I love my son’s intelligence and his energy, his curiosity and his creativity. Of course there are pieces in process in my studio I work on alone, just as he has pieces he works on alone. But sometimes, if he is drawn to something I am doing and is excited about his ideas and wants to join in, I may be quite alarmed at the idea (especially if I have already put a great deal of work into the piece) but I am also very interested in giving him some ownership and seeing where he might take the painting, and what we might learn from the process of negotiating the collaboration.
My job then, is to be directive and to hold the overarching vision, while still leaving room for the surprises and improvements that tend to come from collaborating with him. He has a unique and valuable point of view and I do consult with him and ask his opinions. For example, I once asked him what he thought of the changes I was making to a painting. He answered that I was making it different, but I wasn’t making it better. He moves fearlessly into a painting. I have a lot to learn from him.
Jason Bruno, at three years. A tree grows through Old Reliable.
5. How useful do you personally think it is to get a kid to work alongside an adult artist?
I personally think that while perhaps it is not for everyone, it is very useful to me. His example helps me to let go of ideas that might be a little too precious. The child reminds me that after all, it is only paint. If we don’t like it we can paint it out. I can spend too much time on a piece, working and reworking it when I would be better off letting go and moving to the next thing.
6. Is it hard for you to get the ideas from the kid?
Not at all. I get tired of my own ideas and I am very interested in what goes on in that little mind of his. He has rich depths and he is very perceptive. It is refreshing to me to give up some of the control. And it is not like these are our only projects. We both have other things we do on our own. This is rich on a lot of levels though. Father and son, student and teacher (with occasional role reversal), artist and artist, man and child.
Also, it is like Naomi said, I have to remember who is the grown-up. Broadus generates countless ideas. Not all of them will work or would enhance the painting any more than all and sundry of my ideas would. I feel it is up to me to direct the decision-making. I try to lead gently, by questioning him and by giving him information. Hopefully he will come to esthetic and creative conclusions similar to mine. If not, sometimes I give in to him, sometimes he gives in to me, sometimes we find ways to compromise. I also find that I am not always right.
Power Rangers...
Broadus at work in the studio, United World College, Montezuma, NM
Stupid War. Mixed media on paper; collaboration with Broadus Mobbs. 3.5’x3.5’
7. How do you usually work in improvising the object on canvas from very child-like (Broadus’s scribbling) into more complex and artistic one?
We have an agreement that we may each work over the other’s work, if we are naturally drawn that way. These kinds of paintings are generally ones which start from the abstract and move towards the concrete anyway.
8. Have you ever been in a situation where you are completely stuck because you have a different argument/idea than Broadus? If yes, how do you manage that?
Once, I modified some aspect of his work when he wasn’t there, thinking he would agree (or wouldn’t notice). Bad idea. He let me know that it wasn’t right.
9. Does Broadus usually involve himself in the entire work, from sketching, subject-matter, coloring etc?
Working like this is still fairly new and experimental. He might walk in and get excited by something he sees me working on and want to join in. Or we might start something together.
10. How do you appreciate the Kid’s artwork? Do you have any specific interest in the artwork of children?
I would like to see all children, and this child in particular, enjoy life and thrive, expanding into their potential and their possibilities. Art and the magic of making things is one way that kids come to terms with life. I believe it enhances them and opens new worlds to them. So of course I want to foster it. I would like to see creative outlets available to all children. Some will be drawn to dance, some to theater, some to music, some to invention, some to painting. It is up to the adults to recognize what turns these kids on, and to get out of the way so they can explore and accomplish in the directions they need to take.
To me, we are all like children in some ways. No one really knows what is going on here – who we are, where we come from, where we are going, what it is all about. Art gives us access to those big questions, and can give us courage when we discover that no one has any answers that are really significantly better than those we can find in our pictures, our dances, and the songs we make up for ourselves and each other.
We work on our own pieces as well as collaborating on others.
I also want to acknowledge the role my older son, Jason Bruno, has played in supporting and encouraging my art. He’s an artist in his own right. A vegetarian and a pacifist, he is also a golden gloves champion and a top flight lawyer. His presence on the planet has been a source of joy and inspiration to me, and to his family, since he was born. It goes without saying that I wish I had been smarter when I was younger.
