Now that the holiday season is upon us, it's time to start thinking about the children... and not just what they have on their six-foot long "All I Want from Santa" list! Christmas time means longer breaks from the school routine in most places, with an accompanying chorus of "I'm so bored" once the glow of electronic toys and gadgets fades.
I can't promise an end to the "I'm bored" chant, but having a few basic art supplies on hand can certainly cure some of those post-Christmas blues in your household!
Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting demonstrations to go with the supplies listed below:
Right on the heels of my fabulous experience at the Dayton Art Institute came another wonderful art experience, the Art is Magic Creative Retreat. I was able to participate last year (see post here) and was thrilled to learn that Galia Alena was once again bringing together an amazing group of creative women to share their insights and techniques for mixed media art.The weekend retreat flies by quickly! Eighteen classes are released over a two day period, each only remaining accessible for 24 hours after its release. There is an option to join the Ongoing Creative Retreat, which I did last year, but this year my funds were limited and I had to come up with a strategy for making the most of each class offering.I knew that I couldn't possibly watch each class and complete each project in the time that was available, so I took notes and made a few quick sketches as time permitted, then bookmarked the websites of the artists so that I could find them later.Now my plan is to work through the various techniques and see where the explorations take my own creative work. I'll be sharing my creative adventures here and on Instagram in the coming weeks.
Yes, acrylic inks are a great medium for making monoprints!I learned this technique from Skillshare teacher, Linda Ormiston. Her class is called "Make a Monoprint Using Acetate, Pen, and Ink". Click here to access her class... it's simple to learn, yet gives such impressive results! I'm so glad I found Lisa's class! It's a perfect blend of two of my favorite mediums, print-making and watercolors. I'll definitely be exploring this technique further in the coming weeks! Click the link below to subscribe to my twice-monthly newsletter. No spam, no arm-twisting, just information to inspire your own creative journey!
Is it really May... already? According to the bright yellow crop of dandelions making their appearance in my yard, I guess it is! Somehow in the rush of daily living, I lost track of February, March, and April. It's been a busy few months filled with family activities, a little quiet time for reading and reflection, and plenty of creative busy-ness. Back in January, I started my journey through 2018 with two goals: spiritual reading and daily creativity. I have to admit that the reading goal took a hit during March, but I've managed the creative journey a little bit better, thanks to a good friend's suggestion that I join her in taking a watercolor painting class through our local community college. Talk about a humbling experience! My watercolor skills have a way to go, but the class was fun, I learned a lot, and I've already signed up for the fall semester. In late January, I learned about a website called Skillshare from some Facebook group friends who were teaching classes on the site. I checked it out, took their classes, and decided to take the February "Teach on Skillshare" challenge just to see if I could do it. Found out that I could ... and I did! I recently published the first two classes in a series I am calling "Printmaking Basics". As a classroom art teacher, I know how much my students loved printmaking, so I'm creating the series to encourage parents to bring this creative activity into their family time at home. The classes are perfect for beginners of any age, five to ninety-five. Supplies are minimal, the mess is worth it, and the results are amazing! Click here to view this class and create your own colorful floral prints! This happy green fish is from Printmaking Basics: Print with Markers. Using water based markers eliminates the potentially messy inks and makes printmaking an easy and fun activity for children as young as five years in age. Click the link and check it out! Now that springtime and warm weather have finally arrived here in Ohio, I'll be spending more time in my favorite outdoor creative spaces, my flower gardens, the local parks, and the outdoor "studio" on my back deck. I'm working on two more classes in the Printmaking Basics series, so take a moment to sign up for my email updates and be one of the first to check them out!
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