July 31, 2008
"At moments of great enthusiasm it seems to me that no one in the world has ever made something this beautiful and important," - M.C . Escher
Paint-by-number kits were the rage in the 1950s and 60s before they slipped out of favor and out of sight.
Critics said the kits were not creative and were exceedingly ugly.
Even a horse painting? Surely not. I thought mine was beautiful.
Never once did I think my painting ugly, especially my prized "Horse in the Meadow" masterpiece.
Nevertheless, the fad soon died despite the fact that parents kept kids out of mischief by giving them paint-by-number projects to fill the idle summer hours.
It worked like magic, too. As soon as we finished one canvas, we wanted another.
I, for one, burst with pride at my painting of a horse grazing in a field. Previously I had displayed absolutely no artistic talent whatsoever, but now I could paint a horse! Who knew? Hey, the finished canvas looked like a real painting to me at age 8.
Remember the most popular paint-by-number kits of the era--the horses, of course, and the dogs, mountains, lighthouses, and, perhaps the most painted picture of all, the Last Supper.
Want to try to paint-by-number again? You can because this once popular craft is back.
Collectable kits or brand new styles are available at craft and toy stores including online stores. These kits are among the most popular of arts and craft kits sold today.
I can guess why.
The simplicity of painting without having to think certainly appeals to most of us as a way to slow our harried, fast-paced days.
It is meditative, calming, restorative. It takes us back to a simpler time. Do not laugh; it works!
Painting by number calms one down while one concentrates, for example, on brushing the burnt sienna paint (reddish brown) in the number 5 spot on the horse's back. It is rather difficult to think or worry about anything else when painting the required color.
Perhaps that is why when I visit my 90-year-old mother, I note that she and her friends in the care center are blissfully content when they paint-by-number.
Granted, their attention spans may not be long and some may need assistance, but all in all they find joy in producing their very own artistic works simply by following the numbers.
Sky blue is number one. A grassy green is number two, and sunny yellow is three.
Oh, if life were only that simple at any age, eight or ninety.
I wonder where I put that horse picture now that I think about it.
