What to do with Art?

LOOK CLOSELY
Today was beautiful, not too hot and not too cold. I have been working really hard at getting the upstairs room organized and ready for all of us to enjoy. I have moved all of the art/craft supplies up there because it has such a long desk and plenty of room for us to spread out (and we don't have to pick it all up when we aren't finished to eat dinner, since our last art spot was the dinning room table!) Anyways, the space is moving along as fast as I can get it done.

I have always felt like art was very important for the children and that self expression was a wonderful tool in getting to know them and what kinds of things they think about and enjoy. We don't have a lot of rules when it comes to art, because most of the rules I can think about would be broken by the children - because they are learning how to use those two hands and they make messes in every other part of life - so how can I say "don't make a mess" when we all know art is messy. Soooo... the only real hard and fast rule I have always had is: Please don't write, color, or paint on the walls (we all know how hard it is to keep them clean and then try to clean up paint or magic marker is horrible.)

One particular person has had a very hard time following those directions. We all know it is not HJ, but it could be a toss up between Rodeo and CJ. Thankfully it is not CJ (yet, knock on wood, quick.) So all of you who remember us calling Rodeo, Picasso ever since he knew what to do with a pen - you got it right, now pat yourself on the back. I have tried everything... like talking to him about why I would rather him not write, draw, or paint on my walls. Asking him not to do it, having him clean it up and then giving him paper write, draw, or paint on.
For the longest time (I guess he was around 18 months or so) I would find long, did I say loooooong lines across my walls and then he would draw beautiful lines all over the back of the doors (I guess he thought I would never close the doors??), then he got to the stage of circles, and then moved on to his initials. We would find all kinds of little W, C, and B's all over in the strangest places.

Every time I find (what we now call) - GRAFFITI, I call all the boys over and I simply say "who did this?," while showing them the evidence. HJ and CJ (now) look at Rodeo and he usually has a huge grin on his face and he says "I did it!!!" We go over the rule about the walls and he usually cleans it up or attempts to and he says he won't do it again. But, I guess he forgets over the next few months or gets lost in the moment of a really great idea, or for some strange reason is just plain bored and can't find anything else to do???!! (This is just one of the things I don't loose any sleep over, it can easily be fixed.)

So now you see what got me started on that really long story and explanation...
I was running out for a meeting and just happened to glance over at our wall next to the back door and the sun was hitting the wall just right and WALLA! - more artwork, he has moved on to animals now?!! I really had thought he had finished doing this and the initials were the last stage of his need to write on my walls. But now he has moved on to the outside of the house (is there more??? I hope not.)
We called them all over to talk to them about this and HJ and CJ immediately looking at him and telling us they didn't do it, the whole time Rodeo having this huge grin on his face (a terrible liar he would be) and telling us he had done it; we asked him "why did you draw a dog and a cat with a circle and a line through it?" he simply said "I am tired of them pooping in the backyard!!!"



So, now you understand the pictures for today?