3 questions for artists

[justme]

#1. Between the ages of 3-6, were you alone a lot?
#2. Why were you alone?
#3. What did you do during your alone time?

[HappySculpting]

Not sure where you're going with this one but I'll answer your question.

No, I was not alone a lot. Had a full family of brothers and sisters and I was third in line.

-Tamara

[iron ant]

Not sure either,heck can't remember where I set down my gloves much less 3.I do remember at 8 my dad comming down to the basement and I was playing army man with packing straw in the gas heater.Those little blue flames still get me going today........m3

[ironman]

Hi,
Yes, I was alone a lot. At times, I was around a lot of adults, but naturally, they weren't playmates.
I had no siblings until I was 7 and didn't live very close to other kids.
I'm not sure what I did but have a vague recollection of a rich fantasy life, and hey, I still do!
That vague recollection could just be conjecture on my part as I don't think adults retain memories from that young an age.
I do however, have a few memories of that time and can place them (time wise) because my family moved just before I turned 7.
Have a nice day,
Jeff
YEAH, Where ARE you going with this?

[Merlion]

I had two elder brothers. But they are 6 and 4 years older. On the other hand, I grew up in the war years until about 5. Perhaps this means I would not have much chance of going out to play over these years, and had less toys to play with.

My guess is that in general, a child who grows up alone indoor tend to fantasize more than other kids. The child may like or need to create his own imaginary world.

[justme]

So here's where I'm going with this...Michelangelo, Leonardo, Caravaggio, and Munch (to name just a few) all lost one parent to death or absence during these years. They spent much time alone, often with a sense of abandonment. But during those years they found art to be their companion and their way of experiencing life.
Interesting?

[Ornery]

Alone? It was all I could do to be alone.....Mom croaked when i was four...does that mean i get to be a great artist?

[lily]

I agree with Melion.

Although I am not an artist, when I was a child I did prefer sewing my own clothes or creating some baubles emagined by myself at home. At that time I was always thinking of being a fashion designer one day in future. But.......


Lily

[justme]

Ornery,
You are a shoe-in. Keep a journal so that in 100 years when they put you in the art history texts, they'll get it right.
Just Kiddin, but then again...
j

[JasonGillespie]

Yes, I was alone a lot during those years. It didn't seem they were any worse for that though.

My father, while my parents were married, wasn't very hands on and my mother worked as well. For some reason we didn't live near any kids my age. My sister wasn't born until I was seven at which time my parents divorced and we did move to an area where other children lived.

I did a lot of drawing, pretending and creating stories with my own imaginary characters.

[AKoch]

Yes, I was alone a lot, because my parents were in the act of splitting up, and so farmed me out here and there. I occupyed my time in that period with drawing and fantasizing. Now, why the questions?

[RCFA-Raven]

#1. Between the ages of 3-6, were you alone a lot?
#2. Why were you alone?
#3. What did you do during your alone time?1. Yes
2. Youngest of 3 children-sister 15 years older, brother 7 years older. Lived in country far away from town or neighbors
3. Played with goats, in mud, with father's tools, on top of old junk tracktors... I remember playing in mother's old button collection, and playing in grandmother's old tidbits laying around her house.

(BTW- I'm not a full time artist. I take spells of achievement, dabbling in this and that till I master it-- producing items people want-- and then moving on to my next projects, so perhaps it may not count for me. Or perhaps it does because when I note the corrilation between how I played when I was that age and my art there seems to be a connection.)

[justme]

Hi Akoch,
Check out my 2nd submission above to find out why I ask. It's also something I've always wanted to ask other artists, and this forum gives me such a great opportunity. It's fun to see how bit-by-bit people are answering.
j

[ilona]

#1. Between the ages of 3-6, were you alone a lot?

Yes.

#2. Why were you alone?

Because I was an only child, and my parents divorced when I was 4, and I spent a lot of time amusing myself.

#3. What did you do during your alone time?

I made things.

In fact, I have thought about this often...my play time as a child was spent always doing something tactile. I played among the rocks and old tools on the farm, made dams in the creek and little bowls out of white clay from the creek bottom, and devised elaborate ritualistic sculptures and altars and all sorts of things, from the objects and materials around me. Everything had a reason and a symbolism. I often thought I was making magic.

I often feel sorry for people who say they were always bored growing up, or that they hated being alone. I was never ever bored, and still value my alone time very much.

By the way, I answered first, and then read the other replies, so I woudln't be influenced by them.

[MountainSong]

#1. Between the ages of 3-6, were you alone a lot?
#2. Why were you alone?
#3. What did you do during your alone time?

#1 No.

#2 No, I grew up in an all boy neighborhood and was the oldest child and the oldest of the neighborhood kids too – so I always worked everybody up to build forts and tree houses and such. I designed – they built. *L*

#3 When I did grab some alone time I constructed or deconstructed smaller scale things.

[Berinje']

Yes, I was the late mistake with my two sisters being much much older than I was--they were moved out of the house by the time I was eight and they really didn't want a little sister tagging along before that. Both of my parents worked long hours. I filled up my time by drawing and painting and really got serious about it from third grade on. Weird, now that I look back on it, but I used to sketch portraits of the neighborhood children when I was only a child myself.

[Scout]

I grew up in a family of six children. My parents didn't divorce. But...I was alone anyway. I stayed out of the way (as a large family has lots of turmoil) I always painted. Hid in my room and painted and wrote stories. Got married in the 11th grade in 1968 and have never been lonely again.

Pretty good responses there justme. Good question. Scout

[anne (bxl)]

- Yes I was alone a lot till 5 years old.
- My parents had a farm far away from the village. My 3 oldest sisters (5, 6 and 7 years older) were at school till late in the day and my youngest sister (5 years younger) not yet born. (when I turned 5 we move to city)
- So till 5 I spent weekdays with the dog, the cows and the river. Drawing or "reading" hundreds of cartoons...

Dogs and art stayed my best friends for life.

What about you Justme?

[hooverss]

Yes, I was alone a lot during the ages of 3-6. My Mom was a school teacher. Being the youngest of 3 boys I am 5 and 7 years younger than my two older brothers. Both of my brothers have told me that they really don’t remember me being around until I was 16.

Every summer from the time I was 3 until I was 12 my Mom was in summer school, so I spent everyday of summer on my Grandparents ranch that is 20 miles out of Baker City, OR and 2 miles off the main road. I was never allowed to take any toys with me to the ranch. So, I spent most of my time making toys out of what ever was there. Being that it was a working ranch there was a lot of stuff to build things out of.

[StevenW]

My mom went away when I was 7 and I didn't see much of her until I was 17. Dad was a civil engineer and always out of town on another big project, Alaska Pipeline, coal plants and that sort of thing, so I usually saw him a couple weeks every few months. I have 7 older brothers and sisters, but they're all much older. I came along pretty late by accident and by the time I was 6 they were all moving out, so I spent almost all my time alone as a kid pretty much. I was fortunate in that we were well off by that time and I had a great education, an enormous library to read from and money for whatever kind of lessons I wanted, guitar, martial arts, skiing etc... At 41 I still spend most of my time alone, I even work alone, but I don't really mind. I'm terribly jealous of my free-time nowadays and wishing I had more of it to bang on rocks.

[evaldart]

I was not alone. My sisters a year younger. We were each others only friends during those years. We moved alot following my fathers career as a professional baseball palyer (minor leagues, small towns all over America). By the time I was 6 Dads knees were shot and he became one of the youngest managers in baseball history (27). Sis stayed with Mom and I went to the park with him everyday. My friends were 18 yr old ballplayers (some of whom eventually enjoyed great major league careers). I sat with them on the bus, exchanged reading material (comic books) and whiled away the evenings loose in the bleachers (or under them searching for treaure) not necessarily cheering them on. It all had nothing to do with the nurturing of a creative spirit...seems like thats either there or it isnt.

[GlennT]

I don't think that I fit the being alone profile. I had an older sister, and loving parents. I had friends, including a large group of kid in my neighborhood that were about the same age. We played sports together all the time, as well as invented our own games and fun activities.

I also enjoyed my alone time, usually by reading books, playing with toys, building buildings and things out of Lincoln Logs,Tinkertoys. and Erector sets. My intereses were varied and included but were not especially focused on art.

What I think is more relevant is that at the ages of 3-6, and beyond, I was fascinated with patterns, textures, and designs in the environment. It was as though the most basic elements such as linoleum tiles, formica countertop patterns, types of bricks in a building, as well as more complex things spoke to me of their hidden meanings. I perceived the energy or intent behind the designs of things in the man made environment. Not something easily put to words, but an inner knowing. So things that were especially beautifully made, of which there were fortunately many in Chicago and its suburbs, made a lasting impression on my mind. These helped establish a pattern of excellence which gave me standards to work from and aspire towards.

[robertpulley]

My brother nearest brother was born when I was 3. Then there was a 5 year gap before brother 3 and 4 were born then sister. Through childhood I spent a lot of time with siblings and neighbor kids, but always had a rich fantasy life (my Mom pointed out a few years ago that I played in the sandbox until I was 15. She was a little worried but didn't say anything). My mother was naturally creative, though untutored in art. We always had crayons, plasticene, paint and colored paper available. Brother 2 paints, brother 4 paints and illustrates The Beginner's Bible series.

But then I'm not Michaelagelo, DaVinci, etc. Maybe if I'd had a more stressful childhood I would have been a stronger person....;)

[racine]

yes alone by preference. only child also. loved pre school though which was idyllic. 2 dear old ladies living in the old village school house, full of 19th C oil paintings, notably full sail clippers.. stuffed owls, posed exotic bird groups, mongoose, fox, salmon and other beautiful victorian taxidermists horrors. victorian garden with hideyholes, hollyhocks and swings etc.
i had an imaginary friend, gargar. curiously 20 years later a 'clairvoyant' visited our house thought haunted, she said that there was a little girl there called margaret.
hogwash is fun no?