I keep them stored on the top of his toy shelf, out of his reach, and several times a day he will stand there with his little arm up, reaching for them. Once I give him a few crayons he will lay in the floor happily coloring in his drawing tablet. As soon as he moves on to the next activity I pick up the crayons and put them away (since he's been known to also "leave his mark" on things like the T.V., toys, and the floor). Then, before I know it he is asking to "ca-l" again!
Today we thought it would be fun to let him explore his artistic talents in a different medium - paint! The other day I picked up a set of watercolors, paintbrushes and finger paints so he could have some fun getting messy. Mission accomplished!
He really enjoyed using the brushes to paint but one wasn't enough. He had to use them all at the same time.
Allen and I took turns showing him how to dip his brush in the paint and then make strokes on the paper, but he didn't need our help. He was a natural. His favorite part was dipping the brush in the water after he was done with a color. We eventually had to take the cup away so he would stop splashing and focus on painting.
We tried the finger paints but he wasn't crazy about getting his hands dirty. He would touch the paint and then immediately wipe it on my old shirt that he was wearing. Besides, it was much more fun to use the brushes to paint.
After creating his own masterpiece he worked on painting a picture of Spongebob Squarepants.
It soon became "nap time" so we started to clean up. That did not go over well at all. He fussed and cried and did not want to stop painting. Daddy had to carry him literally kicking and screaming to the bath upstairs. It seems that he has the big emotions and sensitive nature to become the perfect artist. Since watercolors are his medium of choice I have to wonder: could we be raising the next Monet?
