Shannon Slee

“I’ve always been a crafty person. Whether indulging in photography, scrapbooking, sewing, crafting home décor, or other modes of art, it has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I started having children, life changed drastically. My ability to pursue my love for art in the ways of the past has become a memory, limited by the intermittently beautiful and ugly chaos of parenthood.

Instead of disappearing from my life, however, art’s importance in it has transformed into something different but even more profound. In many ways I can credit this to the blossoming love my 4-year-old son has for art thanks to the “Pint-Sized Picassos” class at the Quincy Art Center . A friend invited him to go to this class with her a year ago. Although he was very shy, he went outside of his comfort zone and attended with her. After the first class it was clear that he had no regrets about that choice! Ever since then, he searches for the artistic possibilities in just about everything he sees and is constantly coming up with ideas for projects. This year, both he and my 3-year-old daughter attend this class at the Art Center together and look forward with great excitement to Fridays each week when they get to go.”