boy's collage

Dylan came into my room last night, carrying his pen and ink drawing. It was done free-hand and is very good. "What do you think it needs?" he asked, having seen one of my old portfolios. "Oh honey, I don't know. I'm not one for over doing much." Then asking him about the cross hatching at the top of the form, the possible completion of that. His hand ran over the drawing explaining what he thought he would do, how he would finish the thing.

When we first moved, I placed a picture of his on his bedroom wall. Something he had prepared for the T/F Film festival here in town but had not completed in time for exhibition. In that picture there are images, drawn, that remind one of photo-realism. I ask him if he has considered art school, realizing that he has a real talent with numbers also. "Yeah, but it is difficult to combine the two.".."Oh, not necessarily" I say and then tell him of possible jobs, well, maybe..He pauses, hesitant, realistic. Unfortunately realistic. He wants to earn money, make a nice life for himself. On the other hand, I have always encouraged the boys to go with their heart, follow their dreams, pursue their passions. Have I been wrong in this?

More than a year ago, Ray was talking about ARt SChool, in Chicago. He is in Engineering, here, at the University, and he is happy. Loves it. But that ended up being his passion, he found it in classes his junior year in high school.
He was lucky.