Well, our whole family has been struck down with a nasty virus. Fevery chills for all. Mogs and I did some watercolor painting earlier this week. I thought it would be appropriate to turn our painting into a paper log cabin quilt, since we have all been shivering under our own quilts. I asked Mogs if she thought it would be okay to use her painting and she seemed enthusiastic. It may be that I am crossing some sort of ethical artistic line by recycling her paintings. I try to respect her efforts and she does seem proud of our joint projects. She excitedly points at the handprint on her dad’s apron and know she helped make it.
We have one of those watercolor sets for kids and Mogs has muddied the colors in the tray in the process of painting. I totally love the resulting colors–much better than the original!
I’m also interested in the ethics of using children’s art for adult purposes….actually, my husband made me get interested in it because, many years ago, he disagreed with my decision to use our son’s drawing/writing as a text in a course I was teaching (the students were studying “emergent literacy” or how little kids start reading/writing).
Last year, I scanned one of my daughter’s drawings so that I could use it as a motif on jackets and slippers I was sewing. Neither my husband or I worried much about the ethics of that one, partly because Astrid’s design was so cool, I think. (Not a logical reason, I know….)
I do think that the child’s response when a parent wishes to use some of his/her art should offer guidance to the parent. Obviously, if a kid protests, it’s probably not okay to do it. But if the child sees the parents’ use of the art as another opportunity for the family to “make more stuff,” then I think it’s okay.
I don’t know if this reasoning would pass muster with an ethicist, but it makes sense to me….