Uh, Aqualung?
Bob & Rachel had a fantastic luau at their place last night! There was an adorable mini-bounce for the keikis, and a challenging wild boar spearing contest for the old ones.
![throwing a wooden spear at a papier mache boar in Bob & Rachel Hernandez' back yard in Hacienda Heights, CA](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-002-1.jpg)
About a month ago they asked if I’d be willing to facilitate an art project for the kids and if I had any ideas on what that might be. I offered making plaster casts of hands, making origami memory boxes and hunting for stuff to put in them, or making a collaborative portrait.
Bob & Rachel really liked the portrait painting idea and thought it should be of Aunt Sheila (my mom) since she’s turning 90 this year. But Bob had one concern about the project:
I really like the idea of letting them paint (option 1), but I’m concerned about the outcome. Do you think it will actually turn out looking like Aunt Sheila? If so, I would go with option 1. I’m concerned about the finished product not having any form, or ending up looking like Aqualung.
![photo of Sheila & Glenn Zucman circa 1955](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-003-1.jpg)
![photo of Sheila Zucman](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-004-1.jpg)
![Giancarlo Perez painting on a 4" canvas](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-005-1.jpg)
![painting in a backyard](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-006-1.jpg)
![3 people painting in a backyard](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-007-1.jpg)
![painting in the backyard](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-008-1.jpg)
![closeup of a person painting a smile on a canvas](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-009-1.jpg)
![painting a smile on canvas](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-010-1.jpg)
![paint mixed on a paper plate](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-011-1.jpg)
![3 people painting at a table on the grass in a backyard](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-012-1.jpg)
![people painting at a backyard party](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-013-1.jpg)
![close up of painting on a 4 inch canvas](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-014-1.jpg)
![painting at a backyard party](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-015-1.jpg)
![a series of 4" canvas sitting on the grass and waiting to dry](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-016-1.jpg)
![25 small canvases arranged in a 5x5 grid to make a portrait](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-017-1.jpg)
Well.
So.
Maybe it does look a little bit like Aqualung. But everybody had a lot of fun. And everybody thought the project was pretty cool. And I think I see how it could be both funnerer and better next time! 😛
I think more tiles would really help! Going up to 10×10 for 100 tiles might be kind of crazy. But maybe 7×7 for 49 tiles is doable. And then don’t stress detail too much. Just have an easy fun painting experience and try to more-or-less sketch in the shape in your tile.
![3 people looking at a painting on the grass.](https://glenn.zucman.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Bob-Rachel-Luau-018-1.jpg)