Paper Mache Summer

This summer we have been very busy exploring paper mache. Above Nora hold the dancing angel I made using a soda bottle and newspaper. She of course immediately told me that it would be so nice if I gave her the doll as a gift. 

Nora's current obsession has been PUPPIES.....We live in an apartment and cannot currently have a dog. So making these pink puppies has been somewhat therapeutic for her. They are all pink (of course), they have gem nails, wings and feather fur. She took one of them to the beach with us last week. 

My obsession has been paper mache bowls. Nora of course was inspired to make one for herself. Hers is the one with the heart handle....OF COURSE. These are not yet done. My inspiration came from this artist on Etsy.com that sells paper mache bowls with maps decoupaged on them. Click here to see some  cool paper mache bowls. 

Finally, I thought I'd take a crack at making a mask.....these are not yet done.....but I feel they are off to a good start.

Even my son, whose obsession is baseball, began his own paper mache project. This one is a rocket....of course.

Nora wanted me to 'platform' her sneakers

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Not yet done....one more day needed to finish these

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Saturday morning lazy painting with kids and listening to music

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Lego mania

I went onto Etsy.com to see all the creative things artists have been able to do with legos and I was totally blown away. If interested in finding out more about each artist, just click on the image.

Darth Vader Silver Earrings

Lego Head Bracelet

Diamond Lego Gem Block Ring

Attire Pendant Lego

"If you loved your job, I doubt you'd be investing this kind of time degrading mine"

A friend sent me an amazing post yesterday written by a fellow art teacher, Brandi Martin in Illinois concerning the recent rise in animosity towards teachers. I cannot urge you enough to read it, it is quite on mark with the rage a growing number of teachers have come to feel. I'm including just one sample from the post to make you click here and go read it personally.

"So do it. Reduce my pension. Make me poor, since I don't qualify for Social Security. Make my medicine unaffordable. Make my raise contingent upon proof that my art lessons somehow improved state math scores. Continue firing at my feet to see how long you can make me dance. It still won't change the fact that life did not work out as you planned and you're now a bitter little turd. AND I will STILL f******love my job, because I am rocking this for all the right reasons. After you take every tool and incentive and support away from me, and millions like me, you won't suddenly have anything great that you don't already have. And then you will be terribly disappointed to find out that this isn't a scam after all. Whether decorated or destroyed, inside every school we run on something you can't legislate, isolate, measure or destroy. Much to your inarticulate all caps despair.

It's love, dumbass. If you'd bother to volunteer at the little school down the street you could have a sample. I won't even tell the kids what you wrote about their teacher."

A productive week is a GOOD week

This has been a good week.....carved some time to be creative, have gotten things at work that will further feed my spirit, and managed to send out a birthday greeting to my niece.

Started a 2 new paintings. The tree goddess above is called 'self-portrait. An imagery I considered as close to me describing myself as I could get. I see myself, act and make decisions that are inextricably connected to earth and nature or informed by the natural process of nature.

I also started a second painting I call, 'anticipation'. It's about human relations with mango trees. When I lived in South America for 5 years as a child we had a mango tree. I remember the feeling of anticipation and bottled excitement we experienced under that tree. At any moment one of those large fruits could be released and fall on the ground. But that was also a great thing, for nothing is as rich tasting, and sweet as a ripe mango.

Nora, my 3-year old also made a tree goddess. I will have to help you 'interpret' her work. In the middle to the left are her 2 legs. Shortly above that are her 2 breasts (yes, the 2 bumps you see). The head is squished in there for she ran out of room despite my manu attempts to warn her about her lack of space. You cannot change a 3-year old's mind....period. The 2 'arms' are coming from the body right above the breast. There are 4 'roots' coming from the bottom and the rock-like structures right below at the center of the tree are also roots, yet, she 'decided' to make them circular and not long....These are not yet done....we will paint them and I will post developments in a later post.

Nora and Luke went to a birthday party this weekend and as a treat they got lollipops. They both love lollipops. I came home from work to see that Nora had drawn lollipops in a dancer's hands. The ball on top of the person's head is a ballerina bun and the bundle beside her on the right is a bag of lollipops....I love this drawing.

Close up of lollipops......always love the decisive lines in kids' drawings......I could simple never reproduce it in the same way even if I try....and believe me, I have.

Before we began painting last week I researched online how mango leaves look like....These are Nora's mango leaves....I think it's quite good and different....sort of more like a mango flower.

At work I the HSA (the PTA) funding to buy these books that will not make my teaching evermore. It's amazing now much richer teaching, and especially art teaching can be with visuals....

My niece turned 20 this past week.....we got busy painting and making her cards....here are 4 letters that went out the next morning, with the painting I did for her of a cake.

I have these new water soluble oil pastels.....and they are so much fun to play with....below are 2 DC-inspired watercolor style paintings I did on 12"x18" 120 lbs. paper.

Nora has been going on and off on her princess days. Some days she forgets all about it and some days she goes all out.....This was an 'all out' day and Chris asked me to pleeeaase take a picture to send to his mother....Of course as a total photo freak I took 50.....she posed a different pose for each.....without my prompting....here is my favorite one...

How to still paint around kids

Trying to live a creative life and having kids is not easy. But making art is so incredibly important to maintaining my sanity and well being that I figured a way to do it....with my kids. We have this huge blanket we use for the floor, get all our supplies and we each get out palettes, brushes and colors. If each person (no matter their age) has what they need, they will get busy and let you work.

Here above is Nora's canvas. She uses the same one each time. It changes each time. The texture on it now is quite thick. I am working on a series that uses paper to build texture. They both have adopted my style and morphed it a bit. Interesting to see them follow their own ideas yet still pull some ideas and inspiration from my work.
Above is Luke's work. Not finished. He loves to build very think layers of paper. When it dries it feels more like a sculpture and he paints it. To him the mounds signify 'rocks'; an obsession of his. Will post pictures of most recent colors and textures soon.

Nora's new shoes

Nora came to my art classroom and found some fabric scraps.....the whole way home she insisted I make her shoes from the fabric......here they are.....she wore them for 2 days straight.

Nature as inspiration for some future work

While visiting my hubby's family in Pennsylvania I walked around their neighborhood and took pictures of plants up close. I am interested in exploring various types of lines, patterns and shapes found in nature and using them in making abstract work. Here are some of those photos. Will share my work as I get started in the next few days.

Back to the basics....

Although I have a studio art major from college I somehow never took any anatomy or facial proportion classes. This week I devoured this book and got a refresher on facial proportions. Very exciting stuff.

Nora taking over my coloring pencils

Lately I can only freely paint IF Nora also gets a chance to create using the same medium. I have been using my Prismacolor coloring pencils to create the face for my angel painting. She plops herself on my bed and begins coloring too and with that little smile how can I say no?

She made a beautiful drawing with lots of colorful lines and spent a good 20 minutes doing it.
I love my coloring pencils......

Inspiration to feed more ideas....

I have decided to paint more trees since there are still a few ideas I'd like to try out, but I need some inspiration. Went out for a walk today to take pics of trees in my neighborhood.

One of my favorite trees is the magnolia tree....they give out such amazing flowers. A all around perfect tree.

Nora uses a mini toy phone and pretends to also take pictures of trees.

Nora at the studio....

Nora often wakes up in the middle of the night to watch me paint then fade off again. She always tells me how much she loves whatever I had completed at that point. it should be no surprise then to see her also want to paint. She now wants to sit on my stool and paint on my easel.....making me have to work on some other project as she creates her little painting. But how can I say no to that face.....there is just no way...

Silly momma below...
She is so focused. She could literally sit here for about half an hour. Pretty amazing for a 3-year old. I encourage all parents to always share their passions with their kids.
She's on my easel!!