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Painting to Inspire

Arts and Crafts Carve the Road

By Katlin Smith Published 3 years ago 3 min read
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My good scissors slice through watercolor paper, the initiation of putting together my babies' first art project. The items spread out on the table are cobbled together from years of art supplies. Some from my college days as a visual art student, a decade and more in my rear view. A few are from assisting my parents in building stock in their craftshow driven business. Most of my craft supplies come from my volunteer days with grief camp, a counselor of six and seven year olds who's main commonality was the death of someone dear to their hearts. Felt balls, pipe cleaners, foam letters, tiny, colorful clothespins.

These simple items hold strong memories of a myriad of resilient, big-hearted little girls creating warm and fuzzy bags, so that they can write and receive sweet notes of encouragement to one another. Or making a pretty drawing for mommy in heaven, so that she knows all about the camp where it's okay to talk about her. Or creating silly cat ear headbands- because how can we be the Kitten Cabin if we don't have cat ears?

Soon my project is assembled: watercolor paper, spritzed down with a mister to dampen the paper. Two gallon sized plastic bags, watercolors, professional grade - because my search for acrylic paints was in vain. I used oils, watercolor and house paint for my art business. I loathe acrylics. Two fuzzy pipecleaner calipitters, and a handful of sensory items. The last of these slide into place just in time. I hear plaintive whines and a happy giggle. Nap time is over.

My 19 week old twins, Augie and Evie stare hard at this new vexation I've laid out before them. Cautious hands explore the feeling of plastic and grip at the bumps of the items inside, smearing through paint and delighting in the manipulation of color. It holds their attention for all of 10 minutes. I'm overjoyed that it held any interest at all, and get lost in dreams of future projects.

Tomorrow, they'll spend the day with their grandfather while I attempt to finish the commission interrupted by a tough pregnancy. I love that big old shipping container. It had started out truly ugly, a tan, metal box squatting next to a gorgeous barn my client had transformed into a gathering space full of antique furniture and horse memorabilia. Now it had a false awning of cedar and looked to be covered over with bougainvillea, a hacienda style door and windows brightening the space. A smattering of potted plants stretched the 20 foot length, painted to look like terra cotta or stylized handpainted pots of brilliant white and cobalt blue. My first mural. One of the last of my backlogged commissions.

As much as I've enjoyed the massive beautification project, I'm ready to get back to my passion: winged backdrops on 9 foot by 6 foot canvas. These have produced the stories and pictures I adore: women standing in front of gigantic monarch wings, arms spread and brilliant smiles as they share about their transitional moments. Expansive feathered angel wings inspired by a seagull's fanned out spread arcing behind the darling who said he'd been empowered by the work and the imagination of spreading his own wings, that he was ready to take that big step to go after his dream, that he'd just needed the confidence boost to do it. A handful of stories of how happening upon my works have affected a few, inspIred some others, I have pride it that accomplishment.

Watching my children's singular focus with this tiny, thrown together project today I hold the hope that inspiration will be my biggest aid in their raising. That hope to rear thoughtful, empathetic, brave young minds is a lot to heap on foam balls and watercolor smears but all great stories have humble beginnings. Arts and crafts were the start of mine. Maybe they'll be the start of Augie and Evie's, too.

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