Little boy’s paintings capture Americans’ attention
The 10-year-old Honduran boy smiled shyly as the Americans admired his artwork. Anytime villagers or visitors walked into his family’s carniceria, or meat shop, they could view three of his canvas-stretched paintings on the wall. Two were of colorful Honduran village scenes with people and animals walking along the streets. The last one was of a fruit bowl.
“I’ve never seen a 10 year old paint so well before,” one of the Americans said.
Juan Carlos Salinas Bustillo has enjoyed drawing for as long as he can remember. Last year, when he was 9, he enrolled in an art school in Cane, his village. An interpreter helped him tell his story to the Americans.
“Usually my mom sends me to the store to buy things,” Juan Carlos said. “One day I passed through the art school.”
Around 100 children go to this art school.
“I was curious,” he said. “I saw the kids painting. I asked the teacher if I could do the same thing. I wanted to come to the school and start painting because I liked it.”
His parents said yes when he got home and asked if he could go to the school. Every weekday morning from 8 to 9 for the past year he has attended the art school. He will enter the 6th grade soon.
At their asking, the Americans found out Juan Carlos was willing to sell his paintings. Two of the Honduran boy’s paintings will soon hang in American homes. He sold them for 300 lempiras each, about $16.
Juan Carlos’s mother was happy the Americans decided not to buy one of them because it was his first painting and had sentimental value to her.
One of the main things he learned this year was to project the image of people walking and taking their animals to feed.
“I like to copy other pictures,” he said. “I look at other pictures and then start drawing and adding things.”
For example, in his painting of the fruit bowl, he looked he copied another picture. However, he would have had too much trouble drawing the Bible beside the fruit bowl so he drew a candle instead.
“I also like to draw pets, people and landscapes,” Juan Carlos said.
His passion is the arts more than sports. He sings in his church choir and more recently has begun to learn to play the guitar from his uncle. Juan Carlos also likes to make altars, which is a Catholic tradition.
“I like to paint,” he said, “because this is a way I can express my feelings.”
Comments
Nice story. I might want to buy one of the paintings at the great sale price of $16, but would he post them to look at on line?
G.R.
Posted by: Grampa Rogers | January 4, 2006 06:50 PM
Wow, children never cease to amaze me. I think God gives us art as one way for us to cross communication barriers. Small miracles like these must be incredible to witness. Keep strong.
Josh
Posted by: Josh | January 4, 2006 10:22 PM
Sup to all my brothers and sisters from the Belly and MTSU. Love you guys, dont really know ya, but hey I wanted to let you know you are surrounded with prayer, so when you feel the Spirit guide... go, free-flow. "Let us keep in step with the Spirit". You. Yes you! are Christ's light to these villagers. Continue the good work you have set out to do, and gotta give a shout out to my sister C-Bird; "Gone get ya milk on girl!"
Love Love,
Ryan S. Rayburn
Posted by: Double R | January 5, 2006 10:41 AM
I would also be interested in buying a picture and echo the sentiment of seeing them online! What a talented little boy!
Posted by: Lisa Malone | January 6, 2006 11:46 AM