Grant the Painter

While I was pregnant with Grant I had a great idea for a painting.  I wasn't sure where I wanted the painting to hang (especially since at that time I didn't even know which city we were going to live in), but I knew I wanted Grant to paint a canvas while he was still a baby so I during my first trip to San Antonio while pregnant I bought a canvas.  As soon as we got to our new house here in Valdosta I knew I wanted that painting to hang over the fireplace in the sunroom.  At first, I didn't mention it to anyone because I knew I would get disapproving faces and/or comments.  Then, after a couple of weeks the idea became better and better each time I thought about it.  Back in June I decided I was definitely doing it.  Now, I just had to get the materials to include a larger canvas.  The materials were bought back in early September and have sat in the house waiting for the perfect day.  There were a few days I knew it was going to happen and then it rained.  Seriously?  Ahhhh.  Finally, today it happened.  Nothing was going to stand in my way.  To make the experience even better is knowing how much my boy loves art time.  His little face lights up when he sees me take out his art supplies no matter what it is; crayons, markers, paint, play doh, etc.  He loves it all.  I had to show him nothing.  I simply put him on the canvas and he went to town.  Here are the pictures of my little artist creating his masterpiece.

 

Let's begin.  Clean canvas, clean brushes, and clean baby :0)

He was very happy...chuckling right about now.

 He tested out each color right away.

Busy at work, a brush in both hands.

 He tested out a few strokes on himself first.  haha.

 That blue part on his belly he painted very carefully.  

 As you can see I was his assistant.  When he couldn't reach a color he'd point and say "dat, dank-oo". Translation, "That, thank you."

 By the end he knew yellow.  Or at least I think he does.  He'd point to the yellow paint and say "Ellow".

 Checking out his belly.

 "Loving this painting project."

He never tried to put the paint or the brushes in his mouth.  THANK YOU!!!

 The blue streak in his hair shows his seriousness, very professional :0)

 I was a happy mommy watching him.

He spotted an unused brush.  Oh no!  Luckily for me he never left the tarp.

 

He seriously used everything to paint, brushes, fingers, toes, diaper, bottom of the bowls, everything! 

All done!

He loved getting dunked into the bucket of soapy water.

 

Actually, he didn't want to get out of the bucket.  Unfortunately, it couldn't last all evening.

 Grant's masterpiece in the sunroom.  The plan is to fill the mantel with pictures including one of Grant painting on the canvas.

 

Grant's masterpiece up close.  I LOVE it!

While I'm blogging I thought I'd share with you the mat in the sunroom I recovered.  It was a very colorful mat from Kyrgyzstan that did not match the rest of the sunroom.  The biggest problem was that there was no cover so it could not be cleaned.  I purchased this very heavy duty fabric, dug out my sewing machine and made this cover.  I think it goes perfectly in the sunroom. 

 Up close.

 From a distance.  Notice herc on the couch posing for the pic :0)

Hopefully I'll have more fun projects to post sooner than later :0)