AFYOCDT!
(A Five-Year-Old Could Do That!)
“It’s a line that was leveled at many abstract artists in the 20th century, implying that their work wasn’t ‘real’ art if it didn’t look realistic. But it also implied that children’s artwork wasn’t real art either.
“My Dad was an artist and when I cleared out his studio, after he and my Mom had died, I came across a box with some of my old art pieces. He had saved them, making notes on some, how old I was or the year I made it. Some had titles, some did not. And I remembered that he had shown them to his students, maybe as examples of artistic freedom – like, how to make art without the fear of being bad at it.
“Looking at this assortment, 40-50 years later, it was like looking back in time and seeing the world again through my five-year-old eyes. And a five-year-old can do a lot with a pen or brush or crayon!” – SLL (age 60)
1 [untitled - Figures] crayon on construction paper (11-1/2” x 10” h) noted by Dad: “Sarah 2 yrs. 9 mos.” [1966]
2 “Snow White”, acrylic paint on paper (18” x 24” h) noted by a nursery school teacher: “Sarah 3” and “Snow White”
3 [untitled - Skating] crayon on oversized manilla folder (18” x 12” h) [n.d.]
4 [untitled - Horse] pen & marker on construction paper (11” x 7-3/4” h) [n.d.]
5 [untitled - Butterflies] acrylic paint on brown paper (18” x 12” h) signed [n.d.]
6 [untitled - Prince] crayon on paper (5” x 8” h each) [n.d.]
7 [untitled - Princess] crayon on paper (5” x 8” h each) [n.d.]
8 “Dad” & “Mom”, pen on lined 3x5 card (3” x 5” h each) titled “Dad” and “Mom” [n.d.]
9 [untitled – a Selfie?] blue pen on paper (3” x 5” h) [n.d.]
10 “Horse in the Dark”, woodcut print (10-1/2” x 9-1/2” h) signed, dated 1969 (SLL age 6)
11 “Daffodils”, crayon & silver marker on construction paper (12” x 9” h) titled, signed on back and noted by Dad: “illustration for 2 original poems, third grade” (SLL age 8 ca 1971)
12 “Apple Tree” [with tree house] watercolor on paper (7-3/4” x 10” h) signed, noted by Dad: “Sketch of apple tree in garden, Sarah Lambert, June 1971” (SLL age 8)
13 [untitled - Lion] paper collage (10” x 7” h) [n.d.]
14 [untitled – Cat] pencil on paper (7-3/4” x 10” h) noted by Dad: “Sarah Sept 1976” (SLL age 13)
15 “Cassie”, black & white china marker on pastel paper (6” x 6-1/4” h) titled “Cassie ‘88” [1988] signed “SLL” (SLL age 25)