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unconscious and unposed. The child sees something that is funny or exciting or beautiful; and he tries to set it down, as he sees it, not as some adult thinks he should see it. He may listen to music and paint what the music makes him feel. He may read a poem, he may think of his pet kitty or dog, he may remember riding a cow pony in Taos. It may be Nature that tempts him, though usually this would come later. But what he does is himself, not an echo of another person, not an after-image of another person's [[crossed-out]] visioon [[/crossed-out]] vision of the world. 

So I thought you might set out, with Ross Jr and Jimmy, to learn how to paint. Not with the idea of being artists. Because I hate artists as much as any one. But with the idea of developing another part of your brains and bodies, with the idea of sharpening sight so that always after looking on the world it would seem beautiful or exciting or amusing. 

The poster paints have to be thinned a little I believe. But watch out that they do not run into each other, if you get them too thin. In the classes I know about the children usually paint on a flat table, laying their paper out horizontally. Strangely enough this is the way a mature artist like Dove paints; or the way McCausland paints. 

As for paper, brown wrapping paper in big sheets is the best thing. The bigger the better, so that you won't get cramped or small. Try sheets at least a yard wide and four or five feet long. All three of you can do a project together, a joint story, or an illustration for something you have read. But try always to do it from what you know from actual observation, not from what someone has told you. In the exhibition of children's art at Rockefeller Center last month the most exciting pieces were those by the Indian children of New Mexico, because they were painting what they had seen, puebloes, dances and all. You can paste up sheets of paper into bigger sheets. I have seen pieces about five by eight, on which three or four children worked. 

So I hope you will try the idea and see [[crossed-out]] if if he [[/crossed-out]] if it helps any. I am very much interested in education which really releases the creative energies of children instead of forcing them into set patterns; and it would be fun to see what, if anything, the boys do. Of course they may be ruined already by a deadening system of education. However I hope not. And I hope that if you try outthis experiment, they will not be too daunted by the remarks of more conventionally taught children. After all this is the 20th century, not the 19th. The American Academy in Rome and Julian's in Paris are not longer the ultimate criteria of art, thank God.

So that is the explanation of the box of poster paints. I dohope you try them out.

The enclosed will please you. It is my parting gift from the S.R. Did I tell you Benji had a party for me a week ago, at which my friends and associates gave me a beautiful new dictionary, unabridged? Berenice loves it, spends all her time sitting on a cushion reading the dictionary, says she is learning the English language. I love it too. I am going to a reception at the museum with Benji Saturday, and that will be my farewell appearance in public here, though I shall not go to New York for good till the 14th or 15th. The address thereis 56 West 53d street.

I am looking for job next Monday there, going to see the Associated Press. I have one or two other leads, and many more good friends than I realized. So perhaps the future is not so dark. I hope not.

much much love
E