Toddler Art :: Painting Canvases & Playing Poker

Its been a little quiet on the blog front here, but we've been busy in our every days.   Doing the every day and dealing with Handsome's odd hours job, making merry, the usual.  Ever since I realized that my baby was now a toddler, and that she might like to make things, we've been adding some creative doings to our shedules (fancy English accent required).

We *try* to only use the paintbrush, but sometimes...
The hands get what the hands want.

I love to get in on the painting, too!
The best part, is that if I don't like it, I can paint over it again with a different color.
The Nester taught me that.
The blue one, I want to put words on, but I don't know precisely how...

 Riley has loved doing the painting, and so long as I pick out colors that won't poorly mix (like green and purple and brown), the end result is generally aesthetically pleasing.  I'm planning on hanging a handful of the canvases together, all of our paintings, to showcase them.  A few 3M Velcro Strips* (They are THE BOMB!) and voila! We'll have another blank wall in our rental covered up with something beautiful! [This whole "no hole making" rule is chaffing, but we're working around it.]

Painting could definitely be done without purchasing canvases.  I was considering painting some pieces of cardboard white and letting them dry, then having RG paint on them.  But the canvases at Hobby Lobby are $6 for 2, sized 11x14.  That just seemed too good to pass up, especially when these might be turning into Christmas presents.  Another thought - I'd like to get them printed as postcards.  C'mon, who doesn't want a postcard that looks like this!?

On an unrelated-to-painting note, I made a toy for Riley.  It is nowhere near as pretty as her paintings, but it has brought a lot of enjoyment to my girl, and a lot of picking up of poker chips for me.  But whatevs.  

 Old oatmeal container, a moment with a knife, and a handful of poker chips: Boom.  New sorter toy.  When she's using it as Mom intended, its awesome.  I like to think that the different orientations of the slits in the top help her understand spacial reasoning, and the hole in the side allows her to follow cause-and-effect with chips in the top = chips out the bottom.  I may be reaching.  Regardless, she likes it.  When she uses it as a shaker toy, that results in chips flying all over the living room, she still loves it, although I love it less.

Although I came up with the idea on my own (mostly born out of desperation and cheapness), I was inspired by this gal here.  She & her son are constantly making cool things out of whats around them!  I love following along with her on Instagram and seeing all of her creations!

<3 M.

Toddlers & Art :: Finger Painting In A Box

Thus far, up until last week, I somehow I ignored the fact that my daughter, RG, might like to make things.  I mean, I loooooove to make things, and Riley loves all things, but I didn't make the connection.  It took her coming home, repeatedly, with crafts from daycare, for me to realize that we had never actually made a craft ourselves.  Unless pens from Mommy's purse and an old take-out menu count.  In which case, we've made 2.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to be intentional with creating things with my 20 mo. old (SERIOUSLY.  HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!?  YES, I KNOW I'M SHOUTING, BUT I'M IN SHOCK!).  We've had a few very fun projects so far, and I think I might be hooked.  Now, the projects RG & I do, they will never be perfect.  Or very well-planned.  Or necessarily attractive by the time all is said and done.  But we will have fun.  Of that, you can be most certain.

Today's art project comes to you courtesy of IKEA, who loves providing more cardboard boxes than any living soul knows what to do with.  Last night, after unpacking and wrangling and sweating and baptist-cursing (you know, like "dang it!" and "for the love!" and "I swear, I'm gonna........."), we had put together not only a child's chair, stuffed wingback, and couch-that-is-too-large-for-our-living-room, but also an impressive stack of cardboard sheets and boxes.

And the boxes, they spoke to me.  They said "We can hold things.  All sorts of things.  Things like messes."  And BOOM.  Inspiration.  

So this afternoon, I took sweet little Riley, got her down to a diaper, and plopped her in one of the boxes in our sun porch, which was by 4 PM nice and toasty warm.  Then I started handing her jars of finger paint.  I showed her how to use it (Is that an abomination?  That a toddler wouldn't know how to finger paint?  I felt abominable in that moment.  And not at all snowman-like.) and then just let her go wild.  She'd get tired of a color, and ask for more, and I'd throw another into the ring.  

Things started a little slow, but she quickly caught on, and I am proud to report that she now handles finger paints with at least moderate skill.  And by "moderate skill" I obviously mean she can slather with the best of them!

Lots of mess, oh yes.
But lots of mess IN ONE SPOT.
WHERE SHE CAN'T TOUCH OTHER THINGS.

Next time we do this, I'd change a few things:

1. Get better quality paints.  The Dollar Tree origins of the paints was not a big deal until bath time, when the blue was staining her skin, and I happened to remember that tomorrow is picture day.  We did eventually get the smurf-ness to fade, but it's still there somewhat.  I'd definitely go up in price some to avoid discolored children.
2. Speaking of bathtime, for the love, put the box in the bathroom!  The mess was wholey contained, right up until RG had to go the whole way through the house in order to get in a bath.  Luckily Handsome stepped in and provided a towel, with which I straight-jacketed my child and carried her through like she was foul garbage.  She thought it was a game.  We were both happy.  But keeping clean-up in mind when planning these things out is going to prevent a lot of headache in the future, I can tell.

Otherwise, we had a ton of fun, and I was happy that Riley got to be happy.  Plus, it gave me a few minutes (probably 20 or so!) of not hearing "uppy!?" or "block-shhh" or picking up legos or naming every. single. Sesame Street character 14 times in her book.  Yes, hearing "Elbo?" is cute once.  Even twice.  57 times in, it gets old.

What art have you been making lately?  Got any great ideas for projects that should take place in a box?  Please share, I've got plenty of boxes yet to go through!!

<3 M.

I Painted A Lamp

Note that this is not a DIY.  People looking for cool pictures of some rad new paint design for lamps and possibly extendable to Salvation Army vases, please click away now.  You'll save us both some heartache and disappointment.  

No, this is me reminiscing and thinking about my crazy, carazay choices.  Like the time I was ten and I finally had some real canvas to paint on, along with some honest-to-goodness, in-the-tube, acrylics.  Oh my gosh.  I was finally a real artist.  Sure, I had been making soap for years, not to mention my potholder loom weaving, my bead looming, my velvet embossing, chocolate modeling, charcoal drawing, crocheting and other assorted and sundry artsy endeavors.  But none of those were art.  You couldn't hang any of those on the wall when you were done.  But this, a real canvas. with real paint, I could do anything; I could finally be an artist.

I had so many options, it was almost paralyzing.  I wanted to just throw some paint on the canvas and move on to the second one, because for some reason, the first one always holds so much pressure.  Same reason I skip the first page in journals.  Way to much pressure.  People save their "first"s.  "This is the first masterpiece she ever did." people would say, years from now.  But what would it be of?  I lived in the country, there were beautiful landscapes wherever I looked.  There were flowing plants and livestock and familiar faces.  Heck, there was fruit.  All real artists paint fruit at sometime in their careers.  I could have painted fruit.

But not.  Me, my little introverted, weird and nerdy self, sat in my room with the overhead lighting, at night, and painted my lamp.  While it was on.  I just painted it.  Because I wanted to see if I could, I imagine.  Even then, I was more concerned with honing my skill and doing it right than I was with creating something beautiful. I had to do it "right".  

Now make the base Hunter Green.
And the shade white.
And no gold anywhere.
There you go,  you've got it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I enjoyed myself.  Even now, I enjoy honing my skills.  Being competent in many areas makes me feel powerful and proud, strong and, well, competent.  Like I could live in any era, in any place, and survive, even possibly succeed.  But I know that I chose that lamp because it was constant and simple yet difficult, and I would be able to evaluate at the end if I had done it correctly, if I had accomplished my task to my satisfaction.  I'm such a weirdo.

This all came up again, now some 15 years later, because my niece just turned 10.  She keeps an Amazon wishlist, and I check it when gifting time comes around so that I can see what she's currently into, since we're 600 miles apart.  Paint was on it.  She wasn't even asking for the real stuff, just some paint because this girl has the creative bug and she can't not make things.  I know the feeling.  But I remember, being about that age (which is the one sentence that will surefire make you feel 100 years old, p.s.) and wanting so bad to be able to make real art.

So I sent her the tools.  Real, in-the-tube acrylics.  Canvases.  Brushes.  Even a little paint swirly pad with the spot for your thumb, so that you can feel like an artist while you're doing, even if all you're doing is thinking about how pretty the colors look when they're mixed.  And suddenly I'm 12 again, and I can't believe that the only thing I remember painting was that lamp.  I know it didn't meet my hopes, my goals for the evening.  I couldn't get the light right and I couldn't make it perfectly symmetric.  I have no idea where that painting is now.

And while the 12 year old inside of me is reminding me of all of these things and feelings, the current me is having feelings too.  I wish I could tell myself this:

"You, sweet girl with the awkwardly large feet, you are already an artist.  You don't have to do anything 'right'.  Paint what makes you happy.  Paint the word 'happy' if you want.  Don't hold yourself to such pressure, just enjoy it.  And if you don't like what you do the first time, know this - although you already are an artist, if you want to be proud of your craft, you must practice and put in time.  Art both 'just happens' and requires practice and hard work.  But for the love, paint something other than that stupid lamp.  Its a terribly ugly shade of green.  And no one is looking at your feet."

I sent my niece the paints, along with the request that she paint a painting for us, so we'll have something to hang on our wall when we move.  I hope its of something that she loves, I hope that she enjoys the process, and I hope that she keeps doing it, so that she can see her talent being harnessed.  And I hope that the painting isn't of a lamp. 

Faerie Tale Feet :: An Introduction & A Giveaway!

Listen.  Do you attend craft fairs?  Do you?  You should.  Not only because there is often some breed of fair food there (hellloooo funnel cakes and BBQ sammiches!), and not only because you can find some awesome & unique pieces of art that no one else has and that you didn't know you've been searching for your whole life.  Those are good reasons, sure, but also because you get to meet the artists.  And the artists, well, they're the best part!

Take, for example, Miss Hallie M. Gillett.  I was wandering through a local craft fair, looking at all of the photographs (soooo many photograph booths!) and jewelry (another often-found commodity at these things) and several crocheted items, when I happened upon Hallie's stop.  Okay, fine, I wasn't shopping anymore, I was looking for food that wasn't $15 a plate.  But whatever.  I found Hallie, and now I'm bringing Hallie to you, and that's all that matters.

hallie in her crazy nutshell:
a colour*consumed creative, i paint & doodle, star*gaze and adore caffeine.
She loves books, art, and God.  sweater weather is nice, too.

Isn't she adorable?  I knew I liked her right away when (a) she wasn't peddling photographs, jewelry, or crocheted things like 89% of the people there, (2) she knew what spoonflower was, and (3) she complimented RG's chuck-taylor-knock-off kicks.  Fast friends.  Now that I know her a little better, and know that she adores Rainbow Brite, would voluntarily be my cookie tester once I get around to opening a bakery, and is a fellow creative hermit who does like people, I'm hooked!  Hallie is (among other things) a painter who represents faerie tales (original spelling - the girl does her research!) through slihouettes of their significant elements, and the main character through their significant... feet.  [side note: That may be the WORST description of beautiful art, ever.  I'm going to include a picture now, so that you know what I mean.]

Who wants to guess the story?
Glass slipper, pumpkins, mice these things I know about.
Alligators and Fleur-de-lis,?
Makes me want to know more!

So what I've got for you today is a quick little interview with Hallie, followed by a giveaway for an AH-mazing greeting card set (Retail $36).  Seriously, you're gonna love them.  So lets do this. [side note: the interview is a bit long, so please continue after the break for the giveaway part!]

M:  Let's start with the all consuming question. What do you want to be when you grow up?

H: when i grow up i want to be creative.  picasso is often quoted as saying "every child is an artist.  the problem is how to remain one once he grows up."  i never want to lose the wonder at colour, beauty, nature; i want to remain inspired to make happy, colourful, joyous stuff.  : )  also, i think i'd make a very good cookie tester at a bakery.  will also accept cake & pie.

M: What medium do you use for your art?

H: i create all my paintings in gouache, which is an opaque watercolour.  windsor & newton is my fave brand.  i discovered it in color theory class in college, and while many (many!) find it unbearable to work with, i took to it immediately.  the brite, flat colors are delightful to my aesthetic, and i love the teeny tiny details you can make with a good brush, too.  : )  {yes, i'm aware most people don't spell "brite" like that.  but i grew up with rainbow brite.  she was/is my hero.  so i ode her in my spelling.} 

M: You seem to be quite taken with fairy tales.  Why do you think you like them so much?

H: i can trace my love of fairy tales (or "faerie," as i've spelled this series, because i'm going back to ye olde original source material) back to when i lived on okinawa, japan.  dad was in the navy, and we were assigned to okinawa for three years.  the only tv channel we got in english was either the disney channel, or i guess something that played a lot of the classic disney animated films.  also recorded off of japanese television and worn out were my vhs copies of "faerie tale theatre," a show produced by shelley duvall back in the '80's which were hour-long episodes of the classic fairy tales with celebrities.  they're funny to watch now-- everybody from robin williams as the frog prince, to michael richards (seinfeld's kramer) in the three little pigs... bernadette peters and the late christopher reeve in sleeping beauty... i've got the whole set on dvd now & it's amazing.  so i grew up on disney cartoons and those... and then later in life, during the "animation renaissance" that began with disney's "the little mermaid" in 1989, i would always read the original source material before seeing the next disney film.  (victor hugo's novel the "hunchback of notre dame" i remember reading at summer camp!)  and then i started going back to the old ones because i'm fascinated with how artists and filmmakers twist or elaborate upon existing material into something new & exciting for audiences to gobble up. 

M: What is your favorite fairy tale?

H: oh, man.  my favorite fairy tale?  does "peter pan" count?  i collect every cover and illustrated edition and film of that one that i can.  (i have the vinyl record of the mary martin's broadway cast framed and hanging above my cd collection.)  i also collect cool and antique editions of "alice in wonderland" and "the wonderful wizard of oz."  but as far as classic boy-meets-girl, i've got a soft spot for cinderella.  mary blair's concept work on the disney animated film is legendary and exquisitely inspiring to me, and matthew broderick was in the faerie tale theatre version of it, so i'm sure i had a crush on his cute face and politeness as prince charming since i was a kid.  plus that dress!  gotta love a sparkly ball gown!

On Creating

I wanted to start this post by saying, "Now, I'm no artist, but..."  But I've been reading over at Chatting At The Sky for a while.  Am I really not an artist?  Is "an artist" such a big and far away thing, that I couldn't be one, just because I've never hung my work in a gallery?  I mean, I create things.  Make cool things, even if they're not beautiful things, out of parts and pieces.  So am I an artist?  I don't know.  Maybe.  Do I create things?  Yeah, yeah, I do.  Do you make things?  Do you make art out of life?  Maybe you can schedule so many things into a day, and carry them off with such flair, that that's your art.  Maybe you're an artist.

And I have something to say about that.  Something to say to you, and something to say to the naysayer inside of me that thinks, "You're probably all out of ideas by now."  No I'm not.  I also read ... somewhere (sorry blog person who wrote this!) that creating is a discipline, it is not luck or happenstance.  You have to work at creating.  Which sounds funny, until you ask that sculptor how many hours they spent in the studio, or the singer how many years of voice lessons they took, or how many takes they made.

Yes, luck does find us once in a while.  As I am fond of saying, even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. But one nut will not feed a squirrel for long, and you cannot rely solely on luck to gift wrap and deliver your next great creation to you all of the time.

For those of you who think you are not an artist, for those of you who finally gathered all of your courage together to try and make something, only to have it fail, fall apart and burn to embers, I want you to know that it happens.  (I'm chuckling at myself right now, thinking that I sound all grandfatherly and experienced, when I feel pretty much the opposite of both of those terms.)  I have for you an example of how a first try often fails, but a second can get you back in the game.  Maybe you planned out and cooked a big ole dinner to impress someone, only to have it taste... well, gross.  Maybe you took some pictures you thought were great, and upon closer inspection, the focus was off, or they felt... flat.

Or maybe, you saw a cute checkbook cover, and thought, hey, maybe I could make that!  (please excuse the bad lighting from here to eternity.  Thank you.)

The one on the left is the first try, the right is the second try.