Follow Your Art Read online

  Chapter 1

  A HAPPY ACCIDENT

  Jeanie Bell was camped out under her favorite oak tree with her best friend, Willow Davis. It was recess at Rivertown Elementary, and the girls were each doing what they loved. Willow was practicing her cartwheels. And Jeanie was getting a head start on her homework.

  Jeanie knew things were going to get very busy very soon. This week, classroom 2B had a field trip to the art museum, the school art fair, AND a big art project due!

  “Ta-da!” Willow said as she finished a triple cartwheel.

  Jeanie clapped for her friend. “My legs could use a stretch. Want to walk around the playground?”

  “Sure!” said Willow. “But I’m going to cartwheel around the playground.”

  Jeanie laughed. As she walked—and Willow cartwheeled—Jeanie looked at what her classmates were doing. Some were swinging on the swings. Others were playing with a deck of cards. Some had soccer balls and footballs and Frisbees. And one classmate, a boy named Leo Gomez, was doing some sort of art project. As Jeanie walked closer, she didn’t notice that Willow was also cartwheeling closer, with no idea where she was going. She bumped right into Leo, and paint sprayed everywhere.

  “Sorry!” cried Willow.

  “That’s okay,” said Leo. “This piece is abstract. Accidents make it more… spontaneous. That’s why I call them happy accidents!”

  Jeanie looked around, impressed. Leo had set up the playground merry-go-round as an outdoor easel. A large piece of paper was taped to it. As the merry-go-round spun, the paint Leo squirted onto the paper made amazing swirls of color.

  Leo took off the sheet of paper and laid it in the grass. He looked at it thoughtfully.

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  “I love the colors!” Willow exclaimed. “They’re so bright and cheerful. I love to paint, but I’ve never done something like this!”

  “Thanks,” said Leo. “Did you make that bracelet you’re wearing?”

  “Yes!” Willow said. “Jeanie and I were beading the other day, and I made this flower charm bracelet because I love flowers.”

  “The art museum has some nice paintings of flowers,” Leo told her. “You should check them out on our field trip tomorrow.”

  “It’s so cool that we’re doing projects inspired by the art we see,” Willow said dreamily.

  “And we’re helping set up the art fair later in the week,” Jeanie said. “Which means we won’t have a lot of free time. I’d better get back to my homework.”

  The two friends waved at Leo and headed back to the oak tree. Jeanie really admired Leo’s creativity. And Willow’s, too. Even if Willow’s creative accidents could get… complicated. Because Willow had a secret.

  Chapter 2

  ART-SPIRATION

  When Willow woke up the next morning, she could barely contain her excitement. She was going on her first ever field trip.

  She wore her most artistic outfit to school: a pink striped top, gold sequin skirt, and a beret. She added layers of sparkly beaded necklaces. And her magic lamp charm, of course! Because Willow’s secret? Her secret was that she was actually… a genie! A real-live genie who could grant wishes.

  At ten o’clock Ms. Patel and the art teacher, Mr. Bloom, herded everyone onto the bus. Willow bounced in her seat all the way to the museum.

  “Do you think they have balloon art?” she asked Jeanie. “How much do you think the artists spend on glitter and puffy paint? Will there be gum wrapper portraits of Cinderella and every single fairy tale princess ever?”

  “Hmm, I’m not sure there’s art like that,” Jeanie told her. “It’s more like pictures of fruit and landscapes.”

  “Oh, you mean cloudscapes? I love cloudscapes!” Willow exclaimed. She looked out the window and imagined the clouds transforming into all the magical things she loved most: shooting stars, ladybugs, and kittycorns with sequined horns.

  When the class arrived at the museum, Willow and Jeanie found themselves next to Leo.

  “I like your skirt!” Leo said. “Very Gustav Klimt.”

  Goose I’ve glimpsed? thought Willow. She was pretty sure geese were at the zoo, not the museum.

  “Thanks… I think!” Willow said.

  Mr. Bloom cleared his throat. “Class, follow me,” he said. “First up are still lifes!”

  In the gallery, Willow looked around at all the paintings of beautiful flowers. She spotted irises, tulips, and bright yellow sunflowers. But something was missing.…

  No fuzzy pom-pom stickers! she thought. How strange. Willow always used those in her art. They were perfect for creating the furry centers of sunflowers. But Willow loved the paintings anyway.

  Soon Mr. Bloom gathered everyone together. “I hope everyone is excited for the art fair, which opens on Friday evening!” he said. He explained that for the rest of the week they’d be working in small groups to curate a collection of their classmates’ artwork. That meant they’d be going through artwork their classmates had made so far this year and choosing the best pieces to display at the art fair.

  “Each group is going to choose artwork from a different category. Let’s start with something wild—animal and nature scenes!” announced Mr. Bloom. He listed the students in that group before going on to abstract art—like the art Leo had been working on at the playground—and futuristic art, which meant paintings and drawings and sculptures that looked like they were from the future.

  “Jeanie, Leo, and Willow,” he said, “All three of you volunteered to set up our art fair, so thank you for that. Your group will be curating classroom 2B’s still lifes! And don’t forget—you will each be creating a new piece of artwork that can go into any category.”

  Willow bounced on her toes. She was so excited! She got to work with her best friend and Leo. Plus, they would be curating still lifes, just like the flower paintings she’d been admiring! She couldn’t wait to get started.

  Chapter 3

  USE YOUR IMAGINATION

  For the first time ever, Jeanie was running late.

  It was Thursday morning, and she was supposed to meet Willow and Leo in the small gym to set up for the art fair. They had spent the whole week reviewing classroom 2B’s still lifes and choosing which ones to display. Today they would add their own projects to the gallery.

  For her project, Jeanie had decided to do a portrait of her dog, Bear, in the pointillist style of Seurat. Jeanie had spent hours capturing the many shades of Bear’s yellow fur in dots of canary, lemon, and goldenrod.

  “You’ve gone completely dotty!” Jake had told her.

  When Jeanie got to the gym, she saw that dividers had been set up to make a small gallery for each category of art. Willow and Leo were inside, setting up their projects.

  “Wow!” Jeanie said when she saw Willow’s sculpture. It was a ballerina inspired by a Degas they’d seen at the museum. Willow’s ballerina had a neon-pink tulle skirt and feathers in her hair.

  “Very bold!” Leo said. “Let’s put it on a pedestal.”

  “And I’ll hang Bear on the far wall,” Jeanie added. “Leo, where should we put yours?”

  “I’ve made a mobile,” he announced, lifting a tangle of wooden shapes and string from his bag. “It will look great in that corner.”

  Jeanie and Willow watched as Leo carefully hung the mobile in the air. The pieces floated and spun gracefully. Jeanie couldn’t take her eyes off it.

  “It’s really cool, Leo,” she said. “But… what is it?”

  Leo’s face lit up. “If you look closely, you can see that the lowest pieces show the galloping motion of a horse’s legs. And in the front, the wave of his mane billows as he charges forward. This piece is all about movement and energy!”

  “You sure know
a lot about art,” said Jeanie.

  “I love your creativity and vision,” Willow said dreamily. “Even if I don’t totally get it.” She giggled.

  Just then the Lee triplets passed by.

  “Look! It’s a giant wind chime!” they shouted.

  Leo sighed. “Sometimes you need to use your imagination to see. Art can be magical!”

  Jeanie caught Willow’s eye. The two girls giggled. They might not know that much about art, but they sure knew a lot about magic.

  Leo watched the Lee triplets walk away. “I just wish I could make art come alive for everyone,” he said.

  Jeanie’s eyes went wide. Had Leo just said the w word?

  Willow’s magic lamp necklace began to glow.

  Suddenly a golden flash lit up the room.…

  Chapter 4

  FUNNY FEELINGS

  Willow froze. She knew what that golden flash meant—she’d just granted a wish!

  She exchanged a nervous glance with Jeanie. Her best friend was the only person outside her family who knew Willow was a genie.

  Jeanie scanned the gym. Everything looked normal. Nothing had fallen over. Their art projects seemed fine. And Leo was his usual self.

  “Some people have no taste!” he huffed. “No creativity! No vision!” He bent down and shoved his stuff into his bag. “Let’s just meet tomorrow morning to finish setting up, okay?” He threw his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.

  The minute he was gone, Willow spun around to face Jeanie. “You saw that flash, right?” she asked.

  Jeanie nodded. She scanned the room again. “But nothing looks different.”

  Willow twirled her flower bracelet around. Her friend was right: Nothing looked different.

  But something definitely felt different.

  Magic crackled in the air like lightning. Willow could feel it prickling the back of her neck.

  The World Genie Association handbook stated that every genie experienced the act of wish granting differently. Some heard bells. Some smelled strawberries. Some literally saw stars.

  Willow’s skin felt almost electric. She had to have granted a wish. If she hadn’t, she should probably go see the school nurse!

  Jeanie looked at the clock and turned to her friend. “We should get to class.”

  The girls quickly packed up their things and headed to classroom 2B. Halfway there, Willow realized she’d left her library books back in the gym.

  “I forgot something,” she told Jeanie. “Can you wait a second?”

  Jeanie sighed. “Okay, but hurry.”

  Willow sprinted back down the hall and burst into the gym.

  The room was totally still. But that electric feeling prickled the back of her neck again.

  It feels like a surprise party right before everyone jumps out and yells, “Surprise!” she thought.

  “Hello?” Willow called.

  No one answered.

  Willow waited, but nothing happened. She shrugged, grabbed her books, and hurried from the gym.

  Just before the doors closed behind her, a tiny sound stopped her in her tracks.

  Was that a… horse’s neigh? she wondered.

  She shook her head. No, it couldn’t be. There’s no one in the gym, and certainly not a horse!

  As she raced to meet Jeanie, Willow felt relieved that everything was fine. In fact, it was better than fine. It was library day and make-your-own-pizza night at Jeanie’s house!

  Chapter 5

  A FLOWER GROWS

  “This last pepperoni ought to do it,” Jeanie announced.

  That evening the two friends were in the Bells’ kitchen adding toppings to their pizzas. After spending the week looking at amazing art, Jeanie was feeling totally inspired. She’d arranged her pie toppings by color: green olives and peppers, yellow onions and pineapple, and red tomatoes and pepperoni.

  “You deserve a prize for prettiest pizza,” said Jeanie’s mom.

  “Definitely,” said Willow. “But maybe not the tastiest. Pineapple? No thank you!”

  “I thought you liked creative ideas!” Jeanie teased.

  Willow smiled as she reached for a piece of green pepper. “I do,” she said. “But pizza is too important to—”

  Willow stopped speaking.

  Then Jeanie saw she was looking at a small yellow flower that had seemingly fluttered onto the table out of nowhere.

  Jeanie’s dad noticed it too. “Huh,” he said. “I thought I swept around here after I closed the windows.”

  Willow laughed nervously.

  “You’ve got a little something behind your ear, dear,” Jeanie’s mom said, reaching over and pulling a long green tendril from Willow’s hair.

  Jeanie thought it looked like some kind of vine. At the end was a small pink flower!

  “You must have gotten too close to the trellis outside!” Mr. Bell told Willow.

  Willow nodded awkwardly and started twisting her bracelet.

  Jeanie wondered: What was going on?

  As Mr. Bell put their pizzas in the oven, Willow pulled on Jeanie’s sleeve. “Um, could you help me fix my hair? In the bathroom?” she whispered.

  Jeanie nodded and quickly followed Willow down the hall. When your best friend is a genie and she starts acting stranger than usual, something is definitely up.

  Willow locked the door and turned to Jeanie. “I think that maybe the vine and flower came from my bracelet,” Willow said.

  That didn’t make sense. “But you made your bracelet out of beads,” Jeanie pointed out. “Not real flowers!”

  “That’s just it. I did make it out of beads,” Willow said, thrusting her arm at Jeanie. The bracelet that had once been pretty, glittery beads was now slowly curling around her wrist.

  Jeanie could barely believe her eyes. It was a real, live, growing plant.

  Willow’s bracelet—her art—had come to life!

  Chapter 6

  NOT-SO-STILL LIFE

  Willow barely slept that night. She was too busy worrying about what her spell had unleashed. Leo had wished art would come alive… but she was pretty sure he didn’t mean that literally.

  The next day Willow rushed to get to school early. She and Jeanie had agreed to meet in the gym before class. Tonight was the art show’s big opening, and they had to make sure the wish hadn’t messed up any of the projects.

  Willow found her friend standing outside the gym, a funny look on her face.

  Clop! Clop! Clop!

  “Do you hear that?” Jeanie asked. “It sounds like horse hooves!”

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Willow whispered.

  “Me neither,” said Jeanie. The two girls stepped toward the door. Together they opened it.

  Oh no, thought Willow.

  She could hardly believe her eyes! Tigers from the animal and nature category were floating in the air. Leo’s horse mobile whinnied and neighed as it galloped around the gym. Robots from the futuristic gallery had leaped off the canvases. They raced and zoomed in a chorus of bleeps and bloops. A parade of papier-mâché musicians marched underneath the basketball hoops. And all of the botanical drawings were blooming right off the walls!

  Willow glanced at Jeanie. Her friend’s face was paler than a marble statue!

  “What are we going to do?” Jeanie yelled over the noise.

  Willow thought for a minute. Suddenly she had an idea.

  Mr. Bloom always said that, with art, you can turn a mistake into something great. And if not, use an eraser, he’d joke.

  “What if we try… erasing them?” Willow suggested.

  Jeanie smiled. “Great idea!” she said.

  The girls made a mad dash to the art room supply closet for as many erasers as they could find.

  They returned to the gym, erasers in hand. Willow tried to catch her ballerina. But the dancer was too quick! She twirled out of Willow’s grasp, leaving a couple of feathers behind.

  Jeanie lunged for her picture of Bear. But just as
she got close, the dots of paint flew apart… and put themselves back together over a basketball hoop.

  Suddenly Jeanie heard a loud creak.

  “The doors!” she shouted.

  “Someone’s coming!” cried Willow. “We can’t let them see… any of this!”

  Chapter 7

  TINY TROUBLE… BIG PROBLEMS

  Jeanie yanked the gym doors closed behind her and Willow.

  “What gives?” asked Leo.

  “We were just making sure all of the artwork seemed as… um… full of life… as we remembered,” said Jeanie.

  Leo grinned. “I can’t wait to see!”

  Jeanie’s arms flew across the doors. “Oh, um, you don’t want to go in there just yet,” she said. “Because, um, we’ve been…”

  “We’re working on a surprise!” Willow interrupted. “It will be… performance art!”

  “So cool! Can I get a sneak peek?” Leo asked.

  “Sorry,” said Willow. “The element of surprise is key to making this piece work.”

  Leo nodded. “I understand,” he said. “And I respect your vision. I only wish the rest of our classmates took art as seriously as the two of you.”