Painting children’s dreams
By J.L. Bibb
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“A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement … If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life…”
– Rachel L. Carson, biologist, writer
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Cast your thoughts to a forgotten time…
A time when sword-wielding princes rode galloping steeds and dragons spat fire … a time when fairies and gnomes hid among the leaves and mushrooms … a time when squirrels and rabbits walked and talked and frolicked in the fields beside their woodland homes.
It was a magical time, when your imagination saw, and believed, everything.
For local artist, Elaine Husband, that time is still close at hand. In fact, Husband says that God blessed her with creative ideas, and books have given power to her imagination, so that on a whim she can picture scenes like cloud-covered castles and ships on the high seas. It’s a special way of thinking, Husband explains, something that children do more easily than adults.
“I was born with a sense of wonder that has never left me,” Husband says. “And now, it is my passion to capture that sense of childhood wonder through art, using the old classic books, their stories, their illustrations and the imagination they celebrate. Since I have been a grandmother, I have had the opportunity to read and re-read many of the greatest children’s books. These enchanting illustrations and stories have been a springboard for children’s imaginations for generations and have awakened in me a love of the child’s world of ‘make believe.’”
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“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” – Albert Einstein, scientist
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For these reasons, this grandmother of six has chosen to focus her latest art show around an original theme, “The wonder of childhood captured through art.” With watercolors, oils and drawings, Husband’s fanciful work has been inspired by children’s literature.
“I have a clear understanding of the importance these types of stories have on children’s creativity,” Husband says. “I have a kindled passion to paint for children like I’ve never felt.”
From January through July of this year, Husband crafted dozens of similarly themed pieces. From Sept. 24 – Oct. 24, she will show 36 paintings at the Children’s Department inside the Williamson County Library. Then on Nov. 2-4, Husband will unveil all her work at a special and unusual show within her own home.
“I have had successful art shows before, but I have never known this kind of joy, and we haven’t even had the show!” she says. “This work has been so much fun and so fulfilling. Showing the work in my home gives me a measure of control over the entire show, and we are going to have fun decorating and preparing.
“The show will be under a big tent. There will be banners featuring quotes from books, and there will be tables of art. There will be a smaller tent where people can check out with their purchases and see an array of children’s classics on display. I have lots of different types of work, and some pieces are more expensive than others. Many are framed and will have presents that accompany the artwork. And there are other pieces that are in the $10 and $15 range, because I really want this show to have something for everyone.”
The work will be showcased in her home at 1319 Adams Street in Franklin, beginning Friday, Nov. 2, with a preview-only showing from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (with no purchases). It will be followed by an unrestricted show on Saturday, Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 5, from 1-4 p.m.
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The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings. – Robert Louis Stevenson, author
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Husband says she hopes her latest work inspires adults as well as children.
“I want this art to encourage parents to spend time reading and exploring with their children,” she says. “Of course, I hope that children will enjoy looking at these paintings that their parents might bring home to them.
“You know, without imagination, children don’t play, they don’t pretend, and they don’t look for the magic in life. I want the kind of art in children’s rooms that makes them think, art that captures their imaginations and inspires them.”
What you might see at the show
While browsing the work, you might encounter: Castles, Flower Children, Woodland Fairy Homes, Maps of Imaginary Lands, Tea Parties, Animal Friends, Pirates on the High Seas, Enchanted Cottages, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Damsels, Knights, English Farmyards, Tiny Rooms for Tiny People, and more…
