Re-imagining Kids' Drawings By Garrett Miller

The first picture generated some controversy. “There were some who saw it as me shoving it in their face, like I’m better than your kids,” says Miller. “Those are opinions others are welcome to have. One hundred percent of the parents and kids are thrilled with the work, though. As long as the kids enjoy it, I’ll keep doing it.”
Imitation and re-interpretation is a cornerstone of art. Whether it is Andy Warhol painting soup cans or Banksy enhancing graffiti on buildings, art has a long relationship with repurposing old ideas and spaces. The kids whose art becomes part of Imaginawesome likely feel inspired themselves to iterate, to challenge their own notions of technique, content and message … even if that reflection begins as simple imitation.
That was the case with my own boys, who after seeing Garrett’s handiwork, spent the afternoon improving their original images. My youngest, who had submitted a rough version of a well-fortified hideaway, laughed with delight at the detail he found. His next effort at drawing tried to emulate this detail, as well as making an effort at shading for a three-dimensional effect. The work of my eldest was much more detailed already. His takeaway was how powerful it can be to simplifying the visual message. In both cases, Imaginawesome sparked further interest in art.