Dear Essie,
I saw your delightful painting at the Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock. Please believe me when I say that I enjoyed all of the pieces that were done by the young people such as yourself as much as I appreciated the other exhibits that we walked through last week. All of the drawings, paintings and sculptures we saw at the Art Center made us think seriously, lifted our spirits, caused us to smile, or taught us something new. Whether the artworks were created by kids or adults, they changed us in some way, and isn’t that what art is all about?
Right now you are young, so you’re able to put colors, shapes, and lines on the paper without thinking about anything except what you want to see and create at that moment. You can’t know how special this is and how much adults envy that freedom. As people get older they often start to be afraid that what they are writing and painting, or the way that they’re moving and singing, isn’t good enough. Too many adults become anxious and lose the ability to create from their hearts. I don’t know if there’s a solution for this since we all live our lives the best we can, taking things as they come.
Your painting brought me great joy, Essie, and I wanted to share it here with other people who might not be fortunate enough to get to Little Rock, Arkansas in the near future. No matter what you go on to do as you get older I hope that you’ll know that you always have the ability to touch and uplift other people just has you have warmed my heart this week. My fondest wish is that you might keep the joyful spirit that shines through in this painting.
With great appreciation,
C.L. Fornari
May, 2015
“Six Little Birds Dancing on a Wire” was done by Essie House, a Kindergarten student at the Theodore Jones Elementary school in Arkansas. This was one of the many amazing works by young people that I saw at the Arkansas Art Center in Little Rock. If you’re looking for a great place to visit in the USA, look no further than Little Rock, Arkansas. I was blessed to be there in May, and Essie’s painting was just one part of this interesting and inspiring trip.
