Writing is a lot like Painting: Robert Henri at the Georgia O' Keefe museum

"If you paint children you must have no patronizing attitude toward them. Whoever approaches a child without humility, without wonderment, and without infinite respect misses in his judgement of what is before him."

---Robert Henri

Indeed the same is true of writing for children.

I was at the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe in January. The travel exhibit of the work of Robert Henri had much to inspire as did the work of O'Keefe.

So much of what Henri says about painting resonates with the writer.

The artist should be intoxicated with the idea of the thing he wants to express. (Robert Henri)

Do whatever you do intensely. (Robert Henri)

You will never draw the sense of a thing unless you are feeling it at the time you work. (Robert Henri)

Pretend you are dancing or singing a picture. A worker or painter should enjoy his work, else the observer will not enjoy it. (Robert Henri)

For more of Henri's quotes about painting and art and life that will also apply to the writer in us all see:

http://quote.robertgenn.com/auth_search.php?authid=171