'lil picasso.

hello friends! meet my 'lil picasso.


last night i had several assignments to get done in the studio and today was a late start day at school, so ashlyn and i had a little art fest going on.

i was sitting at my table and she was sitting at her makeshift desk (picnic basket) with our backs to each other, and we were talking about school and art class and she was telling me all about the cool projector screen in the art class and how she learned about picasso. all this while cutting away and working on her own masterpiece. our late night art sessions have been few and far between lately, so we were both totally enjoying having some one-on-one time. i spied my camera in the room, so i occassionally would take a peek back to see what she was up to.


she really, really, really wants to be an artist someday. some dumb boy with no filter on his mouth told her in preschool-----3 years ago----that she's not a good artist. she hasn't forgotten it at all. so i've spent the last 3 years trying my hardest to get her to forget about that boy and his hurtful words.


things got quiet in the studio for a while as we both worked away. her on her picasso masterpiece, me on my scrapbooking assignments.


then out of nowhere we have a little conversation.......
"mommy, i can't be an artist because i don't have a fancy name like PABLO PICASSO (huge emphasis on the coolness of the name).....it's just ashlyn" she said with much disappointment in her voice. i reply "well you always tell me that i'm a good artist. so do you think tania willis is fancy?" she says "well, yeah." as in.....duh. everyone knows that mom. "well, i think ashlyn rose is a beautiful fancy name." clearly she's not buying it.

we then have a little conversation about how some artists use a pseudo name for their artwork. she's in disbelief. "like, really, it's possible to have TWO names?" "yep", i say. followed quickly by "so, if you could change your name to a fancy artist name, what do you think is a good name?"

after much pondering and trying the combination of many strange concoctions, she blurts out, "Hola Clicksen!"

"awesome babe. Hola Clicksen you will be. when you're a famous fancy named artist. until then, i'm going to hang tight to this masterpiece. i might just need you to sign it, miss Hola Clicksen. you know, for when you're famous someday."