Archive for June, 2008

Tiffany McDonald on Goldsworthy-Inspired Art

June 30, 2008 at 6:37 am · Filed under Interviews

Tiffany McDonald is a friend and the mother of two beautiful daughters, Lily, age 7, and Sadie, age 2. She is an artist (even though she calls herself a wanna-be!) and also volunteers in Lily’s classroom teaching art. The photo above is from a month or so ago when she came over for some tea (or was it coffee?) and a chat.

JEAN: First, can you tell us how you got started volunteering in your daughter’s classroom?

TIFFANY: When Lily started kindergarten there were many forms asking for volunteers in different areas.  I really wanted to be with Lily during the day, and to be involved. There was an initial shock at the amount of individual attention some kids needed and at how thin the teachers are spread.  (And this was a relatively small class – I’ve seen larger classes with more behavioral and learning challenges).  The teacher said it would be helpful if I came in regularly to work with a few kids, then she could focus attention on some that needed help.

I have to add, Lily’s teacher and school are great in this way [Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Asheville, NC].  We are encouraged to be a part of the class and daily events.  Parents in her class are either volunteering in the class, the garden, or just coming in for lunch pretty much every day. We meet with the teacher to find out how we can most help – tutoring, projects, demonstrations, cleaning, organizing and chaperoning field trips, etc.  

JEAN: What are some of your (and their!) favorite art projects that you’ve done with the students?

TIFFANY: I think this year the kids really loved making mobiles.  (We have the same class and teacher for 3 years).  The teacher read a story about Calder.  I gave a presentation on him and showed a YouTube video of his circus – they loved it! I left supplies for mobiles – and the kids came up with some of their own.  The teacher set up a mobile station, so the kids could work on it as part of their centers.

I love doing the artist presentations. I enjoy learning about the art and artists and coming up with ways to make the information fun for the kids. When I talked about Romare Bearden we also played Duke Ellington’s music – since he was part of the Harlem Renaissance and a friend of Romare Bearden’s.  The kids really like the video or music as part of the talk.  I don’t have a degree or training in this area, but I’ve considered it so I could do more of this!

JEAN: Where do you get the ideas for your projects?

TIFFANY: I use websites for kids’ art projects (The Incredible Art Department, NGA Kids The Art Zone), take suggestions from the teacher, check out books on artists and kids’ projects.  I also just go with ideas that I really like.  I love Calder and making mobiles – Lily and I made a mobile for Sadie when she was born.  I loved the Goldsworthy video, Rivers and Tides - and the kids really enjoyed watching it. I also love anything for kids that uses found objects and nature.

JEAN: I’m especially interested in hearing about the Andy Goldsworthy-inspired project that you did with your daughter’s kindergarten class last year. Can you tell us about that?

TIFFANY: First we looked at an Andy Goldsworthy book (Andy Goldsworthy: A Collaboration with Nature). Then, I took a group of 3 or 4 kids each week onto the nature trail at school where we found twigs, leaves, acorns, moss, etc.  The kids created an art piece and we photographed it.  After all the kids had taken a turn we viewed the photos and each group came up with captions to go with their artwork.  Next, I took small groups to make paper for the book covers.  Finally, we arranged the printed photo pages into a book, using yarn and a twig for the binding. The project took almost all year from beginning to end.

The final book was wonderful!  The printing was pricey though – I would try to do it myself next time or look for a deal.  The kids were really proud of the books, and displayed them at their open house.

JEAN: Thanks! I loved the copy you showed me!

How about at home-What do you do to encourage Lily and Sadie’s creativity?

TIFFANY: I try to keep art supplies available.  I’m working to organize the art stuff – inspired by your art space organization!  I love what they create and tell them so.  We hang things up – usually just taped or tacked, but I’d love to frame some items.  Lily goes through the recycling, the fabric and sewing, the garage, etc to create her work.  She loves to make houses for her stuffed or plastic animals, or for bugs.  She also makes houses for little creatures she makes out of paper (called champs).

There is so much problem-solving, creating, and fun involved.  The mess can be huge, but I love to see what she comes up with (and she is learning to clean up a little too). The other day she made a card for a tadpole that died – saying she loved it.  She pointed out to me that in the center of the drawing she had taped the dead tadpole.  She plans to bury it in a box.

JEAN: That’s wonderful that you’re open to the messes involved in creativity! How does being an artist yourself help you create an artful home environment for your daughters?

TIFFANY: I’m more of an artist in training or an artist-wannabe!  I do think we are all artists of some form though – whether it is the artful way we garden, cook, raise our kids, dress ourselves, express ourselves, etc. I just love art – the process of creating, the history, seeing works by others, working on skills. I think and hope my enjoyment and passion passes on to my girls. It is something I genuinely enjoy doing with them and I truly love to see their creations. I try to make sure they know that they are artists and there is no right way to create art. I encourage them to experiment and give them some helpful information. We look at art books, see art exhibits, and talk about art.  Hectic schedules get in the way of creative time.

School and lessons occupy so much time.  I am working to have more time when there isn’t something scheduled.  Creativity really seems to blossom during big blocks of free time.

JEAN: Can you tell us about your own art and where you get your inspiration?

TIFFANY: I haven’t been working on my art since Sadie was born 2 year ago.  I’ve attempted to start projects, but get too distracted.  I was really enjoying portrait painting – I love Alice Neel’s portraits – not stuffy – but intense and slightly humorous.  I like the portrait I did of my husband, and would love to do more.  

Fortunately, for now, I can get my art fix through the artist talks at Lily’s school, and with art books.  I find inspiration from other artists – I love to check out books on artists and visit museums/galleries.  

I am really inspired by the art that Lily and other kids create.  I’d love to do a series of works inspired by Lily’s works and show them together someday.  I think there is endless inspiration in nature. I’m taking a class at Penland School of Crafts this summer.  I hope my experience will be so inspiring that I will be moved to make more time for my art (as Sadie becomes a little more self sufficient!).

JEAN: Thanks! Anything else you would like to add?

TIFFANY: Part of keeping art and creativity alive in my family is reading your blog!  I learn so much from it.  And, it inspires me (always) and keeps the importance of including art and creativity in my children’s lives in my thoughts (as I read your blog daily)!

JEAN: Thank you, Tif! I love hearing about the art you and your daughters do, the messes, and the inspiration! And I think it’s great how you translate some of the great artists’ work into accessible projects for the students.

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Some Friday Artfulness

June 28, 2008 at 7:23 am · Filed under Art Projects, Crafts

We had a lovely artful day yesterday. As usual, it happened when we had absolutely nothing planned and barely even left the house. The day was free-flowing, a bit lazy, a bit indulgent, and the perfect end for the week.

I made curtains from my happy fabric find of a couple months ago. 

Maia asked for a book to write so I made one (like this), and she drew in it with our new oil pastels from Discount School Supply. I placed a big order from them a few weeks ago–justified by my art class. I heart art supplies. But you know that.

After coming across my saved egg cartons and paper towel rolls, Maia insisted we collect rocks outside (what else are egg cartons for, after all!). And yes, she painted them. Who was it who said we’d probably end up with countless painted rocks?

I also worked on some new etsy stuff during Maia’s nap. And cooked zucchini-sweet potato bread for today’s potluck brunch.

Days like these fill me up.

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Crazy String Sculptures or Balloon Ghosts?

June 27, 2008 at 9:56 am · Filed under Other Fun Stuff

Art group was a small affair this week — just us and Molly and Stella. Everyone else was out of town or sick or had family visiting. We made string and balloon sculptures per Barbara Z’s recommendation. She said it was a popular project in her preschool class and I’ve been wanting to try it with the kids.

Maia cut the string first thing in the morning. I think it was her favorite part of the whole project. Cutting string was easy and fun for her. She always wants to use her scissors, but is usually frustrated by not being able to cut paper well. Any tips on that, by the way?

When Molly and Stella showed up, we mixed paint and glue. Stella and Maia each squeezed a bottle of glue into a bowl. We added the paint colors that they chose, and they mixed the glue and paint together, adding water from a squeeze bottle to water it down a bit. I don’t think we got the mixture quite right — either we added too much paint, or maybe we shouldn’t have watered it down. Not sure.

I hung the balloons from the swing set and the girls dipped pieces of string into the paint-glue mixture and draped them over the balloon. It was fun, if a bit tricky–the balloons kept moving, the string slid down the balloon until there were enough pieces to provide friction, the girls got paint in their hair and all over their bodies.

After a while the balloons were abandoned for the kiddie pool and water play.

I left them up until they dried, then popped the balloons. Kind of ghostly, don’t you think? I think I’d try this again, but maybe inside over a bowl to hold it in place, and in a location that we could keep working on it over the course of a few days… Any tips, Anyone? Barbara?

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What’s Your Favorite Kids’ Nature Project?

June 26, 2008 at 7:34 am · Filed under Gardening, Nature

Sharon Lovejoy, author of my favorite children’s gardening books, is asking for our help. She e-mailed me to say she is in the throes of writing the nature chapter of her new book, The Green Granny Gospels, and would like readers to write in and share their favorite nature project (art, exploring, journaling, etc) done with their children.

So please head over to Sharon’s blog and share your favorite nature project with her!

  

Everyone who does so by her deadline of July 10th will be entered into a drawing for three of her books: The Little Green Island with the Little Red House, Hollyhock Days, and A Day in the Garden  (her illustrated blank nature journal). She will sign the books however the winner wants them signed.

The drawing is at Sharon Lovejoy’s blog, not here, so head over there to leave a comment about your favorite nature project. She says this is very important to her as she is working on her nature chapter right now and it must be finished soon.

I look forward to reading everyone’s comments there later…

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Making Space for Art

June 25, 2008 at 7:50 am · Filed under Art Materials, Children's Art

I was making this as a handout for my art class, but decided to post it here instead and share it with you all, too.

I believe it’s important to set aside a space in your home for your children to create art and to explore with art materials, even if it’s just some markers and a pad of paper left out on a table. Free access to art materials allows children to scribble and create whenever the mood strikes, making it a part of their everyday life.

Here are six ideas for creating a dedicated art space:

  • An art table or desk: Equip it with paper and drawing materials, adding other materials and tools as appropriate. Perhaps use a marker holder, such as the one at the bottom of this post (made with plaster of paris) to keep the markers handy and make it easy to keep the caps on. A nearby shelf or drawer can hold more art supplies.
  • An easel: Leave an easel set up with paper and drawing or painting materials. If the reverse has a chalkboard, equip it with chalk and an eraser. Remember to change it up so it doesn’t just become a piece of furniture (and ignored). You can read my post, here, about keeping it interesting.
  • A painting space: Having a dedicated space for painting is ideal. You can use a space that you don’t mind getting messy such as a room with a cement floor, the kitchen, the porch, outdoors, the garage, or the basement. Spread a drop cloth or newspapers to catch the paint drips if you like (I don’t, and just enjoy the paint splattered studio floor). You can leave out paper, paint, and brushes or, if your child is very young, leave the painting space set up and just bring out the paint itself when your child is ready to paint. If a dedicated painting space is out of the question, then be open to setting up to paint periodically whether in the kitchen, outside, or in the bathtub. Here’s a post about finding a space for messy art.
  • Consider an outdoor art space, especially in the warm weather months. You can set up an easel outside or bring out a table and chair. The bonus with being outside is that you’ll probably be less concerned about the mess factor.
  • Portable art: equip a box, basket, or bag with a pad of paper, some drawing materials, stickers, etc. Keep the basket within reach so your child can grab it and work whenever and wherever she likes-whether at the kitchen table, the floor, or in the car.
  • An art studio: Okay, so I know that I’m lucky to have a room dedicated to art, but it’s not like our house is huge (1,300 square feet). I’ve just made art a priority in our house. If you do have an extra room, consider making it a space for art, crafts, creativity, learning, and exploring. It’s wonderful to be able to leave out an art project that is in progress, to have a space that is A-Okay for getting messy, to be surrounded by art materials, and to have a place for drying (and displaying) art.

The art materials you choose to equip your child’s art space with will depend on his age, developmental stage, personality, preferences, and your own comfort level. For example, for a one or two year old you might place out paper, crayons, markers, stickers, and chalk for them to use whenever they like. At this age, you might place glue, paints, and some collage materials (especially potential choking hazards) high up to be used only under closer supervision. As your child gets older, you’ll place more and more within reach to be used freely and he will become more involved in choosing his own preferred art materials.

Possible art materials for your child’s art space:

  • Crayons
  • Washable markers
  • Colored pencils
  • Paper of various colors and kinds
  • Glue stick and squeezable glue bottle
  • Stickers
  • Stamps and ink pad
  • Glitter
  • Playdough and playdough tools (rolling pin, cookie cutters, popsicle sticks, etc)
  • Clay
  • Tempera paint (nontoxic and washable)
  • Finger paint
  • Watercolor paint
  • Glitter
  • Scissors
  • Oil pastels
  • Nature materials such as pinecones, leaves, seedpods, twigs, rocks
  • Pipe cleaners, feathers, string, fabric, felt
  • Colored tissue paper

Remember that a dedicated art space doesn’t mean a static art space. Change out the materials occasionally, add new materials, move things around, set out an interesting project, etc to encourage continued interest in the art materials and the art space.

Any other ideas? Does your child have an art space? What’s it like?

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Art Class and a Few Suncatchers

June 24, 2008 at 2:58 pm · Filed under Art Projects

I had my second art class this morning and am starting to get into the groove of it. The kids range in age from a little under two to a little over three. I haven’t taught before so offering a class was a bit of a mental hurdle, but in the end I’m pretty much doing it the way I do my art group–casual. And fun. At least for me.

I set up a couple of art stations around the house, in addition to our official art activity of the day. Today I covered the toddler table with a big piece of paper and set out our markers. You can see the result above. I think all of the kids added their scribbles at some point. I also had paper shapes and glue sticks at the easel, for some collaging.

Then we made a couple of suncatchers. First, tissue paper suncatchers (that we did in art group a few weeks ago), followed by a walk around the garden to collect flowers, leaves and grass. And, finally, nature suncatchers with the materials we collected.

Here’s Maia’s suncatcher with some geranium, purple coneflower, and marigold flowers, dusty miller leaves, and some cilantro that’s gone to flower. We did both of the suncatchers with clear Con-Tact paper which is sticky and so fun for the kids to work with.

And, in case you’d like to make some suncatchers with your kiddos, here are a few to try. I put this list together as a handout for the art class–most of the ideas are from MaryAnn F. Kohl’s books or are variations of her projects.

Con-Tact Paper and Tissue Paper Suncatcher

 

Cut out a piece of clear Con-Tact paper (available in art supply stores or in grocery stores and drug stores with the shelf paper), remove the paper backing, and tape it sticky side up to a window, wall, or table. Have your child tear colored tissue paper into small pieces, then let him affix the tissue paper to the sticky Con-Tact paper. Add another piece of Con-Tact paper on top, sandwiching the tissue paper in between. Tape to a window or punch holes in it to hang with string. If desired, cut a frame out of colored construction paper and tape or glue around the suncatcher.

 

Con-Tact Paper and Nature Items Suncatcher

 

Same as above, but use nature items (leaves, flowers, grasses, ferns, etc) instead of tissue paper. You may press and dry them first (in between the pages of a telephone book works well) or use them as is. If not dried, the nature items will decompose over time, which can be fun to watch and talk about.

 

Wax Paper and Nature Items Suncatcher

 

Let your child arrange nature items (leaves, flowers, grasses, ferns, etc) on a sheet of wax paper, waxy side up. As above, you can press and dry the nature items first or use as is. Add another sheet of wax paper, waxy side down, sandwiching the nature items in between. Place between sheets of paper and press with an iron (adult only) on low just long enough to melt the wax. Tape to a window or punch holes in it to hang with string. If desired, cut a frame out of colored construction paper and tape or glue around the suncatcher.

 

Melted Crayon Suncatcher

 

Shave crayons (chunky crayons are easier to shave) with a cheese grater (adult or older child). Tape a sheet of wax paper to a table, waxy side up. Let your child arrange the various colors of crayon shavings on the wax paper. Add another sheet of wax paper, waxy side down, sandwiching the crayon shavings in between. Place between sheets of paper and press with an iron (adult only) on low to melt the crayons. Tape to a window or punch holes in it to hang with string. If desired, cut a frame out of colored construction paper and tape or glue around the suncatcher.

 

Tissue Paper and Glue Suncatcher

 

Tape a sheet of wax paper to a table. Help your child cut or tear colored tissue paper into smallish pieces. Using a paint brush, paint liquid starch (available as laundry starch in the laundry section of grocery stores—follow directions to make liquid) OR watered down white glue onto the wax paper. Add pieces of tissue paper to the wax paper, then paint on top with more liquid starch or glue mixture. Continue adding tissue paper and painting with the starch or glue mixture until child feels the suncatcher is finished. Note: Younger children will likely make the tissue paper bunch up—that’s okay.

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Camping and Biking Along the Virginia Creeper Trail

June 23, 2008 at 11:39 am · Filed under Nature

Hey, did anyone catch that I completely jumped the gun on my blogiversary? If so, maybe you were too polite to mention it. On our drive north to Virginia, I realized that it was only The Artful Parent’s 5 month anniversary!! Talk about embarrassing. Anything with a blog is so public. Oh well. It felt like it had been 6 months.

We had a great camping and biking trip in Virginia. We went with two other families from our art group and shared a couple of adjacent campsites. The three kids played in the hammock (you can see Stella and Maia above; Thalia is hiding beside them) while we set up camp and cooked.

  

They also got plenty of water time, first at the campground lake, then at the river along the Viriginia Creeper Trail. We biked half the trail (17 miles) from White Top to Damascus with the kids in pull-behind chariots. The ride was beautiful and easy (mostly a gentle downhill), a combination of wooded wonderland and pastoral fields.

The photo above is from our picnic lunch spot, where the kids spent more time throwing rocks in the river than eating.

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The Artful Parent is 6 Months Old!

June 20, 2008 at 8:12 am · Filed under Other Fun Stuff

Tomorrow is The Artful Parent’s six month blog anniversary! I started it on January 21st, winging it, as I seem to do with so many things these days. I barely knew what a blog was at that point, but knew that I wanted to write about and share my passion for art and kids. Now, almost 200 posts, and many friends later, I feel like this blog is changing me and my life in a wonderfully positive way. Thank you everyone for reading, commenting, sharing, caring. I really appreciate it.

Now, just for fun, here’s a bit of a recap of the past 6 months:

January

Here’s my hello world post from day 1.

On day 2, I posted my Top 10 Art Materials for Toddlers, all of which I still love. I’ll have to make up my top 20 list though soon, because I have so many good ones to add, including liquid watercolors which I recently discovered thanks to MaryAnn F. Kohl and Julie Liddle.

We did Salty Watercolors with the Toddler Art Group (see also here and here) in January, a fun and messy project full of sensory experiences, and also painted hearts for Valentine’s Day.

And here’s an early post on How to Make a Trip to the Art Museum FUN for Your Child – as you can see, I hadn’t broken out of my writing-a-magazine-article style yet.

February

In February, I started interviewing other artful mamas and art educators. First, I interviewed Susan Striker, author of Young at Art, on the developmental stages of children’s drawing. Then, I interviewed SouleMama, everyone’s favorite blogger mama, and author of The Creative Family. And MaryAnn F. Kohl, author of Scribble Art and Preschool Art.

February was a list month. I posted My February Ten, a list of things that made me happy during a long and dreary month, including a heart appliqued onto a shirt for Maia–the first time I got out my sewing machine in a couple of years. Also 7 Tips for Making Art with Young Children and 101 Resources for Art and Parenting.

It was also organization month. I posted about organizing and storing Maia’s art, framing some of it, and re-doing the art studio.

We were all sick in February with the flu, croup, etc. and I found out I had skin cancer (and got it removed) but amidst the sickness, we celebrated Maia’s half birthday with half a birthday cake. Maia and I had an artful day somewhere in there, and I also shared some of my childhood art. Oh, and cherry pie. Well worth it’s own blog post. We did fabric transfers with the Toddler Art Group, but think we met just the once that month.

March

In March, I interviewed Barbara Zaborowski, preschool teacher, on authentic art for children. I also interviewed artist Laurel Frankstone on her art and on raising two creative daughters, Kristen Marra on unschooling the arts, Montessori Mama on Making and Teaching Art, and Dana Lee on her artful life.

I wrote a post about art vs. craft  and one called Do You Need an Easel?, both of which generated a lot of great comments. My spring organizing continued into March with hanging Maia’s art, and re-organizing the studio.

Some fun artful activities from the month: I first did sculpey nature prints, which I loved and raved about. We also made rainbows in a bag (a fun color mixing experiment), played with puffy paint, dyed easter eggs, and dyed playsilks with Kool-Aid.

With the Toddler Art Group, we made collages with felt, feathers, and pipe cleaners, did some more puffy paint, and tried our hand at spin art.

I also started doing some making and crafting myself. First, some bean bags, then some altered clothing and a funky chicken shirt.

April

April started with my 31st Birthday, then a post about my other love, gardening.

I revisited the easel question with 6 Ways to Encourage Continued Interest in Your Children’s Easel, and then posted How to Start a Children’s Art Group in response to several e-mails I had received.

Some April artfulness included an artful day (!), making more sculpey prints and then using them as molds for playdough fun, a papier mache egg, making popovers from Pretend Soup, a musical evening, some shirts for Rocky Bear and Mama Bear, and some Birds and Beads for a New Baby.

I interviewed Lori Pickert of Camp Creek Press on art the Reggio way and Ginger Carlson on Nurturing Creativity and Curiosity (here’s part II of Ginger’s interview).

With the Toddler Art Group, we did some super fun texture painting, painting and printing on canvas, watercolors and oil pastels, and crayon leaf rubbings.

May

In May, the Toddler Art Group’s paintings were displayed at our local bakery, followed by an informal reception for the little artists.

I also first tried freezer paper stenciling! And again. Then started an etsy shop to justify continued freezer paper stenciling. I asked you all for help in choosing a name, and received so many great suggestions (thank you!), but in the end decided to stick with The Artful Parent. I also started mixing stencils and appliques, something I’ve continued and enjoyed.

We took a beach vacation in May and (for the first time) I took a break from the blog. With the distance that provided, I posted some thoughts on blogging.

I also interviewed Sharon Lovejoy on gardening with children and posted a tutorial on handmade paper shapes by Tracy Hildebrand.

Some May artfulness included trying watercolors and saran wrap, making big beads with Maia, a big bead caterpillar, and a new dress and crown for Maia.

With the Toddler Art Group, we had a messy party, made plaster of paris sculptures, then painted them, and did the watercolors and saran wrap project again. We also said farewell (temporarily) to one of our founding members.

June

In June, I had a bit of a “where’s the art?” crisis, and you responded with a bunch of ideas. I also talked about how my blog depicts just a narrow slice of our life. And I started teaching a toddler art class.

Some artfulness this month has included puppet shows, a pole bean and morning glory tent, picking strawberries and making shortcake, and painting rocks.

With the Toddler Art Group, we had a tea party and made suncatchers and we did some large scale splatter painting.

—

Okay, so I started this post intending to list just two or three favorite posts from each month, but it ended up getting way out of hand. I know I should edit it down more, but we’re on our way out the door for a weekend of camping and biking.

Have a great weekend! And thanks again for joining me on this blog journey.

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for the sous chef

June 19, 2008 at 11:35 am · Filed under Crafts, Other Fun Stuff

Aren’t these adorable? They were commissioned by a friend for chefs who are new parents. Now I want to make more and sell them in my shop.

I’ve also been working on dinosaurs

And dragonflies. I think I need one of these shirts for myself…

 

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Jackson Pollock Collaborative

June 18, 2008 at 3:11 pm · Filed under Art Projects

We had the art group over today and let them go crazy with paint. I spread an old queen size sheet out in the back yard, gave them pans of paint watered down with water, and “introduced” the concept of splattering paint from the paintbrush with a flick of the wrist. I’m sure some of them had already figured out the joys of splattering (as the walls and curtains in my studio attest), but hey. Anyway, they splattered, they made hand prints, they paint danced, they did torso mono prints, you name it.

The splatter painting was inspired by Susan Striker’s Young at Art and was super fun. It would be a great party or playgroup activity. Most of the kids ended up naked and eventually in the kiddie pool for clean up and water play.

Here’s the finished painting. I’m not sure what to do with it. It’s too cool to toss but the paint is washable so it’s not terribly permanent (for a sheet anyway). Also it’s large. Any ideas?

Before we moved to the big sheet, I introduced the splatter painting concept at the table where they each did a few individual paintings. As always, I’m thankful for an art table that wipes clean easily. I used to use a thrifted wooden coffee table which was a lot harder to clean.

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