Ahhh, finally we are all  feeling better. We are going to have another week of beautiful, sunny weather and my house is clean. Life is good!! That glorious orange ball in the sky makes all the difference around here. Our winters really are filled with gray here in Central Ohio so every time the sun peeks out we tend to run out and bask in it. Trying to pocket as much as we can to get us through until Spring!

I was lucky enough to attend two gatherings of women artists this weekend. They helped me to re-visit some goals I have– which is really to get my camera out of the bag for more than just photos of my kids. I so often see things that I would love to photograph….but if my camera is at home in the bag…well, than it’s at home in the bag.

Ooooop kids are up and calling………….

The Unplugged Theme of OCEAN this week comes at a perfect time. In about a month we will be spending some time at the ocean. We have been reading  ocean books and learning all we can about the sea.  I love the art work in so many children’s books. Two artists I really like are Leo Lionni and Eric Carle. THE ART OF ERIC CARLE and the book ARTIST TO ARTIST 23 major illustrators talk to children about their art, are excellent books that talk about and/or show the artists at work.

Another  book we read was SWIMMY by Leo Lionni. We looked closely at the pictures and tried to figure out how Lionni made them. Then tried out some of our ideas in our own ocean pictures.

Looks like doilies!

Molly also used bubble wrap and “paintbrush hair” to add some texture to her work. She also made a fish stencil so that all of her fish would look alike.

Inevitably the painting turned into to finger paint and 5 year olds have their own ideas. Ginger started her painting by cutting out a red fish shape, gluing it down and calling it “swimmy.” The next time I looked their were sunshines and and words and hearts in her ocean. Taking a deep breath I had to remember it’s the process not the product that’s important!!

This was the first time we used acrylic paints. Molly really liked the coverage and control she felt with these as well as the clean finish.

Picture books are a great jumping off point for so many activities. I have a few other ideas to share soon.

I have been wanting to get a tattoo for a long time. I researched it,( cause I’m like that), I looked at books, on-line, and polled friends with tattoos. I looked up every tattoo shop in the area and looked through many tattoo artists portfolios. I finally found both an idea for my tattoo and an artist whose style I really liked. Her work reminded me of Sunny Buick, whose work I love!

I brought my rough idea into Thrill Vulture Tattoo and Naomi worked on a drawing and finally came up with the perfect tattoo for me! So yesterday was finally the big day. I was a little sick to my stomach but had no second thoughts. I was more worried about the pain.Mostly because I didn’t know what to expect.

But once Naomi got started it really didn’t hurt much at all.

Especially once the outline was finished! There were a few tender spots near my wrist, but for the most part it was just sort of an  annoying feeling. Then it was on to the color.

It took about 2 hours to finish.

Isn’t she pretty??!!!

She is my offering, my ode to death. She is part of my mid life crisis. And she needs a name! Molly thinks it should be Loco, Moco Madness or Mary Lou. Hmmm. I’ll have to think about that!

This is a super easy recipe for uncooked finger paint you can make at home.

1/2 cup powder tempra paint—check your local teacher or art supply store.( If you are in the Columbus area check out Star Beacon.)

2 Tablespoons liquid starch

1 teaspoon liquid dish detergent —oops I am pretty sure I used 1 Tablespoon!

water to thin out the paint

Mix it all up and thin it out with water to your desired consistancy. You will want it to be a little bit thick.

Shiny  or coated paper holds up best to finger paint. Freezer paper works well too.

It always starts off softly, clean hands, clean paper. But that doesn’t last very long!

Finger painting is so much about the process and not the product!! Usually the finished product of finger painting is ripped paper full of brown, muddied paints. So I was pleasantly surprised by some of Molly’s paintings. Learning when to stop, when enough is enough. The sign of a true artist!

This weeks unplugged theme is HAPPY. I usually ask the kids for ideas on the theme and this week each of the girls had their own ideas.

Ginger wanted to eat smiley oranges.

Molly wanted to make happy faces outside.  We looked through some  Andy Goldworthy books, (Awesome environmental artist), to get some ideas.

Then we hunted and gathered.

And finally created!

Being able to spend time outside certainly makes me happy!

I did it-I made the switch. What a crazy nostalgic feeling came over me when I looked at my photos. Most of the photos I took and developed in both high school and college were black and white. I forgot how much I love the look, the contrast the whole feel of black and white. Here are a few of my favorites from yesterday.

The last two I messed with the color-post production, my camera was still set on monochrome. I posted these on the Flare Friday group I belong to also. (I couldn’t wait until Friday!!)

I love this challenge, I am so glad I joined. It is just the artistic boost I needed.

Now for the announcement! If you are a regular reader, you know that I regularly post recipes on Thursdays. I call them Thursdays Quarter Recipes because I used to go out for quarter beers on Thursday nights. It was the highlight of the week and the beginning of the weekend. Now that I am a responsible adult and I don’t partake in those Thursday night rituals any longer, I decided to kick off the weekend with some tasty food instead. But I am tired of drinking alone! I want to host a Quarter Recipe Party every Thursday and everyone is invited!! WooHoo!

I will post a weekly food theme. You can share a recipe, a tip, a link-what ever you see as fitting in with the weeks theme. It doesn’t matter if your a vegetarian, fruitatarian, raw foodist or a meat lover. You can add your name to the Mr Linky that will be installed on my blog on Thursdays and link to PepperPaints Thursday Quarter Recipe page from your blog. Don’t worry it will be easy! So start thinking about what you will post and share on Thursday for this-election- weeks Thursday Quarter Recipe theme

ALL AMERICAN

I hope lots of you will join in!

Yes you read that right, Pumpkin Pie Popsicles!  And believe it or not, they are really good!

I cooked 2 small butternut squash (in the oven, but you could boil them too).  I scooped out the squash and added 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, 2/3 cup light cream (I used 1/2 & 1/2) and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.  Smash it all up really well and scoop into Popsicle molds.  I swear these are da bomb!!  This great recipe also came from this months Family Fun Magazine.

Tonight I met with my Mother Artist Group to see the movie, Who Does She Think She Is? Excellent documentary about Women/Mother artists.  It is a powerful statement of how society has and still does view women artists and how these women struggle to be a wife and mother and still answer the overpowering need to create.  Check out their site and find the screening near you.  And go see it!

And look what I came home to!