Art and Photography

My first finished artwork was a bunny on tablet paper. Somewhere around the age of four, I went to Dad and asked him to draw a bunny for me. Dad was deaf and had been since early childhood so I had to sign it to him by taking my index and middle finger, placing them at the side of my head and wiggling them backward. I indicated a drawing by holding my left hand out like a tablet and using my stubby little finger as a pen to indicate writing or drawing.

Dad put down his magazine and pulled the folded tablet paper he always carried out of his back pocket. He proceeded to draw a rabbit, but it didn't look like the rabbit in my brother's Big Little Book. I could make that rabbit run across the page by flipping all the pages. So I shook my head, flipped my thumb out from under my chin to indicate a negative and circled my right hand in front of my heart to indicate that I didn't like his drawing.

Dad was taken aback but amused. He indicated it was all right not to like it by holding his left hand cupped up and pushing his right hand across the palm. Then he surprised me. He ripped the page off his tablet and handed it to me. He jabbed his forefinger to indicate "you" and made the drawing sign. He handed me the pencil. So I drew a rabbit and gave him a smug look. He nodded crisply and went back to his magazine. I assumed then that learning to draw was just another communication device that everyone learned. I still believe it ought to be.