ABSTRACT
This chapter is about such moments of shared delights around drawing. It highlights the role of the adult, who has the power to enhance or deflate a child’s drawing intentions. If the adult sees children’s drawings as developmental steps from artless scribbles to commendable representational skill and her role as facilitating this progress, then the dynamic power of these early marks is unrecognised. Alternatively, if the adult sees every attempt as ‘self-expression’, she will stand back so as not to inhibit the flow. The role favoured, however, is to be a conversational partner. To be avoided are uneven conversations where the more powerful one asks the questions and steers the novice towards more desirable outcomes. There are more equal exchanges: the adult is truly curious to know what the activity means for children and stands back to listen and watch, intervening to share the experience and to join in the meaning making.
