Minimalism, Abstraction, & Utility in Smith Family Artwork

Now I need all of you to remember that I did write my master's thesis on a work of art (the Isenheim Altarpiece, to be exact), so I think I'm qualified to talk about the fascinating trends I see in my own family's artistic endeavors.

First, we have Bentley. This is what he brought me after nursery a few weeks ago:
As I took it from the nursery worker, I chuckled and said, "I guess he's not much for coloring."
"Oh, no!" she reassured me, "He colored this for a long time! It's just that he was using a white crayon!"
Ah, well. My son is a minimalist, I guess.

So then a few days ago, I walk into our under-construction bathroom and find this taped to the wall. Apparently my father-in-law drew it:

I figured it had to be a joke, but then Craig assured me that this was how they were planning to lay out our radiant floor heating mat.

And, even more to my surprise, this was what it ended up looking like-- not too far off!



Anyone need a topic for their thesis? Anyone? Anyone?