Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Show-N-Tell

I’ve set up a temporary studio in my oldest daughter’s sun room on the back of her house. The light is northern and very constant. With so much sunshine, I've ben able to log quite a few studio hours preparing new work for the gallery to start the season off. It’s 3:45 p.m. and I hear the front door to the house slam, clomp, clomp, clomp, books being deposited, refrigerator door opens and then closes, the TV plinks on and it’s the Disney Channel. The back door slams and May appears at the door to the sunroom giving a tour to another blonde blue eyed 7 year old.

May: That’s my Gramma
Me: (I look up and smile)
May: she lives in the jungle
May: Belize is an island and they have monkeys there
May: she lives with Grandpa Bigness on the beach, he’s not my real Grandpa but he’s my biggest
May: She’s a painter
May: She’s famous, right Grandma?
Me: I’m a legend in my own mind
May: her paper is silk… look (as she holds up an unpainted scrap and wraps it around her like a skirt)
May: that’s my tiger ears (and points at the headband on my head with the furry tiger ears sticking off the top)
May: my dad got it for me at the tiger’s game
May: Grandma why are you wearing my tiger ears?
Me: to keep my hair out of my eyes, is that o.k.?
May: sure
Around the table they circle, May showing and interpreting my paintings, the girl's eyes big as saucers.
May: That one’s called Maxi and the Motorbike. There’s Maxi, and here’s Midi and Mini carrying the drums.
Girl: How much does this one cost?
Me: $950
Girl: oh... I’ll tell my mom to come right over and buy it

4 comments:

Cream said...

That's what I call soft sell.
He's not my real Grandpa but he's my biggest!
A howler, your May!!

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

How I wish I could hear what her friend goes home to report...you can bet it will be even more exotic when she's done.

The jungle. I like that one. I think you should tell them stories about swinging in trees and wearing no clothes.

Anonymous said...

I feel like you are Art Linkletter or something...kids say the darnested things! I wonder if the friend will be allowed back to that crazy house. But it made me laugh. Thanks for that. MB

Caribbean Colors Belize said...

I was in the car with Jelly Bean, with my arm on the back of the seat and she asked me why I have so much less armpit hair than her mommy. May asked me the other day if I was going to put a bra on the mermaid painting. I had to laugh at that.