Friday 6 November 2015

My Early Writing and Art Career

 
 
There are times when I bewail the fact that I have a tendency to hoard things, and there are other times when I'm quite pleased about it. When I happened upon some of my old primary school exercise books today, I was quite pleased about it.
 
The most battered, and the most treasured, amongst them is my grade two story book - circa early 70s. I wrote the stories below at the age of six and they are the earliest records of my writing. There are certainly no signs here that I would aspire to writing when I grew up. However, I like to think that my passion for art was already in evidence.  I can still remember drawing some of these pictures and the fun I had while doing them.   
 
 

 
Leap ahead two years and my writing was still very lack lustre. I have the dreaded "improving" stamp on this page. I remember the teacher coming around to stamp our work and I always hoped to receive the coveted "very good" or "excellent". I thought the word "improving" meant "terrible" because it seemed to be reserved for the worst work.
In year four, every week we had to write a bit about what we'd been up to in our own lives and then we had to write about something we'd read in the newspaper. I suspect I may have read about a timber worker having an accident going by the picture and the rather brief interpretation of the article I'd read. 
 
 
I'd love to hear if other people still have their old primary school books in their possession.
 I'm afraid I have made a rod for my girls' backs. I have whole folios full of their artwork from baby scribbles through to their high school days. Each piece with their name and date of execution all carefully inscribed on the back.
 
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Below is my art blogging buddy Sally Chupick reading my book while relaxing on a short painting and hiking holiday with friends in Vermont. Sally is a wonderful artist and has recently been invited to show her work in the Kingston General Hospital in Canada. check out her very inspiring blog by clicking here
 
 
And below is my neighbour Elyse reading my book while visiting Angkor Wat in Cambodia. She and her husband Graham had a fascinating holiday in Cambodia and Vietnam recently.
 
 
I hope you all have a great weekend! 

29 comments:

  1. hi Wendy,
    Thanks for the link, sweet of you. What fun to discover your old primary school books and writing. Such a nostalgic moment for you reading them again stirring up memories of childhood days. By the looks of your detailed drawings and writings it was evident you enjoyed writing and drawing! How lovely to find them. I dont have much from primary school days, but I recently found a drawing I did and had mailed to my grandmother, she saved it and passed it on to my father when she moved to a retirement home. I am currently helping my father to move to a retirement home, and while downsizing came across it. it's fun to discover.

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    1. Sally how wonderful that your grandmother had saved your drawing - it was obviously precious to her. Your dad must have found it precious too as he also saved it. It stops you in your tracks doesn't it when you unexpectedly come across something that is dripping with nostalgia? Although, in my case, I had probably looked through these books as recently as a couple of years ago. They always evoke so many memories.

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  2. How fortunate that you possess those old primary school books. What a gift! And how great that your girls have personal folios. They will thank you someday. Nothing of mine has been saved around here, but our daughter has a great collection of her "early" work. Love this post!

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    1. Thanks Chris! Yes, I am grateful to my mum for saving these books. I hope my daughters will thank me for what I have saved of theirs - there is SO much of it, it may feel more like a burden. Oh well, they can pick out the best bits I guess. To me they are all best bits!
      How nice that you kept your daughter's early work too!

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  3. That is so wonderful that you have these written treasures from your childhood! Did your mom save them or was it your idea? I think the only thing I have that I wrote was in high school. I had worked on the yearbook and wrote an essay on behalf of the outgoing class mentioning some of the unusual events and silly things that had gone on during our 4 years together. I may also have a piece or two that was in a "literary" journal that each grade complied each year in high school. My mother did keep every card or letter we ever made for her when we were young and made us promise that the entire collection would be placed in her coffin when she passed away. We did and it was buried with her.

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    1. Hi Joan, Mum would have kept the very early stuff for me but I think I probably took care of it and added to it from my early teens onwards. Even since an unusually young age I have been interested in keeping things for posterity. I used to think that it must be due to being a natural historian deep down, but in more recent years I fear it could instead be due to being a hoarder. Or, maybe it's a bit of both!

      The content of your high school essay must make for a great reminder of your high school years - no doubt you recorded many things that would otherwise have been forgotten if not written down.
      How touching that your homemade cards meant so much to your mother. Thanks for sharing that!

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  4. Wendy, how wonderful you have kept or written childhood writings and drawings. No idea what happened to mine, I expect they got thrown out as my later father was transferred from place to place over several years in his work.

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    1. That's a shame Margaret! It is certainly much harder to keep hold of things when you move houses a lot. It makes me realise how lucky I am to still have this stuff from my childhood. Although, I confess at times I feel weighed down by some of the other treasured "stuff" that I can't seem to part with.

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  5. Your early drawings and writings made me smile , such good memories to have :-)) I do have a few drawings from my own childhood too, but specially a lot of poems.

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    1. Thanks Jane! It must be lovely reading through your poems that you penned as a child!

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  6. How wonderful that you've kept some of your school exercise books.
    I don't have anything from my childhood but my parents moved so often I suppose they never thought of keeping this type of thing. Although we've also moved heaps of times I have kept a few drawings my kids made and also have videos of them singing, talking, skating, etc which I hope to pass on to them someday.

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    1. Yes, it is hard to keep hold of too many things when you have to move a lot, so it's great that you have some of your kids' things to pass on to them.

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  7. mom did, probably still does have my old books, she kept everything else it seems :p funny looking at them now :)

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    1. I loved seeing the bird pictures you did as a child!

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  8. What a treasure trove. Lucky YOU! I am glad you shared because I enjoyed looking at your artwork. Neat, neat, neat! Of course reading what you wrote too. it is great seeing your talent at such an early age. It is true you were born with the gift of observation and it comes out with paint and words.

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    1. Thanks so much Julie! You are very kind to say such things! Looking forward to catching up on your blog very soon!

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  9. How special to have your drawings from when you were a little girl! I think I've always had a hidden artist within me that just waited until I was in my 40s to surface. I always wanted to do art though! Loved seeing your artwork!

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    1. Well, you are certainly making up for it now Janine with all your beautiful creations!!

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  10. Ah Wendy even in your early years your creative spirit was quite apparent. Perhaps what we want or enjoy as a child is the path we should follow as an adult. It certainly has been true for you friend. So glad you shared. I saved a journal of poetry I wrote when I was in high school. Still have it on my shelf. Now I am going to visit Sally.

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    1. Thanks so much Debbie! It's great to hear that you've kept your poetry journal - it must bring back so many memories of the emotions you were going through at the time.

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  11. Hi Wendy, it is so special to see your earliest work,says so much about your talent for writing and art. I love how you save things and it is fun to see your journey from the very beginning. I have a box where I store many of my daughters cards and paintings. It got to be too big unfortunately, I was forced to throw some away. Luisa was extremely prolific with her drawing when she was younger, I was not able to keep up! I started photographing her along with her art ( she would churn out life size mermaids, sometimes one a day). I cherish those photographs!
    P.S. I'm in the middle of your book, thoroughly enjoying it!!

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    1. Your daughter's life-size mermaids sound fabulous Celia! No wonder you couldn't keep up with the volume of work when done on that scale! My daughters and I also went through a mermaid era when they were small and I too cherish that time in their artistic development. One day I will have to go through and properly display or archive their work so it is in a less cumbersome format.

      I'm so pleased to hear that you are enjoying my book!

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  12. Hello Mate!
    So very sorry I haven't been writing on your wonderful blog! Again I am on the mend! Of course your beautiful photos and spectacular always brighten my day! I will write more later and even begin posting some of my art soon! All the best to you and your family!
    Your USA Art Cobber!
    Michael

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    1. Michael, it's so lovely to hear from you again! Very pleased to hear that you are on the mend and thrilled for you to have finished the commission that you have executed in your inimitable style (I will comment on your post very soon!)
      Your Aussie Art Buddy!
      Wendy

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  13. Those are fantastic drawings, it is obvious you were very talented!

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    1. You are very kind to say so Jenny! I SO love you latest post!

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  14. You are very kind Helen! I hope you had a great time in Europe!

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  15. So nice to see your sweet post.
    Thanks for sharing your talents!
    Have a good week = )

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