27/03/2023
“But it’s just a brown splodge”
I wasn’t always a brown splodge… I started off as a white piece of paper. A blank slate if you will. I could have become so many different things. But a brown splodge is what I became. Some may say I am not the prettiest picture worthy of hanging on a fridge at home or even on a preschool display board. But there is more than meets the eye.
Believe it or not, I had a colourful life in between being a white piece of paper and a brown splodge. The artist had only three colours in front of them. Blue, red and yellow. My opportunity to become a fridge or display board masterpiece cropped up several times. I became purple, orange and green as the little artist worked their magic. The splatters of different colours were so effective. I even heard a teacher say to the artist, “that’s a lovely picture. Let me hang it to dry and you can take it home.” To my disappointment, the artist said, “no, I’m not finished.” Both I and the teacher knew at this point that the masterpiece I could have become was now a pipe dream. I had missed my chance.
The curious mind of the artist was hard at work. You might even say that they were not only an artist, but a scientist too. As they continued to experiment, my bright, vibrant colours were getting darker and murkier. You could no longer see the beautiful contrast between the orange, red and yellow. The pretty sunset was a thing of the past. The blue, green and purple ocean affect was now nowhere to be seen.
“I’m finished!” The artist called. Taking off their apron and heading to the sink to wash their hands. “What is it?” The teacher asked, “A muddy puddle?” The artist shrugged, keen to head off and continue more experiments in another activity. Little does anyone know, a finished product was probably the last thing on this little artists mind. Normally I, “the brown splodge”, am destined for the bin. Luckily, I survived and I am here to tell the story of an experience. An experience of a curious little artist who didn’t succumb to the product driven craft that adults prefer. The artist recognised their need to explore, learn and experiment in that moment which trumped any agenda that a teacher may have had. The artist will probably have forgotten about my existence by now - because they were never really bothered about it in the first place.
The point of my story is not to make you feel like you have to keep every future brown splodge. I completely understand if I am not a great addition to the decor. I just want to remind everyone who comes across a brown splodge, not to underestimate the artists talent. The beauty happened. It definitely happened. We just don’t always need to have a finished product to prove it.
Written by Lydia Hayward - Nursery Deputy Manager, Early Years Teacher and defender of the Brown Splodge
