Tuesday 3 March 2009

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree !

This isn't at all miniature related but I just had an email from my Son and, in light of my last post, it made me smile when I realized how the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree.

My Son, Aydn, is 17 and currently studying art at college.

His Father is an engineer, as are most of the men in his family, so I guess he could have gone either way but he decided his career lies in art.

I am very glad chose to do something that he loves. I never minded what he wanted to do so long as he was happy. My own career was strange. I fell into newspaper sales at the age of about 18 ....No I didn't sell papers on a street corner, I sold the ad space :-)..... It was never my intended career and all of a sudden it was 20 years later and, although I was very successful, I wondered how I ended up there. I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life at his age. I am very pleased he is so focused and determined to work hard and further his education.

Anyhow, as part of his course, he had to decide on a theme for the year and the subject matter he decided upon was homelessness. He expresses this through many forms of art including photography, fine art, illustration, screen printing, 3D modeling and sculpture.

He scoured the streets to find a place where only the desperate consider living and here is one of the photographs he took of one such place.





It was taken with a 35mm camera and he then developed and printed it himself.

This particular photo has been solarized…not being a photographer I am not sure how that technique is done but I like it very much.

I am beyond proud of him. Not only for his work and the distinctions he is earning at college but the compassion he has shown in choosing homelessness and not being afraid confront issues like this face on. I am glad this trait of mine has rubbed off on him.

I guess all those lectures about starving children when he wouldn't finish his dinner paid off :-)


Sometimes I find it hard to believe my baby is 17 years old…and then other times, his ideas are so profound I forget he is only 17.





10 comments:

  1. That is a great photograph. I think, when you have been able to instill a good heart in your child, you have succeeded in all that really matters. Congratulations, Jayne.

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  2. Fantastic photograph! Bravo, Jayne! =)

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  3. I can certainly understand why you are so proud of him, Jayne.

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  4. Aydn really is a unique young man. At 17, most kids are still shaking their fists at parents, not at the injustices of the world.
    You're justified in feeling proud of him Jayne.
    This photo is very, very good.

    Patti

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  5. Thanks for joining my Blog! And that is a nice photo. I developed and printed film for years (owned a custom lab for a while). I have very fond memories of going to college and printing the images I shot.

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  6. Jayne, my son Ben is also 17 and studying photography. I love it when he brings home the work he's done. He's been working on Phobia's! He chose Spiders, which he hates with a passion (I have no idea why, because I'm the one that picks them up and puts them outside and Clowns which I will admit totally freak me out.
    You most be very proud of him and rightly so. I wish him every success in his chosen field..

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  7. What a lovely story Jayne... your son Aydn sounds like a truly connected human being...in touch with his surroundings and what affects us all...and the fact that he chooses to express his feelings through Art...must make you very proud indeed. Please let him know that his work (photo) is wonderful ...and that his subject and emotion ..captured the hearts of two people in Arizona...

    Thanks for sharing

    Jodi and Richard

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  8. Sometimes we forget that our kids are persons and sometimes we don't realize that the lovely toddler has become a young adult. Thank goodness our children can astonish us with their deep feelings and their superior ability in accomplishing what they think it's their duty to do. Surely you must be proud of him, for the quality of his work and for the thought that guided him in that forgotten alley.Send him a hug and a thank you from someone in Genoa. He has made us think once more on what life can be.

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  9. Hi. Just to let you know i have left a message on my blog after your message about the messages that are going wrong. We shall get there in the end.
    By the way is tallulah your name or should i call you something else. I will no doubt carry on with the tallulah because i have the worst of memories.

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  10. Thank you all very much ....I'll 'fess up and tell him I blogged about him now so he can read all the wonderful comments :-)

    Hopefully he won't be embarrassed by me talking about him...I'll remind him it could have been worse..I could have shown naked baby photos :-)

    Debbie...that is great Ben chose something hard for him to confront as well...good for him. I wish him all the best in his studies.

    Nikki....my real name is Jayne, I wish it were Tallulah. Most call me Tallooley but Tallulah is fine. I'll answer to pretty much anything :-)

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Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment :-)