My 20-month old could draw that

The Ottawa arts community is abuzz with the recent opening of an exhibit of Miya Nagaraj's latest work.

These bold, colourful pieces - praised by critics as a striking combination of innocence and bravado - are set to move quickly.

The paintings are a mixed media of water-soluble paint and dish soap on paper.

The artist, famously reticent in talking about her art and influences, has simply titled them 'paintings'.

Christmas

Christmas must be very strange to you when you are only 20 months old.

One day, you wake up from a nap and come into the living room. There is a tree. Not just any tree, but a tree with lights and little things hanging in the branches like snowmen, angels and stars.

And parents, children do not have an innate affection for hairy strangers dressed in red. In fact, these men with their bright outfits and jingling bells are terrifying. Why on earth would one want to sit on his lap and smile for a camera? Miya much preferred to keep a safe distance.

Then come the gifts. Everything that a child receives is gift. New clothes, new toys - they usually just appear. But for an inexplicable reason, on Dec 24 and 25 these things are wrapped up in paper or put in fancy bags. Although Miya soon got into the fun of ripping wrapping paper, not surprisingly the whole idea of gifts was lost on her.

And then, one day, the tree disappears and all that remains are the new toys and some scattered pine needles.