I came across a fantastic blog today called Tiny Art Director. The blog author has written a picture book of the same name filled with illustrations done in a collaborative effort with his 3-year-old daughter, who was apparently a cute, but harsh, art critic.
The blog shows examples of the finished pieces and sketches along with the 'tiny art critic's' comments, which are incredibly funny. Many of the illustrations didn't make the cut in her eyes, and she minced no words in saying so.
I think most artists have some sort of creative give and take with their kids. I know of very few professions that allow you to share what you do so fully with your children and, especially if you're an illustrator, children have an innate appreciation for Mom or Dad's ability to pump out dinosaur drawings. You get this great opportunity to put a face on their dreams and fantasies. And, in turn, they teach you ways of looking at things that expand your own creativity. Most of us grow up too fast - watching and listening to your kids is a much-needed reminder of those days when the world was your playground.
In our family, one of our favorite pastimes while going on long car trips is to make up funny stories and sketch them out. I've included one of the results above, involving my daughter's stuffed rabbit (who has taken on gargantuan proportions and likes standing in front of moving vehicles) and a dinosaur with a soft spot for Dunkin Donuts coffee.
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