In preparing for March and our annual Down Syndrome Day release, I thought it would be fun to paint with David (now 7 years old) and see what we could do together. He LOVES to paint (what kid doesn't?!) and as it turns out, I love the pieces he creates!
As I was adding paint to the palette for him to paint with, I was looking for a dark blue or navy color and accidentally chose black, as the darker colors in my big paint pan all look the same to me. As I was going to wipe the palette clean (because you know I don't use black in my paintings), he insisted (or had a minor meltdown over) using the black paint. And so, black it was! It is a big departure from my normal color palette, but I am glad we tried something new together.
David lovingly painted layers and layers of watercolor using the black paint, and I embellished them a bit with bold strokes and gold gouache accents. I must say, I'm thrilled with how they turned out! Framing makes such a big difference too. These paintings were made for ornate gold frames!
David also created a few of his very own original pieces in his favorite blue, green and red colors. And, don't worry, we have several framed in our home already :)!
We love giving David the opportunity to play, explore and try new things and boy has he come a long way in the last 7 years. Perhaps this will be a new tradition for us as we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on 3/21 each year! He deserves every bit of celebration!
A portion of the proceeds from the March Collection will be donated to United Ability in Birmingham, Alabama. David attended United Ability from age 3-5. Before he started at United Ability, were told that David may need a wheelchair, but the therapists at UA helped David walk independently in just six months. The entire team of teachers, therapists, and so many more loved David from the moment he walked in the door, and most importantly, they believed in him and his ability. He wouldn't be where he is today without the support of United Ability.
This collection releases on Sunday, March 16, 2025 and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to United Ability in Birmingham, Alabama, an organization that changed David's life for the better.
