My mother was a gifted artist. Unfortunately, a frightening incident in her early 30s caused her to put down her brushes and refuse to pick them up again. Though I wasn’t more than four at the time, I clearly remember the day it happened. I was playing with some of the neighbourhood children in the yard across the street from our house when my mother flew out the door with my toddler sister in her arms and ran across the street. Never in my life had I seen my mother run anywhere, so it was obvious that something was very wrong. Then, she barged into the neighbour’s house without even stopping to knock. Even at my young age, I knew that that was something you just didn’t do! What I and the other wide eyed children didn’t know was what had just happened. Mom had been painting at the kitchen table while I was outside playing and my sister napped. When the baby woke, Mom left her painting and went to lift her out of the crib, stopping to do something in the bedroom while the little one toddled out to the kitchen. The next thing Mom heard was choking and gagging. My sister had reached for the glass of turpentine that Mom used to clean her brushes and, thinking that it was juice, had drank it! Mom rushed her across the street because the neighbour was a nurse and would know what to do. Fortunately, our doctor’s wife happened to be visiting and, unlike many people in our small isolated town, she had a car! She rushed Mom and the baby to the hospital where a stomach was pumped and everything turned out fine. Everything, that is, except Mom’s love of painting. She blamed herself and didn’t paint again for many decades. Even then, though she dabbled at it a bit, the passion was gone.

I think Mom would have been thrilled to know that some of her great grandchildren have inherited her gift. This week, 12-year-old Sam was honoured as Young Artist of the Week by North Vancouver’s Artists for Kids and Gordon Smith Gallery.

Sam painted the picture that he’s holding while we were visiting in October and it was a delight to watch it unfold layer by layer. If you’re familiar with Vancouver, and look closely, you’ll know that you’re looking toward the north shore and will see the Lions Gate Bridge on the left.

Sam’s teacher had this to say, “Sam finds peace and joy through drawing. He loves adding his own unique flair and extra details into his class art projects. He is inspired by his surroundings, as well as his imagination. He is constantly trying new techniques to achieve a desired effect in his art. He adds incredible details into his creations that are admired by his teacher and peers.”

Yes, Great Grandma would be very proud!

On our way home from Vancouver in October, we stopped in Calgary to visit more grandchildren. On a trip to Goodwill, our daughter and I found a hoodie for 7-year-old Simon. As soon as he saw it, his response was, “I want to paint that!”

I watched in awe as his picture took shape. Simon had recently been diagnosed with ADHD, but he was completely focused! I held my breath as he added more and more details fearing that he was going to ruin the painting and become frustrated, but he knew exactly what he was doing! When he finished, he told me that it was for me and that he wanted me to hang it in my bathroom! I thought that was an odd request, but I followed his wishes and I’m so glad I did. I see it multiple times a day and it warms my heart every time! I only wish my Mom could see it too. She would be so proud!

Sam and Simon aren’t the only young artists in the family. We have several grandchildren who seem to have inherited some of Great Grandma’s talent! Whether this becomes a passion that stays with them throughout their lives or whether they pursue other interests as they get older, art has so many benefits for children. It promotes creativity, encourages neural connections, and builds fine motor skills. It helps develop problem-solving abilities and helps kids understand themselves and their world. Most of all, I think Sam and Simon would tell you that art is fun!