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…
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. …
Creative Toolbox – Cereal Box Board
Cereal box board is one of my favorite art materials in the whole wide world. I mostly love to use it as my canvas. It is great for sculpture and building things, which is often how my children use it, but I love to draw and paint onto the gorgeous, muted brown backdrop. It makes…
Creative Toolbox: Wood
Today’s creative tool is wood. So simple, right? It can bought or found, raw or finished, milled or fresh from the woods. Pay attention to interesting shapes and textures as you walk through the woods, and watch for bags of scrap wood on deep discount at your hardware store. It is a thrifty, and often…
A Summer Kids’ Craft: Nature Bundles
While we were away on our vacation, the children invented a Nature Bundles game where they found lots of different tiny bits of nature and packaged them up with gorgeous, natural wrapping. Each one was unique and interesting, and each had a story to go along with it. Some were spells, some remedies, and some…
Spring Story Stones
Spring is finally in full force in our Massachusetts valley, which means my family has been in search-for-signs-of spring mode. In the past, we’ve collected our signs of spring, traced our signs of spring, and made non-dominant drawings of our signs of spring. This year I decided we should make spring Story Stones! First, find…
watercolors and flowers
The older kids and I made these in early September in the midst of balmy breezes, deeply saturated garden hues, and a big round baby belly. Our baby boy was due in two weeks and it seemed as if my body couldn’t get any rounder. It was full of what we could only dream of….
sick week.
My poor daughter has been feverish and coughing since Sunday, which has meant our week has been slow and filled with tea, soup, books, movies, and crafts. Each morning find her way to my studio and to sit in the sunlight and make art. These are some of her creations. * A jar of…
birds + watercolor
My youngest loves to paint and draw, but she sometimes feels stuck when it comes to choosing a subject. It’s not that she doesn’t love to doodle and experiment with color; she’ll do that for hours. It’s just that sometimes, she will tell me that she really wants to draw “somebody cute,” but she isn’t…
s t o n e s
A little mid-summer watercolor. Why not break out your pencils and liquid watercolors and make some stones? Kids too! I think that maybe I was unintentionally meditating while painting the organic stone shapes. Now I’m thinking that it would be a really nice intentional practice: clear your mind and paint stones. In peace. xo e
mail and other super things.
Hazel, my youngest at four years old, is becoming a writer. Her stationary is small little pieces of lined paper with white envelopes and she is mostly writing love letters and requests. Dear Iris. I really miss you. I hope I come back. [Iris is her dance teacher] and Dear Mama, Please take me to…
rainy day watercoloring
My friend Catherine once sent my family a sympathy card with this type of tape resist watercolor square on it, and I remember that when I held it in my hands it made me pause and feel so thankful for such kindness. Not only was the card sweet and lovely, but it was also so…
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