Father’s Day Fling creates a mess, lots of fun

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Click here to enlarge this photo Photos by Kristopher Connor Getting their hands covered in paint, Christopher, 3, and Henry Wilcox, 18 months, of Lexington Park create art June 16 at the Father's Day Fling at Annmarie Garden in Solomons. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story Click here to enlarge this photo Jason Lacis helps his daughter Savannah, 9, of Bell Camp build a catapult during the Father's Day Fling at Annmarie Garden in Solomons June 16. Click here to enlarge this photo Jaimie Jeffrey, program and education coordinator for Annmarie Garden, explains to parents and children how to follow the idea that was set by artist Jackson Pollock for the paintings that they were about to create during the Father’s Day Fling at Annmarie Garden in Solomons June 16.

Parents and children equipped with drills, wood, screws and a diagram built a catapult to fling paint onto the canvas each family primed at the beginning of the event. The event was designed to be something that would appeal to dads and their children, in conjunction with the weekend’s heralding of Father’s Day. During the event, families primed their canvas, built a catapult and flung the paint at the canvas to create a painting of splattered paint similar to the style of Jackson Pollock.

Pollock started a new revolution in American painting in the early to mid-1900s by dripping the paint from the can over the canvas and spreading paint by unconventional methods, including his hands and feet rather than paint brushes.

‘‘It’s just kind of inspired by his art,” said Jaimie Jeffrey, program and education coordinator for Annmarie Garden.

Parents and grandparents brought their families to the fling to enjoy being together and have fun.

‘‘[I’m looking forward to] spending time with the family,” Matt Wilcox said. ‘‘Getting out of the house.”

Matt Wilcox and his wife Anneliese brought their children 3 and a half-year-old twins Benjamin and Christopher and 18-month-old Henry from Lexington Park to build a catapult and fling paint.

Anneliese said she has a background in art and thought Benjamin and Christopher were old enough to participate in the event.

‘‘Plus we need artwork on our walls,” she said.

Hale Vandermer of Long Beach was invited by his family to participate in the event and was looking forward to doing something with them.

‘‘Enjoying an activity with the family,” he said of what he liked about going to the event.

‘‘[We came] for fun and to learn about this type of art. ... Action art,” said his wife Barbara. ‘‘[We] just [like] having the experience with our grandchildren.”

The Vandermer’s brought their grandchildren Julia and Rex Barmby of Frederick to the event. Julia and Rex said they were looking forward to creating the painting.

‘‘I like throwing paint,” Julia, 15, said.

‘‘To create mass destruction on the painting,” said Rex, 13, of what he was looking forward to doing at the event.

Zachary White, 10, of Lexington Park and his father Michael were also looking forward to ‘‘flinging the paint,” they said.

Zachary said that his family wanted to come to the event last year but they did not know they needed reservations. White said his wife made the reservations for the fling this year.

The families did create mass destruction on the canvases, as anything can be flung at the event. Jeffrey said last year people were even dipping teddy bears in the paint and flinging it at the paintings.

‘‘It’s a free for all [with items to fling],” Jeffrey said.

E-mail Heather Dykstra at hdykstra@somdnews.com.