Gods, Graves, and Budding Artists

There were many delightful moments throughout my #100happydays drawing challenge (which I still haven't finished blogging/tweeting about), but my favorite happened towards the end of the hundred days. Home in NJ for the weekend, I was sketching whatever caught my eye out of Gods, Graves, and Scholars.First I drew a mummy. Then I drew the headdress of the queen of Sumeria, Shub-Ad [sic], who lived roughly 4,600 years ago.  Olivia slept over that Saturday night, and the book's photographs and my copycat drawings fascinated her. "Can I draw her too?" It was bedtime, but I promised she could draw Shub-Ad when she woke up.I came downstairs the next morning, and she had already done it.  Needless to say, I picked up art supplies for her (belated) birthday present (she turned 8 at the end of November), and I'm excited for the next time we draw together. I feel like a big part of my job as her auntie is to share my enthusiasms with her—not to coax her into sharing them, but to help her develop her own areas of interest.  More drawing in January!