The Arts Rotation

I am soooo not what you'd call an "artsy" person. I mean, sure, I'm definitely an art-appreciator--I listen to classical music on occasion, and I've been known to visit museums to enjoy what other, creatively-gifted people have made. But as for my own talent? Let's put it this way: if my life were hanging in the balance, and my very survival depended upon my drawing or painting something beautiful...or even...accurate...you might as well start lamenting my untimely demise, immediately. (And don't even get me started on that special circle of Hades that shall be known as "crafts"....shudder...) Nope, give me a pen (or...laptop, as it were), or a camera, and that's how I allow my "inner expression" to come out...or what have you...

However, my children have recently startled me with a sudden...spate of....artistic...ness. For Riley, I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise--this is the kid who never met a design project he didn't like. Paint-your-own-whatever kits? Check. Planning and executing a model of a honeybee for a school assignment? Oh, yeah. And that new craze where you make bracelets out of rubber bands, on a loom? All. Over. It. (Where he gets his enthusiasm for this stuff, I have no idea, because if possible, Husband is even LESS art-inclined than I am...go figure...) So on the way to the bus stop this morning, Riley throws out, "Our Art teacher was describing analogous color combinations. (Pause) Do you know what those are?" Pshhh, of course I do, doesn't everyone? They're...um...colors that are...similar...ish? In a patient, scholarly tone, he explained, "They're colors that lie within four spaces of each other on a Color Wheel." (Yeah, that's totally what I meant, I remember now...NOT...) Before I even had time to process the slightly-scary-yet-mildly-impressive Future Design Star, he went on to add, "That's how I want to decorate my new room in North Carolina. I'm gonna stick with greens, but I'll need to check the Color Wheel for ideas." Oh. Good Grief. This is going to be a hoot, I tell ya...

Then there's Derek, who pretty much seems to share my lack of right-brained skill. He at least doodles in stick figures and line drawings, but that's about as far as it goes for him. So imagine my astonishment when he casually said to me yesterday, "Oh, Mom, I switched my Elective class." Okay, let's start with: What the HECK? You can do that? All by yourself? As I remember it, I had to jump through flaming-guidance-counselor-hoops, with a parentally-signed permission slip clutched in my trembling hand, and an ironclad reason on the tip of my tongue, before I was allowed to do such a radical thing in Middle School. And you just...went ahead and did it...and you're telling me NOW? "Yeah, I didn't think you'd mind, since you'd want me to enjoy my class, and some friends told me the one I was in was boring." Well...alrighty then...what option did you choose instead? (Here it comes...) "Art." Ser-i-ous-ly? He shrugged, "I have friends in that class, so yeah." Oh...kay...um, have fun?

So it appears that I'm going to have interior decorating and some as-yet-unknown Middle School art creations to contemplate in the near future. To participate in my own way, I suppose I'll photograph the results...and chronicle the experience...and pray that no one wants to consult me for technical help on any of their projects!