Behold the Little Boy with the Blue Chalk in His Hand with His Unpretentious Semi-Dirty Face
Behold the little boy with the blue chalk in his hand. I know this boy, clever, perhaps precocious, but still a little boy in spirit and behavior, but with depth. He is at a park. He stands before the wall of one of the children’s handball courts. He looks happy as he contemplates his chalk and probably unconsciously just his own place and action within the photo. He does not pose, but he smiles. On his hands, there also appears to be the dusty remains of pink chalk. It must be a cool day for he is warmly dressed, so appropriate to the subject of another child’s artwork behind him – Olaf, a snowman, from the film “Frozen” by Disney. I love his semi-dirty face.
This little boy has had no formal training in art, or art theory, or the philosophy of art. Yet he exhibits a behavioral knowledge of everything associated with art – the making of art, how art is composed and added to, and, additionally, he demonstrates his philosophy of art by his enjoyment of it, the participation of his heart and mind in it, and a sense of joy in the community, which with this art piece, he is part of. And all of this effortlessly accomplished, without understanding that art is for the community of all humankind, for art, in all its manifestations, is resident within the human soul, placed deep within by our Creator, of who, at this time in his life, this little boy formally knows nothing.
When he arrived at the park, what did he see? He saw an art depiction of something he immediately joyfully recognized – Olaf, a cartoon character – upon a wall, a perfectly logical place for a child’s chalk art, just as logical as the concrete driveway, and the sidewalks, of the homes of other children he visits and plays with. And of course, he recognized this figure. How could he not? And how could anyone with the small hands of little children to hold, not recognize this figure? For he, with his sister and cousins and multiple adoring grandparents, along with tons of popcorn, has seen “Frozen” many times.
What did he do when he saw Olaf? He picked up pink chalk, and moving it in his hand upon the art, he created additional life within it, which is evident in the arms where he added extra pink squiggles to them, making the portrait of Olaf more interesting and alive. Then concerning the blue chalk in his hand, there are also some blue additions to Olaf’s arm and some fairly straight lines of blue to his right, and even Olaf’s nose has a blue artistic touch, perhaps from someone barely able to reach it, or perhaps from the hand of yet another child.
The fact that the little boy has the blue chalk in his left hand is curious, as he seems naturally right-handed. However, perhaps at his age, his mind hasn’t made a final determination of which hand to use, and thus he isn’t constrained by the use of a dominant hand in his art, but is able to excitedly and thoughtfully explore and participate in art with both hands, as he still does, with everything else in his life, with both hands. Maybe this allows and makes him even more fully involved.
Now, not having seen this little boy’s hand upon Olaf, I don’t know which lines or squiggles are actually his, nor do I know with what thought or in what sequence this art was produced, but that is not the primary consideration, for what is truly important is that whatever this little boy did, he entered into the artwork and its creation joyfully and without inhibitions, and maybe that is what makes this picture of a little boy with chalk in his hand in front of a work of art – children’s art – so enjoyable for others now to behold. This too is also another dimension of art – the invitation to the observer to enter into the dialogue, the dance, the glimpses into the soul of another.
For now, we, the observers of this photo and readers of this posting, have also participated in a truly multi-dimensional work of art, adding, as if with chalk in our own hand, another layer to its meaning and depth within our soul. This is the power and blessing of art. May we never physically add to a child’s art. May we never dissuade or turn a child away from art. But may the way we look upon art, and may the participation of our mind and soul in art and life, be as open and joyful and as full and as uninhibited as a child, as this little boy, with his unpretentious semi-dirty face.
Other Art Musings with Photos of Boys/Teenagers
An Art Musing – A Young Boy Gazes at the Ocean – Writing In The Shade Of Trees
A Grandson in the Late Winter Afternoon – A Musing on Art – Writing In The Shade Of Trees
You so beautifully capture the joy of art and creativity! I love this photo and I’m smiling, too! Oh, the joy of this precious young boy as he was inspired to join the creative process!