Artistic collaborations can happen in unexpected ways—just ask Ruth Oosterman. She has found a unique, creative partnership with her 3-year-old daughter, Eve. Together, they produce beautiful works of art. Through Eve’s vivid imagination and Oosterman’s talent, the colorful paintings are a mix of unrestrained creativity and small, intricate details. The Toronto-based mom calls the ongoing project Collaborations with my Toddler.
The tag-team style paintings are often started by Eve, as she doodles on paper with a pen or paint. Oosterman then transforms the marks into animals, landscapes, and portraits of people. She’s careful to leave Eve’s original marks alone and instead complements them with her owns additions, refining them into subjects we can recognize. The results reinforce the idea that two heads are better than one.
For Oosterman, the artistic journey is more important than the final product. “Through collaborating with Eve, she is teaching me how to paint all over again,” she writes on her website. “I treasure this bonding experience more than words can express.”
Prints from Collaborations with my Toddler are available to purchase through Oosterman’s Etsy shop.
Ruth Oosterman: 