He also got this one from my friend Zulfi after visiting Holland.
Day 346
Kelt got this keychain from my friend Tommy from Gonzaga University in Spokane. People are constantly sending him keychains, which is one of the reasons that he likes doing the blog. He's a likable guy with many admirers and not hesitant to tell people that he's popular. Modesty is not one of his strong suits...
Day 345
These drawings are blind except when I briefly look at the paper to set the pen. This series represents Kelt's uninhibited drawing style and enhanced visual skills. To view more, click the bobble head label to the right.
Day 343
I was looking at the photos in my apartment and realized that I have four pictures of Kelt at different stages of his life. It's unbelievable to compare his past behaviors to his recent accomplishments, especially in terms of his original diagnosis: Your child will always be mentally retarded. It's pretty obvious that he's defied this prognosis. His senior year is a testimony in itself, from joining the Honor Society, winning Homecoming king, placing 8th at the state wrestling tournament, to getting the Juror's Choice award at the high school art show, etc. I couldn't be more proud of him or our family. He's surpassed numerous expectations, but now we have to figure out what's next. It's another stage of his life that's going to be challenging and force us to be creative, but we'll eventually figure it out.
Day 341
Mark Haddon, author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, has a blog that I regularly check. About a year ago he posted this drawing that he drew with his son called together pictures. I love this concept and the unique perspective that's created from the collaboration. I've been trying to think of a new project for Kelt and I to start after we're done with Keychain A Day. I think something like this would be interesting, especially if we had to work separately and collaborate via mail. Something to think about...
Day 339
I recently came across the blog, Grow Your Brain, by artist Seth Chwast, which shows his work and exhibitions. He's been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in Ukraine and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History; has a mural at the Time Equities Building in NYC; is one of the 54 artists in the book Artism; and co-wrote a book with his mom, An Unexpected Life, to list a few of his accomplishments.
"Chwast was diagnosed with autism as a very young child, lived for years in a world of roller coasters, haunted houses and classical music. A dramatic change came in 2003, when at age 20 he took an oil painting class at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Seth, who rarely speaks, began describing his world in paint. He displayed an innate ability to mix colors and create amazing works of art that reflect his vision of his world and the world around him." -Grow Your Brain
Six Self Studies, 70" x 84", acrylic on canvas, 2005
Museum of Modern Art, Ukraine
Manhattan Floating, 104 individual panels 16" x 24", 2010, Time Equities Building, NYC
New York, New York Right Side with Crane and Clock, 22" x 22", graphite on paper, 2010
Day 337
Gauguin & Me, oil
Iranian Bus, 18 x 24", oil, 2009In Spokane my Mom recently went to a local grocery store and found a magazine called The Autism File. This is a quarterly publication that covers a variety of issues about autism, such as therapy, diets and recipes, new books, family, personal stories, and communication, etc. Each issue also features an artist with autism in a segment called Mind's Eye: Art across the spectrum... Coincidentally the artist in the summer issue, Kevin Hosseini, is one of the artists featured in Artism, which is a book I've been discussing for the past couple of weeks. Hosseini is only 16 and has already been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in Ukraine, Soho Digital Art Gallery in NYC, and has 55 paintings on regular display at the UCSB Koegel Autism Clinic in Santa Barbara, etc. He has an advanced style that's been compared to artists such as Gauguin, Matisse, Picasso, and Van Gogh. To see more of his paintings, check out is website at kevingallery.com.
Day 336
Kelt got this keychain at one of the many thrift stores that we went to in Spokane. In six days he got 83 keychains, which makes 6,280! One day we were trying to decide how much money we've spent on Kelt's collection and figured if each keychain was 50 cents, which is generous, we've spent over $3,000!
Day 334
I recently started the book House Rules by Jodi Picoult, which is about a teenager with Asperger's who gets accused of murder. I haven't read much, but so far Picoult has done a great job describing classic Asperger's, such as literalness, perseveration, intense interests, need for routine, and social misunderstandings, etc. Besides the plot and protagonist, I also enjoy the chapters that are told by the younger brother, Theo. I like reading his side of the story because it reminds me of my other brother, Camden, and the way he might have felt growing up with a brother with autism. Here are a couple of examples from the book:
"I am supposed to make exceptions for Jacob; it's one of our unwritten house rules. So when we need to take a detour away from a detour sign (how ironic is that?) since it's orange and freaks Jacob out, that trumps the fact that I'm ten minutes late for school. And he always gets the shower first, because a hundred billion years ago when I was still a baby Jacob took the first shower, and he can't handle having his routine messed up. And when I turned 15 and made an appointment to get my learner's permit at the DMV - an appointment that got canceled when Jacob had a meltdown over buying a pair of new sneakers - I was expected to understand that these things happen. The problem is, something happened the next three times I tried to get my mom to take me to the DMV and, finally, I just stopped asking" (11).
"I run interference. I'm the one who physically drags Jacob away from a conversation when he's starting to freak people out by being too intense. I'm the one who tells him to stop flapping when he's nervous on the bus, because it makes him look like a total nutcase. I'm the one who goes to his classes before I go to my own, just to let the teachers know that Jacob had a rough morning because we unexpectedly ran out of soy milk" (12).
Theo's perspective makes me question Camden's and the difficulty of having a brother with autism. It's a hard and atypical relationship, but I hope Cam appreciates Kelt and understands how they both contribute to our family. Kelt wouldn't be as successful if it wasn't for him.
Day 332
Another Spokane thrift store find. Right now Kelt and the family are helping me move into my new apartment. On Monday I start grad school at Washington State University for speech language pathology. I can't believe my year back home is already over! I'm really going to miss Kelt. We're going to keep doing the blog even though we'll be long distance. It'll be a little harder, but not impossible.
Day 331
Kelt got this keychain today from a thrift store in Spokane. So inappropriate!
Justin Dixon is another artist that's introduced in the book Artism. This book shows 54 artists across the world with autism that range in age and experience. Dixon is a 17-year-old emerging artist from New Jersey that draws and paints his favorite logos that he collects from a variety of tv shows and movies. Besides painting, he enjoys watching games shows, swimming, bowling, and playing the xylophone. To learn more about the different artists in the book, check out the website, Artism Today.
Day 329
Today Kelt got this keychain from his friend Gabe after visiting Alaska. His
friends are constantly bringing back keychains from their trips. Now he has 6,197!
friends are constantly bringing back keychains from their trips. Now he has 6,197!
Day 328
Sutherland Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2001
Flying High, 2000, 12 x 9.5", acrylic"When an individual is marked by disability a small gesture of acceptance, empathy and caring can lift that person's spirits and help in their recovery process literally sending them flying high in spirit and emotion." - Smoluk
For the next week we're going to discuss different artists that were published in the book Artism. This work was done by artist Ryan Smoluk from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He paints with acrylic, draws comics, and sculpts with clay, etc. He's shown his work in numerous galleries across North American and has four murals in Winnipeg! To see more of his work, check out ryansmoluk.ca.
Day 325
The Cougars, 24 x 36", 2009graphite, colored pencil, crayon, permanent marker on paper
The Historic F Outboard Raceboat Equipment of the 1950s-1970s Southern-To-Pacific CoastUS Regions, 24 x 48", 2006, graphite, colored pencil, crayon, permanent marker on paper
For the next couple of weeks we're going to feature different artists with autism from the book Artism. This work was done by artist Gregory Blackstock from Seattle. He uses ink, pencil, markers, and crayons to create works of repetition. Along with art he also plays the accordion, piano, and organ; has a great memory; and speaks many languages. He is represented by the Garde Rail Gallery in Seattle and has his own book, Blackstock's Collections. To see more drawings, check out Garde Rail Gallery.
Video: King 5 Evening Magazine, Sept. 29, 2011
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