Hey ... There's A Tiger On My Lap!
30" X 40" oil on linen
Original art art is sold
My paintings of play are intended to be about exploration and discovery. Through play, we give our children the autonomy to go out and take risks and learn about the world. The amount of supervision applied is directly related to the potential risk and the maturity of the child. As they grow, we assess how much freedom and risk is appropriate, and we pray we don’t make a mistake. We want them to develop common sense, but we’re usually hovering, just off-camera, waiting to jump in if things go sideways.
This is my daughter Sarah, at age eight. Its a hot July day at the Windsor Park playground, in Victoria. She knows I’m there, camera in hand, so she hams it up a bit. She wants me to see how much she can handle. Seconds after I take this photograph, she loses her balance and goes over backwards, landing hard on her head. Following the tears, we walk away unscathed – a slightly bruised head and ego, but no permanent damage. Another life lesson learned: the edge of gravity has its price.
Many of my paintings of play contain elements of danger. Children are always pushing the boundaries to learn, and there is risk. My paintings always imply the presence of the adult, whether it’s me there, behind the camera, or another adult in the frame. As parents, we’ve all heard stories of the briefest moment left unsupervised that turns unthinkable. Those thoughts hover at the edge of our minds, so we hover at the edge of their play. It’s part of the job for which we volunteered. And when we’re not there, we hope that the lessons we tried to impart with our guidance will protect them. It’s a wonder that parents sleep at all. Mark Heine
PS: Sarah asked if she could name this painting. When I said sure, she admitted that she didn’t really know how. My response was, “What was your first thought?”
This painting has recently been selected from entries around the world for a "Finalist" award,in The Artist's Magazine, 26th Annual Art Competition. Mark's name will be featured in the upcoming, December 2009 issue of The Artist's Magazine.
This same painting also was featured on page 10 in the December-January, 2009, Issue, #64 of International Artist Magazine. That feature also includes information on Marks inspiration, design strategy and working process. The painting was also chosen for a "Finalist" award in their "people and figures" competition
30" X 40" oil on linen
Original art art is sold
My paintings of play are intended to be about exploration and discovery. Through play, we give our children the autonomy to go out and take risks and learn about the world. The amount of supervision applied is directly related to the potential risk and the maturity of the child. As they grow, we assess how much freedom and risk is appropriate, and we pray we don’t make a mistake. We want them to develop common sense, but we’re usually hovering, just off-camera, waiting to jump in if things go sideways.
This is my daughter Sarah, at age eight. Its a hot July day at the Windsor Park playground, in Victoria. She knows I’m there, camera in hand, so she hams it up a bit. She wants me to see how much she can handle. Seconds after I take this photograph, she loses her balance and goes over backwards, landing hard on her head. Following the tears, we walk away unscathed – a slightly bruised head and ego, but no permanent damage. Another life lesson learned: the edge of gravity has its price.
Many of my paintings of play contain elements of danger. Children are always pushing the boundaries to learn, and there is risk. My paintings always imply the presence of the adult, whether it’s me there, behind the camera, or another adult in the frame. As parents, we’ve all heard stories of the briefest moment left unsupervised that turns unthinkable. Those thoughts hover at the edge of our minds, so we hover at the edge of their play. It’s part of the job for which we volunteered. And when we’re not there, we hope that the lessons we tried to impart with our guidance will protect them. It’s a wonder that parents sleep at all. Mark Heine
PS: Sarah asked if she could name this painting. When I said sure, she admitted that she didn’t really know how. My response was, “What was your first thought?”
This painting has recently been selected from entries around the world for a "Finalist" award,in The Artist's Magazine, 26th Annual Art Competition. Mark's name will be featured in the upcoming, December 2009 issue of The Artist's Magazine.
This same painting also was featured on page 10 in the December-January, 2009, Issue, #64 of International Artist Magazine. That feature also includes information on Marks inspiration, design strategy and working process. The painting was also chosen for a "Finalist" award in their "people and figures" competition
