Naranjas y Zapatos

I have a sweet spot for little boys, having two of my own. It doesn't help that this little boy has a mass of curly hair just like my own! But this piece - this entire blog! - perfectly details moments in parenthood, which, at a glance go unnoticed, but captured here, eternally hold the emotional experience of raising a boy in a frame for all to understand. 

I do not know the name of the artist, but the blog is featured here: http://naranjasyzapatos.blogspot.com/
This piece is called, "The Temptation to Help."  I greatly admire the artist's mastery of gesture, the bend of the spine, the form of the fingers, and the shape of the curls. He does not over-exaggerate the lighting, but uses it to communicate the form. It is a painting built on a strong drawing.

  I love the posture of the boy, so careful with the blocks, yet so toddler with the toes pointing inward, the belly exposed by an out-grown shirt, and such a lop-sided tower! The "orange magic" are there to help him should he fail, cheering him on, believing in him, supportive as can be.  The father observes the block tower's structural problems, and really wants to speak up, but he does not. He remains in the background, wishing the best, and hoping his son will learn.  "The Temptation to Help" is an inward struggle we parents will have for the rest of our lives! A block tower is a small ordeal now, but in 15 years the same questions will persist. When do we tell them the answer, and when do we let them express independence?