Big girl now

“I’m a big girl now.” That’s one of Sai Pi’s favourite lines of late. She thinks that being in the second year of Nursery and having her classroom on the second floor makes her a big girl. And now that she has turned four, she’s feeling all the more grown up. Happy Birthday Sai Pi!

Birthday card from big sister:

Happy New Year of the Pig!!!

Each Chinese New Year, we have fewer and fewer people to visit and this year, we hit a record low of only one visit on the first day of Chinese New Year, leaving us with plenty of time on our hands. So we went to the Asian Civilisation Museum. Unfortunately the girls didn't appreciate the museum very much, which was not surprising since it was not quite child-oriented so we didn't stay as long as I would have liked. The best part of the museum visit for the girls was sitting on the entrance steps of the museum and enjoying $1 ice cream bought from the street hawker - very good value I think, only $1 and they enjoy it maybe as much as those premium ice cream we treat ourselves to at the malls.

And earlier in the day, we enjoyed a ride in Uncle P's new Opel Combo. Such a very cute vehicle!!! Here's a photo of the girls in the comfortable sofa backseat. Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!!!

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Picasso

"I already know how to draw" was Tai Pi's answer to me when I asked if she would like to go for art lessons. Pumpkin, who aspires to be an artist, had asked to be enrolled for art classes and I thought it would be a good idea for all three girls to go since they all love to draw and paint.

With art school on my mind, I walked about a neighbourhood mall which has many enrichment centres for kids, and I came across a new art studio "where children's voice find a place in art", a studio that respects children's unique ways of looking at things. The studio is run by a lady who believes that every child is an artist but that children often have their in-born artistic talent killed by art teachers who dictate what a beautiful piece of art should look like. I hadn't thought about this before but it made a lot of sense to me. Would Salvador Dali have produced the sort of surrealistic art he did if his art teacher told him it looked odd and wasn't beautiful? Each great artist has his own style and that's what I feel is important - for the girls to develop their own unique artistic style and produce art pieces that are truly original.

And now I realise why the art pieces you see at children's art competitions are always so alike. But of course... those kids go to art school where they are taught - here's how you draw a girl, here's how you draw a horse, etc. Take a look at these two drawings of an ox by two different kids attending the same art school. Don't they look suspiciously similar? I suppose that's what teacher says an ox looks like and should be drawn. I must say the drawings are competent in the sense of being aesthetically pleasing but they are not original and are not a true expression of the children's perception of the world.



The girls have gone for three lessons so far, where they are taught techniques and introduced to different media but are not told what to draw or how they should draw or what media they should use. I'm really glad to have found this art studio that nurtures the artist in the child. And yes Tai Pi, you are right - you do already know how to draw!