sketching childhood: Aoife’s roller skates

"Her New Roller Skates" drawing

During the summer, my insatiable appetite to record small, but meaningful moments in my family’s life had me pulling out my sketchbook and pencil again after years of neglect. As much as I love photography and take one my cameras everywhere, I find nothing gets to the core of those moments like drawing them. Drawing engages all my senses in a way photography doesn’t.

I drew Aoife’s new roller skates, which were a big deal around here at the time.

Knowing how fleeting time and things are, how quickly favourite toys and loveys are replaced with bigger and better things, I have decided to start a sketchbook for each of the kids where I can collect these memories. I’ll share the drawings here from time to time. Hopefully these sketchbooks will be as meaningful to the kids in years to come as they are to me.

Comments

  1. new toys come along quickly when they are young, but they are all such fun to draw… nice of the kids to provide us with inspiration isn’t it… glad you are drawing… I would be lost without it… I need to get things down on paper all the time… great post
    T xx

    • Yes, it’s so fun! Drawing used to be my thing long before I found art journaling and mixed media. I feel a bit rusty now it has to be said, but love, love, love drawing. xoxox

  2. Great sketch! When you look back at this drawing you’ll be able to remember the skates and all the fun Aoife had with them.

  3. WHY have you not drawn more? You are amazing! And I love the way you described the difference between that and a photograph – really amazing!! xoxo

    • Aww! Thank you hon, you are so sweet! I used to draw a lot…all through my childhood and teens and into my early twenties. My first arty love. Loving that I’m rediscovering it now!

  4. now you’ll never forget these skates! beautifully done!

  5. I suppose that’s why those darn Christmas cards were important to me. I snap photos, I blog, I post status updates (that may very well disappear one day, so I should probably record them somewhere other than Facebook!)… in some effort to record things I may otherwise forget. But sketches… that’s really amazing. I can only imagine what it will be like one day, for your grown children, to see the memories you’ve captured and the creative ways you’ve done it.

    • Aww, thank you hon! Yeah I worry about fb statuses as well. I sometimes post stuff on there and think “I must remember to stick that in Aoife’s file folder” and then I never do. After Christmas sometime I must sit down and do that. I’m slowly going through my archives right now and changing the links for all my photos from my old typepad blog to here, and the one thing I keep thinking over and over is “oh, I’d forgotten about that”. It doesn’t take long to forget. Sketching these things just adds another dimension to it all.

  6. What a wonderful idea, and such a gorgeous drawing. Love the softness of it.I’m sure your children will love their sketchbooks, I know I would have, if my mum had made one for me (unfortunately, she can’t draw at all). I love photography, and I wouldn’t want to live without my camera, but capturing something in a drawing is just so much more personal and special.

  7. Oh Carin… you draw so beautifully… and what a wonderful way to document memories… I love it… I can just imagine the joyful memories that your artwork will evoke for Aoife and Kirby in years to come…

    Jenny ♥

  8. Goodness yes! They will be meaningful to them! I would treasure a sketchbook like that! The love in it shines!

  9. I’m so impressed by your talent and your ability to catch a fleeting moment so concretely. What a wonderful gift you are creating for your kids!

  10. How old are your kids? Great drawing!

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Trackbacks

  1. […] I picked up my sketchbook and began drawing again. Halleluljah! Match made in […]

  2. […] learning (and often re-learning) with each and every sketch. When I look back on the first one now, Aoife’s roller skates, I can see how hesitant I […]

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