Artists at heart

For Children's day, on Monday, Noam school was off. Me and my good friend Jodi planned to do something fun and different. 

After a memorable taxi ride, where Kai and Noam tried their voices signing accapella, while I tried my Chinese to orient the driver to some remote studio, we arrived in what appeared to be an island of tranquility and creativity. A large compound of artist studios surrounds an open courtyard, where in a corner a wine covered pergola shades a set of garden chairs and tables, and where good coffee is served. 

Karen, a fellow Canadian, and Dawu, a sweet Chinese artist, share their creative passion with kids, with their project called Beijing Color Studio.  Dawu takes on the role of creative director and help the little ones unleash their art onto a canvas, while Karen takes care of the logistics.

Kai and Noam were the first arrived. Dawu and Karen later that day hosted more than 20 other kids. Easels were set, white canevas were awaiting the budding artists. As Dawu spread some color on the canevas, Kai quickly picked up at it, spreading it and enjoying the feeling of the paint on his hands. As he softly explored the texture of the paint, the colour covered the white square, leading to a very interesting effect. 

Noam at the opposite, did not quite get into it right away. As paint touched his fingers, he started panicking, and repeatidly saying "mains" (hands in French), is own way to ask for me to clean his hands. We tried various tricks, brushes, splashes, and funny faces, but we did not really succeeded in getting him to enjoy the act of spreading color onto the canevas. Then at one unexpected moment, he started to use a big brush on the raised canevas, and for fifteen minutes, we saw the artist at work.