Art Lesson For My Kids!

The other day I was in the mood for art ... surprise, surprise! As we're a homeschooling family, I decided that I would give my kids an impromptu art lesson!

I wanted the kids to explore using oil pastels to create their piece. I also want them to be somewhat familiar with the work of famous artists; so  I picked 'Flowers' by Vincent Van Gogh for them to re-create.

 We discussed the colour wheel, complementary colours, dimensions, and filling out the whole page. The only guidelines I gave my kids were ...

• To draw their preliminary sketch lightly
• Fill the whole page
• Try to eliminate the white of the paper
• Try to use complimentary colours
• Give your best and HAVE FUN!

 

 

 

Here's their finished pieces! I absolutely LOVE them all!

 

 

 

 

I'm hoping to frame these pieces and display them in our home!

 

I hope you're having a wonderful creative week!

 

 

'Moving Forward' ... A Mixed Media Canvas Piece

I spent six hours today working on this mixed media canvas piece. I've only just begun creating mixed media art and I'm hooked! I have still got so much to learn though. When I posted it to my FB page, I received mixed responses, what do you guys think? I am happy with the end result ...

... 'Moving Forward'

Mixed Media Canvas Art

Yesterday I had a blast creating my first two Mixed Media artworks! I had paint all over my fingers and the floor (and on my clothes!), but it was just so relaxing and therapeutic! The best thing about mixed media is that you don't necessarily have to do a whole heap of thinking ... you just get to create and it turns out however it turns out!

Here's the first one I made ... Mixed Media Canvas 'Elegance' ...

 

I am very happy with this piece! I really love the blues and yellows, the design and the texture!

The next piece that I created I wanted to steer away from my normal blue/green/yellow/turquoise choices; create something in colours I'm not used to using. So I decided on purple. 

I think it ended up turning out really well, even though I'm still not completely sold on purple! It was good to give myself a small creative challenge.

Mixed Media Canvas 'Paris' ...

I found creating these pieces were very quickly addictive! I'm already thinking and planning on more to create (I have a couple of 'themes' in mind) and I'm very excited to begin!

Have you given yourself a little creative challenge at all lately? If not, maybe you could try one of these ...

• paint a small piece using a brand new medium that you find difficult
• create a piece using different tones/shades of the one colour only
• paint using a colour you actually don't really like
• see if you can use a different technique than ones you normally use
• create an artwork that is a completely different style than you normally go for

However you create, whatever you create, just remember your art is unique to you. Don't stress about others opinions, just enjoy your creativity and let it out!

Have a fun, creative week!

Art Journaling Fun!

I found a new technique on pinterest that I really wanted to try out in my journal. So I grabbed supplies and got started. It was easy, I only needed three things!

• Masking tape
• Coloured felt pens
• art journal

The steps were just as easy, but the results are very fun and colourful!

I taped up a section of my page with masking tape for journaling in later, then began to draw flower designs all around the edges of the tape. It doesn't matter if it goes on the tape at all. 

After you're satisfied with your sketching, simply peel off the tape and you're left with a white space for journaling and a very funky edging design ...

I'm not sure what journaling I'll be adding to this page yet, but that's half the fun. Letting something be a work in progress!

Another pinterest idea ... writing about all the things that I love ... it was fun and relaxing! Have you done this before too?

My daughter, 'Little Writer Girl', shared with you last Friday about a beautiful journal page that she created at an art journaling workshop. We went together and I created a page of my own as well. It's a weekly lesson and we hope to go as often as we can together! I really enjoyed seeing how the pages turned out differently from each other, even though the subject was the same ...

    

I really enjoyed all the layering processes that were involved in creating this piece. My fingers were covered in paint and glitter and ink ... bliss! This is the first time I have ever done techniques like this, and I'm looking forward to finding out what we're going to be doing this Thursday night!

What have you been creating lately?!

Friday: Little Writer Girl #1

Hi I'm Little Writer Girl!
It's nice to meet you!

My mum has let me post on her blog every Friday, so that you can see my writing and artwork and let me know what you think!

I'm 10 years old and in grade five in home school. My favourite colour is green and I also like blue and purple. I love reading, drawing, painting, art journaling and playing with our cats 'Ollie', 'Willow' and 'Gandalf'.

They're so adorable, don't you think?!

I like writing because it takes you into a whole new world and you can use your imagination.

This is a world I'd like to share with you!

*****

Very Short Story #1 ...

'A Wonderful Day for the Beach'

One hot summer afternoon, Jemma was watching the waves crash against the shore as seagulls squawked, flying to their nests. The trees swayed from side to side. As she walked onto the scorching, salty sand, her feet started to burn. She walked on, relieved to reach the cool water. She knelt down in the fresh water, the whistling wind blowing her thick, golden hair. When she arrived home, she drew everything she saw at the beach, to remind her of beautiful things.

  

-The End-

*****

Last night mum and I went to a studio and we each created a piece of art journaling. We went with our friends and had such a great time getting messy and creating together!

There were so many layers to do and I learnt lots of new things!

  

It was so fun! This is the art work I did ...

I'm really looking forward to next Thursday nights art journaling lesson. We haven't been told what we're creating, so it's going to be a big surprise!

Do you enjoy art journaling too?

Have a creative week ... until next Friday!! 

Toodles!