We are, on the whole, a fairly creative family. We’ve got writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and essays. We’ve got guitarists, bass players, a keyboardist, two violinists, a cellist, and a couple of people who can sing well enough to pass muster in a pinch. We’ve got knitters, two seamstresses, an excellent tailor, a videographer and scriptwriter, and more than a handful of folks who can most definitely take your average meal or dessert and turn it into something pretty darn extraordinary.
Lesser known, but just as important, are our family members who love to play with paint, pastels, and pencils. And while only one of our number has ever won an actual award for their artwork (Mary Hannah, 2009, Evergreen State Fair Blue Ribbon), it’s not uncommon to come into our home and find a table strewn with journals and watercolor pads and every kind of brush and pen imaginable.
Each member of the family has their own bent, and some are, understandably, stronger in some areas and weaker in others. Myself, I can’t do much with an instrument, but I make an appreciative audience. Jack’s not the first to volunteer to man the helm of an exotic meal, but he’s a killer bassist. And Christopher sings with gusto, but it’s in his chalk pastels that he really shines. This is the beauty of the collective that is a family: there’s always someone whose strengths balance out the weaknesses of others.
For the longest time (ok, since birth) Mathaus hasn’t been terribly enthused about drawing, painting, or many forms of visual expression. He was never the kid who delighted in a coloring page, or found a pack of Prismacolors under the tree on Christmas morning very exciting. It’s just not his thing. He tried it, he didn’t much like it, and so he focused on writing and music instead.
And then came the iPad, and digital drawing. And all of a sudden, Mathaus discovered something: he’s an artist.
I’m going to be honest— I don’t know much about drawing via screens. I know it’s out there, I know it’s done… and that’s about it. I saw Mathaus taking an interest in it this spring when he returned from school, and was just pleased that he’d found a new form of creative expression that he was enjoying. And then, he gave me this:
It was one of his first efforts, and it floored me. He took a family photo, scaled it, tweaked it, and then inserted a person who wasn’t even there. To top it off, he copied the faceless style that I am personally kind of crazy about. (I have no idea why, but it’s a thing, and I’m not alone.)
Since then, he’s taken off. I’ve been stunned at how quickly his skills have advanced, and also how much he can do to alter and customize images beyond the simple “change this color,” kind of cut-and-dry I’d imagined when I thought of digital art.
It’s been fascinating, learning about another medium, and seeing what it can do. It’s also been fun looking at the the work of the many artists online who have been steadily expanding on the skills and tools to be mastered in this form.
Most important to me, as a mother who encourages her children (no matter their age) to try out new ways of expressing their God-given talents, Mathaus is having fun. He found this new creative outlet himself! He felt it resonate with him, and is putting in the time to get the results he wants. He is having the beauty-seeking section of his soul filled. His summer of working on a local pepper farm could have been hot, dirty, and somewhat lacking in joy. Instead, it seems to have been a season of creating via writing, playing the ukulele, and drawing… with some time mucking about with peppers, weeds, and cow manure. I guess that’s the life of a creative person summed up in one line: full of making, with the necessary work of real-life footing the bill.
Mathaus has been selling his custom family drawings on the side via Etsy. He’s only charging $15, which I think is pretty ridiculously low seeing as how everyone else lists theirs starting at $25. But he’s enjoying it and wants to make the option available as a keepsake for families like ours that may be unable to come together for a whole family photo shoot or are on very limited budgets. If you’re in the market, check out his work!