Life is measured in clicks

(Phone rings, I answer.)

"Mommy, there's something in your room and I want you to post it on the internet." "Oh, you mean you left something in my room and you want me to take a picture of it?" "Uh-huh. And post it on the internet." "Is it an art attack?" "You'll see. Okay I love you, bye." Click.

(Go home, get the phone camera.) Click.

(Go to work, turn on the internet.) Click.

(Click here...)

Awww

One of the perks of parenthood :)

First exhibit

His is the still life in the upper right-hand corner. Not bad for a six-year-old, but then mommy has a lot of inside knowledge on the trade.

We never missed a single art lesson and religiously did all the homeworks. Mr. Sena gave him a grade of 97 and told him that he was going to get a trophy. We were glad, although at first we told ourselves that maybe everybody gets a trophy.

On graduation day, a LOT of trophies that were given, although I finally understood what they meant. I like the way Mr. Sena explained it:

"If you get a trophy, you are most outstanding. If you get a medal, you are outstanding. If you get a certificate, you are only standing." Mwahahahaha!

A lot of students got trophies, but not everyone. However, one girl went away with a trophy plus 3 gold medals: one for best in homework, one for best in group work, and one for best card. Those were the additional awards that distinguished the truly excellent ones. This girl, only in her tweens, had a one-woman show that summer and even donated a big amount of the sales to art scholars. She deserves every bit of praise and encouragement.

Another award I enjoyed was one that Mr. Sena made up on the spot. When Miguel's twentysomething classmate Kathy was called to the stage, she came went up in cropped jeans, a brown cotton blouse, and accessories worthy of a gimmick at Greenbelt. Mr. Sena commended her for her outfit and instructed one of his assistants to give her a gold medal for "Best in Costume."

Love that man!

Seriously, he's the best art teacher around, for kids and adults alike. Let me give you another insight as to why:

During his speech, he asked us if we wanted to know the secret of being a good artist. It was so silent, you could hear everybody pricking up their ears to hear a nugget of wisdom from a great master. And he said, "Mahalin mo ang magulang mo. (Love your parents.)" Huh?

"Dahil sila ang magbabayad ng materials mo at magpapaaral sa inyo. (Because they will pay for all your art materials and pay for your lessons as well.)" Wahahahaha!

He really brought the house down.

Art attack weekend

Thanks to Neil Buchanan for the snake activity. Thanks to Ninang Aly and her Fun Factory book for the pull-down puppet activity.

65/100

Mr. Potatohead as you've never seen him before

Here, tucked inside Miguel's latest art attack...is Mr. Potatohead.

I really like it.

I know that my brother would be appalled if he sees this, it being so girly.

You can blame me for that, because most of the stuff is mine. And I was the one who gave Miguel the violet paper. He asked me for colored paper, and that was the only unused sheet that I could find.

The round box came from a craft project I made in one of Mama Aly's children's parties, and some of the beads came from a broken bracelet of mine. That's why everything looks so girly. And that's why I like it.

The earthworm, of course, is his.

But honestly, as an artist, I find it quite good. It's an example of unbridled creativity, and I totally support it. Except that I don't know if anybody will pay money to buy it off him.

Actually, you could call it a collaboration, because I was the one who wrapped and taped the potato, "so that you can see the shape," as he instructed. And I was also the glue gun operator.

The sweetest thing is that Miguel made it for Ninang, who just left for camp Friday night. He made it for her because he will miss her. Awww. Too bad she won't get to see it for 21 days.

I reminded him that since he has to keep it intact, he cannot play with Mr. Potatohead until she comes back. His response: "Grr. I knew that I should have put holes in it."

62/100

Over the weekend

(For Sunday, May 28, 2006)

Here's the boy playing with mosaic tiles. Excellent toy. Helps hone his "Math wizard" skills. He wanted to do every design on the box, then have me take a picture of each work.

This is also the first time that I'm publishing a picture of him in glasses.

27/100

Action figure as art

Let me tell you about Miguel's latest art attack.

One night he comes into the bedroom with a bond-sized piece of cardboard.

"What are you doing?" I ask.
"I'm going to make an art attack."

He asks for the tape and colored glue.

"Where's Spiderman?" he adds.
"But hon, if you put him on the art attack you won't get to play
with him anymore!"

He rummages in the drawer for Spiderman anyway. Then he starts taping the action figure to a bond paper mounted on the cardboard. It looks like Spiderman is being strapped onto a gurney and is about to receive a lethal injection. I comment that it looks like a medieval torture device, like one used in the Inquisition. Should I be worried?

He starts singing a theme to himself. As if life were a movie, and he's just providing the soundtrack. He does this a lot when he plays, and more often than not the tune comes from our national anthem. No kidding.

After opening all the caps of the glue bottles, I decide to go for my shower, just as I planned. When I come out about 20 minutes later Spiderman is covered with tape and glue, with matching glue and marker drawings in the background - not to mention on Miguel's shirt. Thus ends Spiderman's long and colorful career as an action figure.

The following day the art attack is proudly displayed on our inside bedroom door:



If you look closely you will see a red marker drawing of someone "attacking" Spiderman on his left. So whaddya think- should I be worried?