Booga has a small obsession – okay a HUGE obsession with the artist Chuck Close. It started Tuesday when we visited the local library and I grabbed a NEW book on Chuck Close – Chuck Close Facebook. Little did I know this book would start an obsession. I looked through the book (relaxing on the couch) and thought it was fantastic, Booga did something he has never done he stood over my shoulder and look at the whole book with me.
The next day he started screaming he wanted the book “CHOCOLATE PANTS” I was beyond confused because we are reading “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” so I gave him that book. He flipped out and started screaming, “CHOCOLATE PANTS!”
I finally told him to go find the book he means because I had no idea what he wanted. A couple of minutes later he came out with the Chuck Close Facebook in hand, screaming “I found Chocolate Pants!”
I told Booga that is “Chuck Close, not Chocolate Pants sweetie.”
“Oh, so I am going to read Chuck, okay?”
“Okay.” He sat there for close to a half an hour, flipping through the book. On Thursday I asked him what they (the Princess and him) wanted to do.
Booga, “I want to paint squares with Chuck and I want a monkey.”
There are certain things you never expect to hear come out of your child’s mouth that was one of them. I convinced Booga that we couldn’t just show up at Chuck’s House and paint with him (he is pretty cute so maybe) and I don’t think a monkey would make a good pet right now. He was a tad disappointed by this but I managed to soften the blow by creating a giant coconut tree with the kids.
I was fixing dinner and the Princess came in and said, “Mom you know what would be WONDERFUL?!”
“What would be WONDERFUL?”
“If you made Booga a Chuck Close Shirt!”
I looked at her and said that would be pretty cool, so I got out some tracing paper and traced the head from the book. Then I transferred it to the dull side of Freezer Paper and cut it out on my show.
Booga looking and pointing at the Chuck Close Facebook
My traced Chuck Close Head
Booga’s Finished Shirt – the paint is Navy Blues Puffy Paint that I painted on using a stencil brush. Not too shabby, my goal was to make him not look like the guy from Breaking Bad – lol!
Booga Friday morning at 6am watching Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (is other new obsession!)
I did this so I could make dinner.
He was telling me Chuck painted squares with paint.
He has not taken the shirt off (yes he slept in it.) I consider this project a HUGE SUCCESS!!!!
If anyone knows Mr. Close if you could let him know he has a HUGE fan in Georgia who would love to paint squares with him that would be wonderful. I also hope Mr. Close doesn’t get mad or offended I made a shirt of his portrait for my almost 3-year-old son.
Who Are You Calling Crafty? 
I read your story I will send it to him today.
Thank you 🙂