Personalized Pens!

For this project we tapped into our crafty side and explored creating patterns with the use of clay. The girls twisted and molded the clay around the pens to get the effect they wanted and I baked their creations to make them permanently fabulous personalized pens. They were a ton of fun!

Happy Halloween!

A belated happy Halloween to all! We created artwork that was Halloween themed mixed-media on canvas. It was very very fun. We worked with shapes and using all sorts of fun things to create interest and texture. The girls worked with acrillic paint, paper, glue, ribbon, sequins, tissue paper, and little gems. It was a lot of fun.

The Halloween theme seems to be Delaney's specialty!

Patterned Leaf Project

So I told you I am a fair-weather blogger, right? Actually, I am a rainy weather blogger I suppose because I don't think it's quit dripping out there at all today!

I would like to get "caught up" filling you in on some of the wonderful creations the girls have worked on over the last few months. These next few posts may be slightly out of order, but I wanted to share anyway!

Our theme over this session has been shape and pattern and that definitely describes this piece we worked on. We have beautiful leaves inthe fall in Oregon - PLENTY of them. I collected real leaves from around the neighborhood to inspire thegirls. First we traced leaf shapes and then filled them in with fun and exciting patterns. I wish I was able to scan each of theirs in so you could see them all! But I don't always catch them all as they head out the door! - Here is a few from my younger class that I will share. Also one by guest student Olivia (my little girl!)

Fall session is in! Unit: Shapes and Pattern

It has been a great start to our fall art classes. And welcome to our newcomers Lily, Kadence, and Tenley!

For our first class (in both my Wed. and Thurs. classes) we talked about shape and how complex subjects are made up of these simple shapes. We experimented with pencils of different hardness and the ever-favorite kneaded erasers. Here are some of the girls drawing exercises to share with you. We started with simple exercises, which artists repeat over and over, to get us to start thinking art, and get our drawing pencils warmed up. They did a great job!



Emma.Delaney.Erin.

Belated Blogging

Just wanted to fill you in on my blogging status. It has been increasingly difficult for me to make the time to update this blog very frequently. I apologize to any of you who like to peek at the blog once in a while! Who knew life could be so busy and full ...

I am going to continue to keep this blog up, just posting occasional projects and pictures. (If you have any questions or requests or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment, or email or call me.)

Also, classes will begin again in September. Please let me know if you are interested! I am excited to get going again.

Thanks,
Erin

Greeting Cards for Hope

* Complete story to be posted soon *

I am currently working on putting together and having printed artwork the girls did in their last class. Our project was to create happy, uplifting pictures that I would then have reproduced into greeting cards. The greeting cards will be for sale and the money collected will be donated to a charitable organization. This humanitarian opportunity was inspired by the tragic events in Japan that occured recently.

Come visit again soon for pictures of their artwork. Thanks girls for being a part of this project with me.

Suminagashi

For our first project of the year, the girls worked with the ancient Japanese art of Suminagashi. We used special inks to create beautiful and original designs on paper. The elements of color, contrast, and harmony were very important with this assignment. It also requires a lot of patience as well as a careful and delicate touch. The girls each created their own designs which they inked onto a heavyweight paper. We then showcased their paper creations as the covers of a journal for each of my little artists. See for yourself what a fabulous time we had!

Suminagashi marbling inks are carefully dropped onto the surface of the water.
The inks flow with the tiniest movement of the water and begin to form patterns and ripples. No design can ever be perfectly replicated - each is original.
The inks can be manipulated by blowing them gently across the water, or by using the end of a paintbrush.

The finished project:
The girls did a beautiful jobs making their papers for the jounals. Once their artwork was dry, we used hot glue to adhere the paper to journals. Then they got to select ribbon and other embellishments to complete their one-of-a-kind journals. I think they are beautiful!
Alyssa and Jocelyn's journals
Emma and Delaney's journals

We used embellishments to personalize our creations.

They were so cool, I just had to make one too!


The artists: