Kids Draw the Darndest Things

This past weekend my friend and her family came to visit us from San Diego. I knew her kids were scared of dogs so I was apprehensive about how the visit would go. My dog Sophie loves kids especially little boys and loves to jump and play. My worries however were unfounded, the kids and Sophie became best buddies and we had a wonderful visit. This is Umaan's and Dhanvi's story told through their art.


The first thing I did when the kids arrived was to distract them with an activity. With Sophie on a leash but still in the room I gave the kids a box of crayons and some paper to keep them occupied. Doing something they were familiar with and enjoyed doing i.e. drawing made them feel comfortable and distracted them from the the dog in the room. After some time we let them sit up on at a table while we let Sophie off leash. We gave them control over the situation by having them throw the ball for Sophie and have her perform certain commands or tricks. Pretty soon they were out in the yard with Sophie having a wonderful time.


The day before they left the boys commissioned some art work for our fridge. I was so touched by their portrayals of Sophie. The 6 yr old (who signs his work Umaan #4) drew a portrait of Sophie with a big grin and Dhanvi, the 3 year old created a very colorful pink and blue Sophie (who happens to be a black/tan cocker). They also drew a portrait of our family, positioning Sophie in the middle. What is interesting is that Sophie usually sits or sleeps between my husband and me. This shows they understand the importance of Sophie in our lives.


Just like Durer represented animals with naturalistic detail characteristic of Northern Europe, the kids in their own innocence and ability captured subtle details of Sophie's personality and appearance. The happiness, emotion and use of vivid colors in their art work tells me that they overcame their fear of dogs and really bonded with Sophie. They came to see her as a buddy not a threat. Their art clearly communicates it.

The Future of Art

German artist Albrecht Durer amassed a personal fortune with the sale of wood cut prints. The fame and fortune of print makers and artists like Durer inspired others artists to follow in his footsteps. Durer's engraving 'Melencolia I' has been the subject of much debate and analysis and achieved popularity through its wide distribution. Melencolia has elements of various styles and periods. There is the hidden symbolism reminiscent of Flemish art. There is also classical influences from the Italian Renaissance. While there are many interpretations Melencolia serves as a legacy of an artist trying to make sense of their world.


Today with advances in technology there are a plethora of avenues for self expression. The popularity of 'YouTube' and the explosion of viral videos give anyone with a computer and a web cam a platform to communicate visually to people around the globe. The combination of art and music in several youtube videos provide a unique experience of art. The rise of the 'Blogosphere' and social networks such as Facebook also provide additional avenues for people to share ideas, information and make sense of the human experience.

The development of art history is about action and reaction. Just as the Mannerist painters rejected the classical ideals of the Renaissance, future artists will be shaped by the issues of our time. Societal influences such as globalization, consumerism and the green revolution as well as developments in technology have far reaching implications for art.

Technology is sometimes criticized as being detrimental to the arts however it is often beneficial. The Internet is one such tool that can be effectively used to communicate art to the masses. One of my favorite sites 'Google' promotes the 'art' of technology. The popular search engine occasionally features customized logos recognizing the contributions of certain individuals or commemorating popular holidays and festivals around the world. My favorite Google logos are the tributes to various individuals especially artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Van Gogh and others.

Google Logo Art is designed by Dennis Hwang. Hwang recognizes well known individuals and events but also features lesser known individuals and festivals from around the world. This is a unique way of making art and culture accessible to a new generation of people. Often I find myself clicking on the logo to find out more about the event or individual featured.



For Piet Mondrian's birthday, Hwang designed a log that incorporated Mondraian's unique use of colorful blocks. Claude Monet's birthday features a soft and dreamy watercolor with floating lily pads. To honor Salvador Dali, Hwang paid tribute to Dali's famous painting 'The Persistence of Memory'. In addition to artists, Google also recognizes the contributions of individuals in various fields such as architecture, music, mathematics and others.

Recently Google held a 'Doodle 4 Google' national art competition where students from grades K-12 were invited to design custom Google artwork around the theme 'What if?'. I was so impressed by the concepts and designs of the students that participated.

Here are a few of my favorite designs.



Click here to read more about the prize winning design by Grace Moon, a sixth grader from Castro Valley, California.