what she's doing may not look like much. I had two great supportive parents who allowed me to do my thang and not make me feel that my art was worthless. Most people out there feel that this mentality comes from the "starving artist" syndrone and that parents get discouraged when they see that their children may get into a field where there's little compensation. Not to worry. There are many jobs out there for artists, it just takes it a little more effort to get out there and find them. If someone is talented, by all means, they will get hired. Believe me.

    Good luck to her.

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