Budding Artist

Today is all about being a proud mama - which, if you keep up with my life at all you know I deserve.

The school year is winding down so the school is sending home work the students have done throughout the year. This is especially true with the fifth graders because they will embark on their middle school career after the summer. Alex - who just turned 11 last week - brought home his artwork today...and I'm trying to contain a little of my amazing pride and excitement as I write this. All three of my kids are artistic - even if they don't particularly place great importance on their creative skills. However, at various times throughout the year my two youngest will come home with unbridled excitement about the projects they are working on in art. I never get to see any of these projects throughout the year unless I'm lucky enough to happen upon one of their masterpieces in the school hallway. So the end of the school year is a mixed bag - the excitement to see what the kids have accomplished throughout the year combined with the sheer terror that they'll be home for a couple of months.

Alex brought home his artwork today - and I am utterly impressed! He is such a talented young man - even though he tries to hide his talent under a dark cover, it's impossible. I am so proud of him - this is the one area where one of my children is following in my footsteps. Can you just hear me gushing??

He brought home three pieces. The first is a self-portrait he did from a school photo of himself. Since I am unable to draw a stick figure with a ruler and a compass, I am both proud and envious. I think he did a superb job!


This next piece is a sun embossed on a copper sheet and antiqued with India ink. I love this - the texture is incredible. This picture does not do the original work justice - it's just beautiful in person.

And lastly, my favorite. His mask. It's paper mache and it's an imprint of his face. I remember his excitement when they constructed the masks in class. He painted the paper mache with acrylic paints and added rhinestones and "hair". He modeled the design after Ray Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, his two favorite wrestlers. I am completely astonished with his mask - looking at it is total eye candy. I'm so impressed with my talented son!