Things I’m Doing Instead of Blogging – Painting Outside

I’m not doing a very good job of keeping up right now. As a stay-at-home mom of little ones, summertime hasn’t been a big change in the way things happen around here so far. The weather is warmer and we go to the beach a lot but other than that, we are all together, all the time, just like every other season. But this summer has been different. Bug had every day preschool last year and while the hustle of it all was a challenge, I did get a few hours to myself most afternoons while Sweet J napped. That’s not happening so much right now. So instead of blogging, we are painting!

Handing a paintbrush loaded with paint to a little person is a wee bit anxiety producing. Flipping paint off a brush is exhilarating! The way it flies and splatters is hypnotizing. It should be the way we all paint all the time. However, if you like anything in your home and/or don’t want to spend hours cleaning paint off every surface of your home, paints tend to stay in the cupboard on the top shelf, out of site. But then comes summertime. It is the perfect season for painting because it can be done outdoors. Grab big pieces of paper, some paints, a paint shirt or two and head outside.

It’s not about creating masterpieces or even keeping the paint colors separated. Painting with little ones is all about the process. Sweet J was interested in getting into the cups of colors, two paintbrushes at a time, and slapping it on the paper. When I brought out the bucket of water to clean the brushes in, it turned into watercoloring. Brushes in the paint, brushes in the water, brushes to the paper. Long lines, short lines, curves. Very sensory. Very process. I really enjoyed watching him enjoy it.

He is the main reason I’m thankful for outdoor painting. I don’t even know when or how he got it in his hair but in his hair he did.

Being older and more familiar with paints and also having a minor grasp on painting is “supposed” to be like, Bug’s process was much different. Less carefree and less motion-oriented, Bug spent time talking about what she was trying to show. I loved watching her too and watching her figure out how she wanted to do things. As we grow, we assume all these ‘have-tos’ and ‘should-bes’. I struggle with that at times and can remember when I was younger staring at a blank piece of paper wondering how I was ‘supposed’ to complete it. I feel sad that creativity gets handicapped that way and I’m sad she is already aware of that stuff. I do try my hardest to encourage freedom and unlimited possibility. I hope that even is she is aware of convention and ‘the rules’, she feels supported enough to do what she wants. Here are a few shots from when she painted outside two years ago.

Any way the painting happens is good. The best thing to do is to give them the tools and allow them to use them how they want. Creativity can be crushed with too many rules. Let it be about enjoying the materials, feeling the process and doing it in a fun location (the lawn!).

Have a happy weekend!