365 Days with Kiddos - #36 - Spend an Afternoon Coloring

I spent hours and hours AND HOURS coloring as a child. While I grew up to make art every day, I didn't have many opportunities to simply color until I had my own kiddos. The enjoyment I used to get from coloring all came back to me when I started to do it with my girls. They have both been coloring since they could hold a crayon, long before they could talk. I really enjoy spending time with them an watching how their skills change as they get older.

My eldest, Quin, who is 5.5 years, is very creative when she colors. She likes to stay within the lines (which in my mind is not required) and she often uses several colors instead of just one in each segment of a coloring book page. Her creations are beautiful! She will use crayons but she prefers pencil crayons (colored pencils) and markers. She spends a lot of time on these creations, and we keep the ones she likes the best in a folder.

My youngest daughter, Emmanuelle, is just 2.5 years old. She has had the benefit of watching her older sister color. As a baby she would clamour to color and didn't spend much time using crayons.

She totally skipped pencil crayons. Her instrument of choice has always been markers. She used to scribble all over the page but recently we were pretty shocked when she started coloring in the lines. Her hand can suddenly control the marker and go exactly where she wants. She now spends up to an hour just filling our coloring books with glorious color. Amazingly enough, she seems to be very adept at color combinations, which I can't say I taught her, she just learned by looking and trying things out.

There are several benefits of coloring that I have seen in my children first hand. They have developed better concentration, their color awareness has grown, Emmanuelle has been able to learn the names of colors, it has helped them to develop their fine motor skills, and I can see that overall it helps them to be more artistically creative, to have better imaginations, and to help them to express their thoughts and feelings.

If you would like to try making recycled crayon cakes from your old crayon bits, please see this post...

Alberta Arts Day at My Daughter's School

 On September 30th, 2011, I was the "artist - in - residence" at my daughter's school. I was asked to help with a school-wide project that coincided with Alberta Arts Days, a three day long celebration of arts and culture in Alberta. Quin goes to a Francophone school, which is entirely in French. I am ok in French, but my husband was raised in French and English and is fully bilingual. I try my best, and I think that opportunities to help like this are great for both my learning more French and for the children to learn more art.

 Cecile busy at work...

Cecile Kessler, who runs the after school program, asked me to assist in facilitating this project with her. Last year she bought several 3 foot by 3 foot canvases with the hopes that the classes would each paint one to decorate the community centre in the basement of the school. She decided that Alberta Arts Days would be a good time to do this. The canvases will grace the walls of the centre, and will later be auctioned off with the money raised going back into arts education.

This painting uses the kids' hand and foot prints... 

The students and teachers were given the theme, ouverture sur le monde, which is kind of like "gateway to the world" or "open to the world". They had a couple of weeks to think about what they might like to do on their canvases and by the time I arrived they were all ready to jump in and get started with their projects. I was just there to lend a hand, to run and grab materials they needed, and to give any advice if asked. They all did a wonderful job working together and making their vision for their canvases a reality. It was inspiring to watch them at work, and I am truly happy I was a part of the day.

My daughter, Quin, surveying her class canvas...  

I don't show kids on my blog without their parents' permission. Because of this, I only have one image of my daughter and the rest of the images focus on the actual art work....

A student places an image from a magazine on the collage...

This class decided to make a paper mosaic on this peace symbol, using images from magazines

One of the finished collages... 

Another amazing collage...isn't inspiring?

Merci beaucoup for asking me to be a part of your art day! I hope to see you again soon...

The First Day of School

Emmanuelle enjoying summer...

Seriously, where did the summer go? I live in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, where just yesterday, new snow fell on the lovely enchanted mountain tops. We only have about a month of summery weather, and I have to say, it is gone. Today, I wore a tank top, a long sleeved shirt, a fleece, and a scarf. My feet were cold in just one pair of socks. Winter is coming...

Quin's first day of school

...but first there is fall. My favourite time of year. I was married on September 20th, outside, in a warmer place, because I love the cool breezes and the changing leaves. This year, our big fall news, although it actually happened last week, in late August, is that our eldest daughter started school! She is in full time French Kindergarten. She loves it! She loves to see her friends, she loves to ride the bus, she loves to eat her lunch at school. She is a go-getter with a sunny personality and school agrees with her. What a milestone!

The last craft of summer vacation...

Her little sis, and I miss her around here. We miss crafting, art making, baking, and playing with her all day, but I am looking forward to all the days off of school when we can do that. They will be even more special. We were able to get lots of creative time in in the days before school started.

Now that it is fall, I will be blogging more. I promise. I hope you all had a good summer and are enjoying the last days of it...

Invite to the Next Show at the Whyte Museum... or What Do You Mean I Need to be in Three Places At Once

This happens to me frequently... I need to be two or three (or more) places at once. I try to avoid it, but it does happen. I just realized it has happened again for this Saturday. I KNEW I wanted to be in two places at the same time, but I thought the third thing was at a different time than the first two. Now, it would be nice if I just WANTED to be at all of these things, but I am actually REQUIRED to be at two of them. Let me explain...

Ferntebrae

Original Polaroid Transfer by Tiffany Teske

Ferns

Original Polaroid Transfer by Tiffany Teske

I have always wanted to have my work in a show at the highly esteemed Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies. Last year, I was selected to take part in their Kaleidoscope of Crafts, which was a two day Christmas Sale. My friend and fellow artist, Barb Fyvie, alerted me to a call for work they had a few months ago, but I didn't have anything that fit the theme. Then, recently, I received their call for submission for a show called Blossoms and Botanicals. Right up my alley... so I submitted 5 pieces, as requested, and they selected two, which is the max they selected from each artist. I was thrilled to get the call. I dropped off my work yesterday, and told them I would be at the opening...

... the opening that I JUST noticed, because I opened the show invite to forward it to my list, is from 1 - 4 PM on Saturday!! OH NO!!!! I thought it would be in the evening... NOOOOOOO!!! I REALLY want to be at the Whyte for the opening and they EXPECT me to be there. But, I can't be. Why you ask?

Because I am facilitating an ongoing project on Saturday, from 11 - 4 PM, for Banff Heritage Tourism as part of Banff Culture Days. It is called Personalized Paddles and I have been excited about it ever since, John Bowden, asked me to lead it. There are actually 5 dates that this will be taking place and I missed the first one when we were in Yellowknife. My wonderful friend, Cheryl Ello, filled in for me, and I can only hope that maybe Cheryl can fill in for me from say, 1 - 2 PM this Saturday...

What is the third thing? The non-required thing I also wanted to go to on Saturday is a cyanotype making/ mail art workshop in the Bison Courtyard by Sarah Fuller. I have been wanting to meet Sarah. My friend, Claire Wilkinson of the Banff Snail Mail Society, will also be part of the workshop. Cyanotypes, vintage typewriters, the Bison Courtyard.... NOOOOOO!! It is from 11 AM - 3 PM. Well, at least I can send my hubby and kiddos.

When was the last time you couldn't be in three places at once?

365 Days With Kiddos - #35 - Sculpt with Play Dough

As some of you know, because I have shared the recipe here, we make a lot of homemade play dough. We play with it, and we share it as gifts. When there is play dough on hand, there is fun for all ages. Try it sometime, just put a colourful pile of it out on the table. I guarantee that adults and kids will not be able to keep their hands off of it...

The other day, we made play dough babies. I wanted to share them here because they are so simple yet my daughter loved them so much! There is really no trick to it. Roll a ball for the head, add or poke holes for eyes, nose, and mouth, roll our a circle, poke some decorative holes along the edges of the circle with a chopstick, wrap it around the baby head, securing by pushing the two sides together, and finish with a bow or other embellishment. Your kids can play with them as is, or dry them for a several days, and keep them as play figures. The colour of the play dough does tend to fade when it is dried (making the wee babes a bit mummy-like), but the kids can always paint them in bright colours once they have dried completely.

What do you and your kids like to sculpt with play dough?

National Aboriginal Day at the Banff Centre- June 21st, 2011

Yesterday, I facilitated a mask making workshop at the Banff Centre, as part of an event they were hosting for National Aboriginal Day. Prior to story telling by award-winning writer Richard Van Camp of the Dogrib Nation in the Northwest Territories, people of all ages made masks. While adult mostly chose the masks with an aboriginal theme, the kids were most drawn to the butterfly and moth templates. I made sure everyone had what they needed and helped where I could but they just dove in and created with abandon. The time flew by and fun was had by all. My only regret was that I could not stay for the story telling as I had to teach at an evening event...

So many choices...

This one reminds me of a super hero...

Before...

After... My favourite adult mask.

These sequins and this glitter all belonged to ONE little girl...

This one was my favourite kid's mask.

What a lovely, colourful, afternoon...

365 Days With Kiddos - #4 - Your Child's Art - Stage a Home Art Show

As an artist, I have had my work in many exhibitions. I enjoy getting ready for these shows by creating, framing, and hanging the work, then inviting people to come and view it. You and your child can do the same with their creations. Gather them together, select the ones you each like the best, hang them on the wall using tape or wall tack or frame and hang them. You can use frames you have around the house or you can go on an outing to find some at yard sales and thrift stores. You can hang the works in a straight line at eye level or make a collage wall by putting the pieces on varying levels. If you would like to title each work, you can make a title card out of scrap paper, or you can even cut up a piece of art that isn't going to be in the show. Using a black marker or crayon, you or your child can write the title of the piece on the card, then hang them on the wall next to each work of art. Then, have your kids make invitations to invite friends and family to come to their show. They can use some of their artwork for the invitations as seen in this post. If you would like to serve refreshments at your child's show you can try this homemade lemonade and strawberry skewers with honey yogurt dip. Or you can support your local bakery by picking up something fresh and tasty. The show doesn't have to be large nor the food fancy. The point is to highlight the recent efforts of your little artist, with a few friends or family members, in a way that shows your child how important and valued they and their creations are.

If you don't want to hold a small art show at your home you can look for opportunities in your community for your child to share their creations. Our local library holds an annual child's art show that is open to all children. There are always many participants from ages 2 - 12 years. The works runs the gamut from painting and drawing to photography and collage to mixed media and assemblage and is very impressive. They have an "opening" for the kids, complete with live music performed by kids, and food and drinks contributed by the artists and their families. The Library Art Show is something my daughter looks forward to every year. She feels like a star and it is fun for us to find her work on the wall, as well as that made by her friends, at the opening. After the big night, the work hangs in the library for one month where the community can view it. I can't say enough about how special it is for the kids to have their art showcased in a authentic and grown up way. These sorts of events help to support and to ensure a future for our budding artists.

365 Days With Kiddos - #3 - Your Child's Art - Documentation & Storage

Are you looking for ideas for showcasing your child's artwork that doesn't involve hanging it on the fridge? Do you have so many of your child's art projects hanging around that you need to find a better way to store them? Is your child like my daughter, who can't bear to part with anything she made? Here are some ideas...

* Hang your child's art work on your walls. You can frame it or just use wall tack so you can change it from time to time.
* Put a cheery painting on your front door to greet your visitors and yourself. I blog about how-to in this post.
* Roll up flat art and store in a mailing tube.
* One of my favorite ways to document the art that my daughter makes, especially the 3-D items, is to photograph them. She also gets in on the action using her toy digicam. Then, we can show the creations to others and include them in photo albums. Since we begun doing this she has an easier time parting with the work we can't keep.

Do any of your have information to share on how you store your child's art? Please leave me a comment...

365 Days With Kiddos - #2 - Your Child's Drawings and Paintings - An Awesome Birthday Card/Wall Hanging Project

Yesterday, I started my 365 Days With Kiddos posts with a post on repurposing your child's artwork into cards, stationary, and envelopes. Today, I want to share a project with you that my friend, Dominique and her kids made for my daughter's 4th birthday. On very stiff paper, I would suggest a 300 lb watercolor paper, Dom had her kids paint with watercolors. Once it was dry, she cut the first initial of Quin's name out of the paper (Quin's "Q" is 13" x 17"). She then used the left over parts from the painting to cut out Quin's age, the first initials of her kids' names and the words "happy" and "love", which they then glued onto the front of the "card". So simple and so pretty! This was my absolute favorite thing that Quin received at her birthday party. It is on her bedroom door so we can look at it several times a day. Thanks for the awesome idea, Dominique and your wonderful kiddos!

365 Days With Kiddos - #1 - Your Child's Drawings and Paintings - Repurposing Them Into Cards, Stationary, & Envelopes

Happy Labour Day! It seems like a good day to start my 365 posts. Each post is an idea from our home to yours on ways you and your children can live a more creative life each day. These are all ideas we have used or regularly use in our home. Some are simple and require just a few minutes and some are more complex, requiring an afternoon or weekend. Most do not require purchasing special items but instead focus on activities that are little or no cost, often recycling or repurposing (upcycling) items you already have or can find at thrift stores and yard sales. I don't know which one is the best one to start with so I am just going to dive right in... To enrich each post with ideas and inspiration, please feel free to add your comments, links, and ideas.

Most children produce a plethora of drawings, paintings, and other 2-D visual art pieces. Home, school, and daycare, are just a few of the many places our kids make art, and our homes become filled with these amazing creations. Over the next few days I will give you my ideas on ways to view, store, and repurpose these works of art.

The simplest way to repurpose your child's art work is to make cards, stationary, and envelopes out of them. We keep a stack of Quin's art just for this purpose. When it is time to give a birthday card, to send a thank you card, or to write to my grandmother, we go to the pile and select a drawing or painting. For stationary we cut the painting or drawing down to a managable size and then cut out sheets using our rotary cutter (since I am unable to draw and cut a straight line to save my life!). If you prefer, you can always trace a template piece of stationary or use a straight edge to mark off the larger sheet to the smaller size you want, then cut it all out with a scissor. For cards, we cut out the part of the painting we want to be on the card, then fold. Voila! I often use stray envelopes that I have from old card and stationary sets, but we also make envelopes that match the cards. A great place for envelope templates is Mirkwood Designs. The templates are free to use and there are so many of them that just browsing is sure to inspire you to try other projects. Ruthann, of Mirkwood Designs, also has a blog. Friends and family will be happy to receive a personal card from your child. Have fun!

Fish Collage for Kids and a Book Series Recommendation

As many of you know, I occasionally teach art and craft classes for kids at the Banff Public Library. My most recent class taught kids aged 6 - 10 about collage. While I normally create my own projects I decided to use an idea from a wonderful series of books from Kids Can Press. 123 I Can Collage by Irene Luxbacher, is just one in a series of art making books which also included 123 I Can Draw and 123 I Can Make Prints. These books are wonderful for teaching groups of children or your own children about making art. The projects are well explained in step by step photographs. They are colorful, fun, and adaptable. The fish collage I chose to make with the kids was by far my favorite in the collage book. I am drawn to circles and here the circles mimic fish scales.

Quin & her collage

Collage Fish by Tiffany Teske

My four year old daughter and I each made our own fish so I could bring a demo to the class. I was impressed by our results. I keep all of my paper scraps and I was able to use all recycled materials for this craft. It is a nice project for using up scrapbooking paper, old greeting cards, magazine pages, and more. I brought the punched circles to the class, but had the kids glue their paper onto matboard (you can just use poster board), draw and cut the head, tails, and fins, arrange all their circles, and rip paper for the water.

Isn't amazing how you can give a group of kids the same materials and they can all create very different works of art? Check your local library for these books and create some art with a child close to you.