Cheerio Octopus

Quick Project

Here's how your child can make a fun octopus using a little glue, a few cheerios and alot of imagination!

This project is so easy and fun. First I prepped my materials so my child can just glue and create. But with older children you can place the materials on the table and they can cut as they like. I cut a medium size round circle , a few strips for tentacles, eyes and a mouth. 

*Tip: Making art should be fun. Embrace your child's creativity ( an octopus can be any color!) And you don't have to use cheerios. You can use fruit loops, gold fish or buttons. 

I guided him by handing him materials but he did the rest on his own.

And Viola` Enjoy

Rainy Day Art

RAINY DAY ART!

I know it's been a while since I've posted any new art projects but alot has happened! And as you can see I have a new little artist in the family! His name is Hendrix and he's my little Rock Star! He loves his cars, trucks, and of course music. But he loves ART!! We have been working on so many cool art projects and crafts I just haven't found the time to post but I promise we will be sharing all our amazing art and tips with you! So stay tuned.

So painting with a toddler is tricky! They have a very short attention span and some children don't like the feeling of paint on their hands. Every child is different and sometimes they wont even notice if there really involved in their work. But some kids love to get messy!

First I had my son experiment with different colors. So I would call this freestyle painting, using a paintbrush to paint or if you don't have basic materials a cut up a sponge, use a cup to stencil or even some crumpled up newspaper will do. And since this is a toddler finger painting is the easiest way to go.

After I placed saran wrap on top of painting to blend all the colors. My son enjoyed this part because he loved mushing the paint that was underneath the plastic but he really loved driving his toy car on top of the plastic wrap. He really went off into an imaginary land and made car sounds and I could tell he was having fun.

We worked with orange paper because that's his favorite color and of course he drove his car through. I loved the circles and lines it formed! Fabulous! 

And green paper..  Boy look at that car do wheelies! Haha

 And the result..super cool Art!

See ya next time!

Teaching Children to work with Watercolors - Project Inspired by artist: Joan Miro

Summer is finally here and I've began teaching weekend art classes to children in my area. I thought what would be a fun way to introduce the kids to myself and art? I started looking through my art books and reading about different artist and wanted to have a project inspired by artist that was colorful, interesting and fun. So right away artist Joan Miro caught my eye!

My aim was to teach children about the artist Joan Miro, his life and his works. I spoke about how he was a spanish painter born in 1893 in Spain near a city in Barcelona. His father was a goldsmith and watchmaker. He traveled to France and was friends with many surrealist and abstract artist like Pablo Picasso.

I ask them if them if they knew what a surrealist artist is? And I explained  that surrealists paint dreams, it was a way for them to see their dreams even if they were awake. The paintings were of familiar objects which were painted to look odd. The artists wanted people look at things in a different way, like how everything is so different and strange in our dreams. The painters wanted us to wonder what these pictures might mean, so that we might then wonder what our own dreams might mean. Making art that is based on fanstasy or magic ( a dream or idea).

But most of all I wanted to get them excited about his whimsical paintings in the 1930's. Whimsical as in playful, amusing or fanciful. Miro created art only using shapes them adding lines and dots. My motivation was to teach the children about creative drawing and how to paint using watercolors. And to teach children when you bend and curve lines they form shapes.
 To create a picture or draw an idea of anything you like. Example: A animal, person, place or thing. It can even be a dream. Using a marker to draw a picture using only shapes, lines then adding a shape after their line. (A basic line technique that teaches children that when you bend and curve lines they form shapes.)  Later painting the different shapes with watercolors. Creating your own Miro!

Five of my students were 6 year olds and I had an extra student which was 12. The children had a lot of ideas and even started getting excited about what they would draw. As you see they had alot of fun and after drawing their ideas and dreams. I walked around and ask about each childs picture what inspired them, the colors they choose and how it made them feel? Giving them more ideas and helping them to paint and fill in with watercolors. After writing a description on what their picture is about. Some children understood the project more then others but it was fine. In each picture they pointed out a star, moon or shape that was Miro inspired and that satisfied me.

The most rewarding thing of course was seeing how much they enjoyed the project. Especially the 12 year old girl named Elizabeth who at first really wasn't interested of excited about painting. But by the end of the class she gave me a hug and told me how much fun she had! And wanted me to have her painting as a gift. It really touched me and made my day. Until next time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun Project For Mom

Homemade Ugly Dolls

This can be a really fun and easy project once you get the hang of it. Me and my daughter were making paper dolls out of felt paper one day and the next thing you know I realized I had made a homemade "Ugly Doll". I had a few more to show online but I've given them all away. All my family and friends are always asking me to make them. And the more I make the better I get!

It's pretty simple but you must be patient! I usually sit in bed and spend an hour a day on it. They usually take me 3 days for one because I'm sowing by hand but if you have a sewing machine you can probably get through this quickly.

- First cut a paper doll or you can be really creative. It can be an odd shape oval with arms, legs or alien looking ears. But you must cut the same exact body so cut 2 dolls.

-After cut 2 round eyes. I usually cut one bigger then the other to give it personality. You should have 4 eyes all together. Two for each doll.

- ( The eyes) I sow an X on one and sow a button on the other.

-( The mouth) I stitch a Frankenstein inspired mouth, I sow a long black line and after small vertical lines or you can make x's.

*You wanna sow from the other side of the felt so your knots or not seen.

-( The belly) stitch in colorful different size buttons or beads. You can make clothes, patches, go crazy if your having fun go for it. I've been cutting out letters to represent the kids name that I'm giving it to. ( This one below has an L for Logan.)

To finish sow together and but leave a small pocket to fill with doll filler. You can stuff it with anything soft. And I use a pencil or wooden dowel to push through the smaller areas.

Like I said Patience is key!! :)

It's basically sewing a two sided fabric doll or gingerbread man from scratch. What I love about this project is you can be as creative as you want to be and the more you make the better you get. And their great gifts. I've made 6 so far and think I've almost mastered it. Have Fun!

Jellyfish and Other Foamy Things

Pipecleaner Jellyfish
inspired by the book,
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry

Easy To Do Jellyfish

Materials: Coffee filters or Tissue paper, Plastic cups, Markers, Pipe cleaners, Spraybottle, and scissors

The first step is letting your child go wild and be creative. Use markers to draw and decorate their coffee filter. The other option is to cut medium size circles out of tissue paper. Ask them to you use underwater colors like blue, purple, pink, yellow or green.

After pop a small hole in the top of your plastic cup and push a pipecleaner through. Don't forget to make a small knot on the end :) Slide your coffee filter on the other end and spray a small amount of water on it. The colors from the markers will run creating a tie dye effect and Voila' ! Homemade Jellyfish!

And Other Foamy Things...

Popsicle Stick Flowers, Butterflies and Summertime Picture Frames- All created with foam paper

Hope your having a great Summer!!

The Artist And The Teacher

Summer Shells

What To Do With All Those Summer Shells!!??

 Ideas For Decorating With Shells- Glass Candle holders, Bowls, Baskets and Flower Pots

After a long day at the beach we come home with sand in our shoes and a bucket full of shells. I always have a great time trying to figure out what to do with them. I love shells their so pretty and come in different shapes and sizes. They also hold precious memories of walking on the beach or bay.

I think I've pretty much mastered what to do with shells haha. I've put them in baskets in the bathroom, old brick or brack, glass bowls or tall glass candle holders. In the summer I put them in the bathroom and it gives it a beach feel and my guest love it, they think I'm so crafty. haha And for last minute decorating I put them in a bowl with water and light candels for dinner time.

*Julia loves to place them in the garden around flowers and in pots. And I think later on we'll try to paste googly eyes to make some shell people. ( I'll try to post some pictures and show how that turned out :)

Easy and Fun!

Outdoor Beading and Jewelry Making

Materials- Crafting Wire/Pipe Cleaners and Different types of beads

For me June is all about jumping around! My daughter has just finished school, starting camp, weekend vacationing, barbecuing, beaches you name it. But it's a great time for summer crafting. Yesterday I was running out the house to get to the park early but had time to grab some wire, beads and pipe cleaners in my bag. Why I feel this is such a great summer craft? You bring it anywhere! And it's guaranteed to make you friends. As we sat on our blanket beading necklaces and bracelets curious kids couldn't help but to come over and wanna join in. 

This is great for picnics, bonding and haha great for calming your kid after a exciting sugar filled day.

Spring Has Sprung

A New Leaf

Where do I begin? Well alot has happened for me and to me. But all for the best. I'm continuing to work on art and pursue new projects. But my heart keeps pulling me in different directions. I have a strong connection with myself, spirituality, nature, music, art, life and people. So I see alot of travel and self learning in my future. And I hope to keep you posted as I create and grow.

Yes Spring has Sprung! Finally!! It was a pretty long winter and we were so excited to clean the yard and plant seeds in our garden. Instead of buying plants and flowers from our local nursery we are planting everything from tiny seeds, painting rocks and stones and decorating with shells and knick knacks. I guess were growing love.

Julia had a week off from school for spring break and I really wanted to take a trip somewhere warm. But money was tight and we found so many fun things to do in New York. We worked on art at home painting pictures about spring, we also visited the CMA (Children's Museum of Art) in Manhattan, visited the Staten Island Zoo, and went to Julia's favorite park Rockefeller Park near downtown Manhattan. So we had a very productive week and every night we fell fast asleep.

Julia's Spring Painting- Created withTempera Paints- we used Q tips and paintbrushes

Children's Museum Of Art

Our Flags

Made with Cardboard, Glue/Stapler, Different Colored Fabrics, Buttons, Sequins and Glue

 Positive and Negative Shapes & Printmaking with Rubberbands and Blue Ink

Fun At The Park

 Graffiti Art in The City

Happy Spring Everyone!