I have done a lot of art workshops for children and, as I said, I like to participate with the kids when I do this. And I’ve noticed when they come in — and I usually do these at the Milwaukee Art Museum with their staff — they see the art supplies laid out on the tables and they just go, “Ahhhhh!” And it’s the same excitement that I have had all my life when I see color and art objects and texture and so forth. So that’s the usual start.
And then I explain the project to them, and it’s so interesting to me to see, as I do in my own work, each one is so individual and so happy to be doing it. It just amazes me. I talk to them a little bit about, “No, you don’t always have to use store-bought materials. You can find things in your house.” And sometimes, what we tell the children is they have to bring some things from home for their project. Like if we’re making handmade books, which I have done, then a big person and a little person come together as partners. But they have to bring some things from home that they’re going to use in their book.
And so you really never know where these things are going to lead, how many of these children are going to end up being artists as adults, or writers. But at least you’ve opened the door to that aspect of it. So that’s why I like to include some things in my books for projects they can do. And, you know, you can always hope. As I always say to them, “There’ll be some day when I won’t be able to do artwork anymore and you’re the one that’s going to have to do the next books in the next generation.”