Today I’ll be highlighting the artwork of my first daughter – particularly her drawing. When she was a younger girl and we first began “doing art” (drawing), she was very intimidated. I’m not sure if it was a fear of failing, or a false expectation: wanting to produce pleasing artwork without the process of trying, experimenting – and yes, failing, too. I know she would look at the seeming ease with which I, Mom, put marks down on paper; and she would compare herself and declare, “I could never do that!”

I am so glad she has gotten beyond her initial hesitation, because she does lovely work. She has a real sense of design and line. And she has created – and is creating – some very nice pieces.

At the dinner table, after dinner, she has gotten into the habit of grabbing her pad of drawing paper and a whole array of colored pencils and drawing while Daddy reads aloud a chapter of a book to all of us. (During reading time, each of us grab some handiwork project and keep busy: drawing, knitting, crocheting, building legos.)