Pepper Paints

Valentine’s Crafts

We went to a Valentine’s Day party today with some other homeschoolers and I was so impressed with all the craftiness!!

I  mustache you to be my Valentine!!!

Hearts!

Oragami hearts

Fortune cookie Valentines—cut out a felt circle, glue a pipe cleaner down the center, insert fortune and fold up and sqeeze into fourtune cookie shape! Genius!!

Look how cute these pins are!!!!

Molly made these. Hershey kisses, cellophane, flower petals, floral wire and tape. So cute!!

I LOVE these!!!! We used a die cut machine to cut the word love out of cardboard and then wrapped it in yarn. I first saw these here. We also used pipe cleaners to make the word LOVE and then wrapped those in yarn also.

Aren’t these so cute???? You still have a few days to get your Valentine craft on! Hope something here inspires you!

Van Gogh and Oil Pastels

I started off this activity with a practice version so kids could see the importance of drawing and placement of the art. I made a simple picture of a pumpkin. It was like a puzzle.

This may be one of my favorite group projects so far! For the real activity– I took a poster of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and cut it up into 12 pieces. Each student received a piece of the art work along with a blank piece of paper cut to the same size. I numbered the back of the poster and the corresponding papers along with an arrow pointing to the top.

We used oil pastels to fill our papers. Trying to copy what was on our piece of art work.

After everyone was finished we put both the original art work as well as the students art work back together.

I love it! I am planning on pasting the pieces on to a black matte board to hang up at The Rec Center.

I got the idea from TEACH KIDS ART —thanks!!

Painting Like Dale Chihuly

Unschooling Co Op is back in session so that means I will have something to post other than updates on our remodel! We talked about the paintings of Dale Chihuly for our first class.

Chihuly is well know for his glass works but his paintings and his painting style is also impressive. Here is a link to a few google images of his paintings

http://www.google.com/search?q=chihuly+paintings&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Xlq&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=QuZxTuPUCKffsQKKvOXICQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBMQ_AUoAQ&biw=1035&bih=465

To mimic Chihuly’s style of painting we layered paint on to canvas through several steps. We used sheets from a canvas pad. Be sure to paint on the correct side so the edges don’t roll. We used acrylic paint.

The first layer of paint when on with a brayer

The second layer went on with a broom-allowing the first layer to show through

Next layer was splatter painting

And then we used “puffy paint” for the final layer  DIY puffy paint recipe here

Each one ended up so different and the kids really enjoyed applying each different layer. I did choose specific colors for each layer so that the darker colors went on first and and then in small amounts last, hoping to keep the layers visually separate.

This collage is made up of all the kids paintings

I can see why Chihuly is also well known for his splatter painted shoes after this class!! I loved both the process as well as the product of this project!

2 Thumbs Up For Home Demolition Project

Just a quick update on our home improvement project. We have been busy cleaning up and taking up the rest of the garage foundation and the rest of our 10 inch thick concrete patio that has a brick patio underneath it.  The permits should be back any day and our “list of things to do so the builder can get started” has just taken priority over everything else.

One of the things I have been excited about is the possibility of finding treasures when we dug up the yard for the foundation. I have been told our house once held the original farm house for this area. Most of the existing house was built in the 4o’s so there could be old stuff as well as newer “trash.” I have found some broken dishes and marbles out back.

Over the weekend my husband found our first treasure! An Oneida lmtd Silversmiths  Triple cocktail or olive fork.

I think it is railway or cruise ship flatware. I can’t wait to see what we dig up next!!

Here is the video of our garage demo–in case the photos weren’t enough for you! You can view it in live action. I’m pretty sure Siskel and Ebert would give it 2 thumbs up!

The Seven Year Itch

I have always dreamed of putting an addition on our house. All the little things I loved about this house to make us buy it–I eventually came to hate. The chopped up rooms and tiny door ways, nooks and crannies. If you know me in real life, you know that my husband and I have talked about “the addition” for years-to the point where I am  sure our friends and family were sick of hearing it. We mention it almost every night at dinner when four of us eat around our table shoved against the wall and the fifth person sits alone at a different small table. And when we have extra dinner guests–which is more often than not—there is nowhere to sit. People always tend to gather in the kitchen-but if you are in my kitchen there is no doubt that you are just in the way. For years we have put off fixing things because of “the addition.” ” We are just going to remodel anyways”

Over the last few months we have met with our architect many times until the drawings were just what we wanted. We met with our builder several times so he knows just what we want. And….Well…. after seven and 11/12 years in our house finally “the addition” is underway!!!

We have the most awesome labor! First Jake dug part of the 50 foot trench where the bobcat won’t be able to fit so that we can bury our electrical lines. Did you hear him mention that our soil is mostly clay and full of tree roots.

Next thing on the list was taking our stone patio wall down. This involved swinging a sledge hammer and and busting stuff up. A boys dream!!

The girls helped with the relocation of all of the rocks (so we can re use them). This was not a parent approved part of the process. I looked out the kitchen window to see  them filling up a cart with the rocks, attaching it to the back of my car with a chain and Molly (who was more than happy to help!!) driving my car into the back yard with Jake making sure the cart didn’t ram my car.  My 12 year old driving around my back yard made me a little nervous I must add!

Early Sunday morning to my neighbors dismay the jack hammer arrived.

Actually my neighbors didn’t care at all (not yet anyways!). Word spread that we had a jack hammer and teens and men needed to try their hands at  the ultra, manly power tool. They got to play and we got a little help-win -win!

Four to six inches of concrete is hard to bust up and heavy to move! Here is a flat on the trailer. But have no fear—more manly toys and tools!

This is just the start of the demo that we are doing before the real project starts. Which is scheduled to happen in just a few weeks. I am way overwhelmed with all of a sudden the need to pick out windows and siding and get everything out of the garage and order the dumpster……One would think in the almost 8 years that I have been thinking about this I would know what I want.  So many choices! That I will have to live with forever! Doh! No pressure there!

I will update frequently on the progress so stay tuned! If you have remodeled or put an addition on your house and have any need to know advice-please pass it on!

Subtractive Sculpture in Plaster of Paris

Have you ever tried to make something out of a block of plaster of paris? Carve and chip away to make an abstract or realistic piece of art? It’s hard. I have a new appreciation for sculptures who do this type of subtractive art work. The kids in my classes along with myself all agreed that additive sculptures where much easier!

Over the weekend my very nice, helpful and generous husband mixed up several buckets of plaster of paris and poured it into empty milk cartons. We let these dry or “cure” for a couple of days.

Most of the instructions I found for this included adding vermiculite to the plaster of paris to make the carving process easier but because of the health concerns over breathing in the vermiculite we decided to leave it out. You can also add sand or dirt but I was already way over budget and could not purchase another thing so straight plaster of paris it was.

I brought lots of different tools to class and we were lucky the weather allowed us to do this messy-dusty project outside. We looked at works of art of Barbara Hepworth, George Segal, Jean Arp and The Nana’s. We talked about abstract art vs realistic sculptures.

And then we got to work:

Hammers and mallets were pounding, flat head screw drivers were poking and lots of plaster was flying around. The kids really enjoyed this physical process but were definitely challenged by the material.

Once kids were happy with there work they sanded their sculpture and used tempra cakes to paint their pieces. The paint dried almost immediately on most pieces.

And I love the consideration of all sides and angles on this piece!

This was the final week of this session of our unschooler’s co op. I absolutely loved leading these classes. I learned so much along with the kids. Looking forward to doing it again!

My Art

This is a piece I have showing at The Upper Arlington Concourse Gallery. The LABORING show includes excellent pieces of art by fellow women in our group of Mother Artists at Work.  The show opening is Friday April 29 from 2 to 5 pm. There will be a screening of WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS? at 2:45 followed by a round table discussion. If you are a woman, a mother an artist you need to see this movie. If you can’t make it to the opening, the show will run through May 20. Our best work so far!!

Color Project 1