God is the master of perfect

It started with a pot lid. No Captain America shield on hand?  No problem. Use what you have at the ready and transform everyday, ordinary items into whatever you need them to be.  This is how Gavin handled the challenge of the Avenger's shield.  His fanciful imagination filled in for the item he didn't have.

The pot lid may have been where this play-date started but I couldn't leave it there.  Gavin's resourcefulness triggered my own ideas about shields, protection, magic and how to use materials I have on hand to create a shield of Gavin's very own.  Couldn't think of a better way to spend time with my Captain America.

The photos from this project speak for themselves.  Using some very basic materials pulled from the recycle bin (plastic oatmeal lid and hummus container) and a couple of brads, we were off and running.  Next, a bunch of colored card stock cut and layered for the emblem. We were just in time for 'saving the world' and doing battle with our enemies.  After putting it all together, I decided to laminate the paper layers so that it would stand up to any water hazards. 

Funny little story while Gavin and I were copying the design of Captain America's shield (found on the internet). We had cut all the circles and at the end I traced and cut a white star.  As Gavin and I were gluing the layers of paper together, I noticed that my star was not the same size in relation to the circles as the original design I was copying from and I said, "Darn! The star is supposed to fit inside the blue circle."  And Gavin said, "I'm fine with that."  And then he said, "God is the master of perfect."  Out of the mouths of babes.

This project was something Gavin and I did together over four months ago.  Since then, Gavin has turned six, Jeff has finished hiking the Appalachian Trail, I spent over a month in Idaho visiting family and friends (patiently awaiting this inconvenient stress fracture in my foot to heal)  and now we arrive at autumn, October and catapult to the end of another year.  Gavin spent the night here at the house last night. We've moved beyond pot lid shields to playing with large sticks (found in the yard) fashioned into swords.  Here's to many more years of creative imagining.  I'm in!

Such a fun sleep-over

We never have to look hard for things to do together.  Gavin loves working on new projects. Sometimes we finish up things we began the last time he was at the castle house.  Other times, I'll have a plan for a new activity before Gavin comes over and that plan will morph into a completely different adventure.  And sometimes we even have projects we've talked about doing like hand sewing a burlap pirate booty pouch or whipping up some home made pasta, a la Great Aunt Jessica, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.

Gavin and I usually make regular runs up to the studio to get art supplies. We typically bring everything downstairs and work at the dining room table. Sometimes Hempi joins in the fun, like the last two times Gavin was here and we all worked on origami.  Usually, we make at least five to ten 'studio runs' in the course of a weekend. And I always ask, "Gavin, would you like to run up to the studio with me to get more 'stuff?'  Most of the time, Gavin is out of the chair before I finish the question. Each time we're upstairs, I show Gavin another art tool or gadget.  Gavin is getting familiar with where I keep my treasures.

This last weekend, we ended up in the studio for one of our projects.  Only right that it was a 'drawing activity.' Such a lovely turn of events, too.  It started innocently enough.  I invited Gavin to come up to the studio to see a surprise.  The surprise was a desk.  The desk his Mom and Dad gave me after they decided they no longer had a use for it.  And now, the same desk Gavin was used to seeing in his house, was in the "Castle House" studio.

When Gavin saw it, his face lit up.  The next thing he did was ask for some paper and colored marking pens.  Arranging them on the desk just so, he took a seat and began making the place his own.  Gavin said, 'this drawing is going to be for you, Ba'ka.'  

Together, we spent the next hour, drawing and working at our separate desks.  Time spent in the studio is usually good for me. But this was a first for Gavin and I.  Staying in the studio to work on something together and apart.  Each in our own creative space.

The next morning, we went back into the studio, this time because Gavin asked me to make a copy of his original work of art.  I love mixing art and technology! And especially when I can share my knowledge with this 5-year-old.  Little does he know that in another 5 to 10 years, his tech-savvy abilities will far surpass all of mine and I will never catch up.  We proceeded to scan and copy Gavin's artwork, do another drawing, more scanning, convert art into note card art and then write notes in the new cards for special people in our lives.

Gavin 's Art Note Card

Learning to draw using the Wacom tablet.

I love Gavin Quotes.  This was one of my favorites:  Gavin: "I'm going to need a lot more paper."  I smiled and replied, "Well, that's easy. I have a lot of paper."  And Gavin, making my whole weekend said, "You are the master."  *heartfelt sigh