Drawing the week to a frightening fishy end

Drawing the week to a close with one final blast at permanently scaring my daughter with Billy the Fish meets Dracula (see above). She's really getting the hang of this. Now the great fart debate ---> Fish and chips or curry for supper tonight?

Are art teachers freaking out the kidz?

Breaking yet another, actually two of the seven deadly sins of blogging, again... Here are a few sketches from today's killer cat drawing session with the nipper, who's learning to recognise shapes and words (eyes, legs, ears etc), to put pen to paper in the right (and wrong - see below) places, and to keep her crayons* within the lines. Posing a few questions I'm not one hundred percent sure I know the right answer to, from a responsible parenting point-of-view at least. *Medium un-specific - note the use of felt tip on paper in these works.

Drawing in the lines vs outside the lines: Is teaching children to draw within the lines stifling creativity, or just a natural process? Nuture vs. Nature etc. Can you force creativity? Should you force it? I'm thinking inside vs. outside-the-line / outside-the-box or wild-sky-thinking ---> whatever the latest buzz word is. It's all just a big bunch of stinking cods-wallop anyway. I'm sitting on the wall, with my spray can at the ready and just letting this creative river flow baby.

I'm loving the slightly in and slightly out the line thinking in these sketches, and her interpretation of the subject matter works on so many different levels. The best part is when her drawing extends off-the-canvas on to her hands, face, legs, clothes, me, my hands, my arms and my clothes. Is this an early sign of my child understanding the concept of trompe-l'œil? Is she the next (she) Banksy, or should she/I be locked away with the Prinzhorn Collection?

Freaking out the kidz: I just can't help but sketch outlines of freaky scary killer animals for the litte-un to fill in/out. Is she actually trying to scribble the scary monsters out of existence, or is she just following nature innocently? Parenting is all about protecting innocent minds? Well I'm not so sure and anyway what harm can it possibly do. Compared to the above line dancing issue, it's by far the lesser of two very evil cats and surely the toughest cat gets the cream.

Are these drawings or my approach to teaching art worrying you? I welcome the opinion of a qualified child art critic or a psychiatrist. Right she's woken up from her afternoon nap. Time to go throw bread at the ducks and stamp on mole hills in the park.

7 deadly sins #1: Lazy spook cat

By chance on the morning after the night I read the seven deadly sins of blogging and enjoyed the Mashable post about the crasher squirrel I find myself nearly tripping over the lazy spook cat at the top of the stairs. No more babies and animals right. And I promise not to mention the little one's first steps, pushing her new seven pound pink pram from the Early Learning Centre, and the neighbours new squash nosed French bulldog - that would be an unspeakable crime. Please ignore this cute post.

Bad ass creativity: Becks Dicks ad

My entry to the arty Becks bottle design contest that's running online at the mo. I simply put myself in the mind of a child and let the pen do all the work. Sophisticated, yet simple - see above. For a limited time only you can make your own Becks Dick sketch - see below below below. I'm sorry Becks for p****** on your art parade. I hope I win. BTW if you have any clever, young trunk-sure elephants, tail-ented monkeys or talented kids don't forget to enter them in to the worlds first and last International baby and captive animal art contest.

Idea # two: International baby and captive animal art contest

Idea # 2: Inspired by today's painting with little dot (see above). Enter your baby and animal paintings and sculpture in to the first and last ever baby and animal art contest. Entries must be submitted by posting a link here to a photo of your talented child art or clever animal art. Closes 31st December 2009. First prize is a million squirrel hairs. Judges decision is final (that's me). One entry per nipper / animal that must be submitted by a responsible parent / zoo keeper that's over 18 - well that rules out kids from council estates probably. Look forward to your entries. By submitting images you promise not to cheat or steal art from established elephant or monkey art image archives. Get painting. Get set. Go.