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Community Paper Garden — Teaching Notes
During my April workshop at the Worcester Family Partnership, the children and their loved ones gathered together to plant a community art garden. I brought the garden plot, which was a large piece of kraft paper, as well as the materials to plant paper flowers. We used circle objects to trace and cut circle shapes,…
DIY Travel Journal
Last August, my mother-in-law and father-in-law took our entire family (including all of my husband’s siblings and their partners and children) on a grand Hawaiian adventure. During the days before we left, I made a travel journal to give to them as a thank-you for the spectacular gift. As we creep towards the summer season…
Mother’s Day Cards
Lately, I’ve been fascinated with lumpy, curvy, misshapen, colorful blobs. I plop them in my journal and then use an art pen to turn each one into a little independent design. It is relaxing. Almost meditative, actually, in an art therapy kind of way. Sometimes, while I’m painting and drawing, I post process photos on…
Watercolor People
These people have been filling up my journal pages. Most of them have resting faces. Maybe a bit frowny? They are not sad! Just pensive. Make watercolor blobs in your sketchbook. Use an art pen to create people. More blobs, more people, and repeat. This is fun!
DIY Nest with Eggs
I posted this Nest & Eggs building tutorial in March of 2011, and I thought I would share it with you again today. Wouldn’t be fun to make gold eggs, hot pink eggs, and maybe even spotted eggs? And, isn’t this the perfect way to encourage garden clean-up? You can make nests and wreaths with…
On My Page — Journal Doodle
Doodling over watercolor blobs is always a good plan if I am feeling stressed or worried about something. The think-as-you-go, free style technique is simply a nice way to give my brain a break. My brain was calling for a creative escape, so I painted some blobs in my journal. The following morning, I doodled…
Begin With The Hair Part Two (using newspaper and security envelopes)
I’m completely addicted to making these mixed media faces. And, yes — I start with the hair! Funny, because when I was a child, I loved to draw all kinds of hair — high swinging pony tails, really curly, kinky, spiky, long and wavy, and more and more. Some things stay with you. Today, I…
Begin With the Hair
One of my favorite ways to illustrate faces is to begin with a hair style paper piece. I like to use fine art paper, newspaper, catalogs, or scrap paper. Paper I painted myself or some old artwork made by my kids is one of my favorite sources for collage material. Once you cut a hairstyle…
Sketchbook Hair
Sketchbook idea: Hairstyles first, faces second. This is fun for everyone: kids, adults, those in between. It also encourages the artist to appreciate and experiment with different kinds of hair. And, hey, if your kids have the urge to cut hair, maybe this will satisfy? 1. Draw hairstyles on various pieces of paper. Use magazines,…
Blobs With Personalities — Creative Workshop
For the past two years, I’ve been invited to run monthly workshops at The Worcester Family Partnership. WFP is a wonderful organization, which provides an educational, inviting, enriching, and nurturing place for families with small children to spend their mornings. They offer playgroup, healthy snacks, literacy events, and creative enrichment. I feel so lucky to…
Snowy Picture Books
This northeast living is a snowy, snowy situation. We are doing our best to play in the deep drifts, and then come in and embrace cozy. Otherwise, it is a gray,cold existence. I thought I’d share three of our favorite snowy day books. The crocuses are waiting patiently. And, so am I. Snow by Isao…
Journal Prompt: Bento Art Box
This week, my daughter had a new friend over to the house for lunch and play. After washing hands and doing a few excited pirouettes across the kitchen floor, they sat down at the table. I bought bagels as a special treat, but our friend mentioned that her dad always packs her a special lunch. …
Journal Prompt: Character Development
Use your journal to develop characters who can find their way into your short stories, poems, and plays. List 5-10 ordinary, regular things your character would do on a free day. Write brief notes and draw small sketches to illustrate. Remember, this is practice in stepping into your character’s mind. This is not what you would…
Valentine’s Day Fortunes
This Valentine’s Day, instead of giving away hearts and candy, we’re gifting fortunes. I love the tradition of giving our friends sweet messages and tiny handmade tokens in the depth of winter. If you live in the northeast, you know how much we are all looking forward to something that will distract us from the…
Creative Toolbox: The Random Word Generator
My new favorite journal tool is the random word generator at randomlists.com. I click on the words button and the nouns button, and then 12 random words pop up on my screen. When I click refresh, 12 new words pop up. I love the challenge of choosing to work with ideas/words that did not…
From me to you: Four Valentine’s Day Heart Projects
With February just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about bright colors, quirky little hearts, and sweet scribbled messages. In New England, where everything is frozen and white, the bright colors of Valentine’s Day is a nice thing to look forward to. These are four of my favorite heart projects that I’ve…
Journal Prompt: Reverse Your Season
Journal Prompt: Observing Your Hand
Read your old stuff
This morning, I discovered one of my old sketchbooks. When I first grabbed it from the row of books, I flipped through the pages quickly, and my work rhythm was swaying me to wedge it back into its bookshelf home. I was trying to manage my time well. But, a list of words caught my…
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