Inspiring Ideas

SIGN UP NOW for Spring Break Art Workshop for Creative Kids

2012-02-12T11:38:00.001-08:00

UPCOMING CLASSES

A workshop for creative kids
who love to paint, or want to learn how

Painting in Abstract

We will:
• Paint in a beautiful art studio.• Consider how abstract artists combine line, shape, texture, design and vibrant color to bring their work to life.
• Discover how we can put these elements together to create works of art that are as much fun to makes as they are to look at.
WHERE: Multnomah Art Center
7688 SW Capitol Hway, Portland, OR 97219

WHEN: TuesdayMarch 27 and Thursday March 29, 9:30 am - noon

COST: $59 (includes all materials)

To Register or for more information, please, Email tobi@synergenii.com

Space is limited so please sign upearly

In Layers

2012-02-10T15:32:00.000-08:00

Float

I started this by using a compass to draw a pattern of circles. Then I drew the weaving lines over the circles.

My idea was to use color to identify each circle, cool colors for the circle shapes, warms for the background. I combined medium and fine point sharpie to draw all the lines.

Then I layered more lines to define each circle, and then used thin layers of intense pencil to create the overlapping weave of background color, and added another layer of lines to define the over lapping areas. Then a little more color.

This does not translate well on the screen, but the image on 11x14 drawing paper creates a strong impression of depth.

2012-02-06T19:10:00.002-08:00

Playing Games

I am still fascinated by drawing lines to create shapes. I love the way I can build layer upon layer of color while defining some shapes and creating new ones at the same time. I never know what to expect ... but each drawing in this series has felt like a meditation - just doing it and waiting for the final work to reveal itself.

This one is based on a tic tac toe board (really) - and was actually drawn in blues and greens, marker pens and inktense pencil on watercolor paper.

However, the photo image that allows me to bring it into my computer and this blog simply fails to capture the delicate lines and colors. So, I started to play with it to see it I could make it work. Who knew that a reverse tweak in Photoshop could result in such vibrant colors, making this a really a mixed media work.

Playing Some More

2012-01-30T19:45:00.004-08:00

Woven/Warm

I am on a roll, playing with shapes and lines and color, and continuing to explore abstraction. Each of the pictures I have done in this series is based on a different line shape.

Like the others, this drawing combines markers and watercolor pencils on watercolor paper. My eyes hurt from drawing all the lines, but this is fun ...

Playing

2012-01-29T15:14:00.000-08:00

City Life

I am preparing a new class for a new, and older audience, so I have been considering ways to offer my students some accessible and fun projects that will encourage them to want to play with art, and make it a regular and enjoyable part of their lives.

In my own studio, I am still struggling to create strong abstract images with acrylics. To help, and to free my creative juices, I am currently working through some of the exercises in a book, Painting Abstracts, by Rolina a Van Vliet. I have found the most success by following her suggestions for using lines to create interesting and dynamic compositions. She also has ideas for using different media to create with - and basically, if she mentions it, I have it somewhere in my collection of art supplies - my favorite toys.

So, this week's work has turned out to be a productive one. I played with some new techniques, tried out some new color pencils, and developed several project ideas that I think will please my new class. All this while having a fun and relaxing time being creative.

Next in Line(s)

The top image, (10x12 on heavy watercolor paper) combines marker with water color pencil and water to get a variety of textures.

The bottom is the same size, but done in a combination of color markers and color pencils. I especially enjoyed using lines to create shapes and motion, and then building color in cross hatches and overlays. Fun ...

A Break from the Ordinary

2012-01-26T11:20:00.001-08:00

Goldfish

Lately I have been struggling with paint and canvas. Nothing I have tried is working to my satisfaction. My growing need for detail and depth is limited by my ability to make it appear on the canvas. Its a good thing I have lots more painting classes in my near future.

Today, as I was searching for a photo in my VAST collection, I came across a favorite, a mass of goldfish in a pond, from a trip to Hawaii. This was a perfect starting point for a digital painting. I wanted to abstract the intense details of fish eyes, mouths and frenzy, and add the cool blue watery beauty that thoughts of Hawaii bring to mind.

Once again, gotta love what I can do with Photoshop. Creating this digital painting was a mini-vacation from the work of painting on canvas. I feel refreshed now, creative and ready to keep learning.

Through a Glass

2012-01-16T12:02:00.002-08:00

Through a Glass

I am having a great time playing with the creation of backgrounds. This one started with a layer of prussian blue, thalo green and white paints - smooshed into the canvas without a pattern - just a layer of changing color. Then, I applied a pattern of lines with painters tape, sprayed a light layer of gold paint and rubbed it into the surface. I love the indoor outdoor feeling of looking into the sun that appeared. Next, I used charcoal to drawn the curving lines and began to add paint in the same colors I used in the underpainting, with the addition of yellow ochre. I love the opacity of that paint.

Once the paint was in place, I retraced the lines in black oil pastel.

This is acrylic on canvas 16"x20".

Building to a Conclusion

2012-01-08T17:10:00.000-08:00

I have worked on this same canvas four times - building layers of paint and color without arriving at a satisfactory result, until today when inspiration struck (in the bathtub).

I am currently intrigued with understanding how to develop texture and interest under the layer of paint that shows. As I study the abstract images I find most successful, I am becoming more aware of all that appears to be going on under the surface. So, I thought I would use this much painted canvas to create a color field painting. I applied a surface pattern with tape, and just for the heck of it, added a thin layer of gold paint to the existing (now under) painting. There was already lots of texture in the paint, and I thought it would work through. I chose a limited palette of blue, turquoise, yellow ocher and white.

I used my new fat brush to lay thick paint in the taped areas, mixing on the surface of the canvas, dried with a hair dryer, untaped, retaped the areas that I wanted to work on next, and repeated the process. I added a touch more gold, and thickened some texture. If you look closely, you can see lines and swirls, darks and light subtlely through the stripes. Finally, I think this canvas is done ... at least until the next inspiration strikes.

Exploring Variations: Finding Ideas

2012-01-03T16:09:00.006-08:00

Evening in the City

In the last post, the image, Koi, was painted with a deliberate plan. The painting is for my son and his wife. He asked for something that somehow "went with" a beautiful Japanese image of a large orange Koi fish. It was easy to find my inspiration for this piece - colors, layout and size were all "givens."

This painting, though clearly related to the last in style and composition, began with no plan except a desire to play around with a pallette knife. I am currently reading and working through Painting Abstracts, by Rolina Van Vliet, considering the images, techniques and approaches. As a result of what I am learning in the book, I knew I wanted to combine larger areas with smaller ones - but had no vision of where I was going (I hate that.) I started by using the palette knife to lay down a multicolor layer, experimenting with textures, and combining light and dark,colors. Ugly - but an interesting background.

I am still enthralled by the abstract trees I've been painting; I love the outlines and individually defined shapes. Oh, and also, I have a great fat new brush that holds lots of paint and creates wonderful texture. So, using the new brush, and laying colors directly from the tube, I began to paint a pattern of squares. Soon the trees appeared, (good, I thought that was to be the plan) and then they went away. A city scene appeared ... at least to me.

I so often struggle with knowing what to paint, especially when I am on my own and not in a class. But today's project, in which I did not stop when I hated the results, and just kept on messing around to see what would appear, is a success.

Not because it is beautiful (is it? I can't tell yet, but I know it gives me that good feeling) but because I allowed it take its own shape and I learned in the process. This is the reason I believe it is important to work regularly, and as often as possible, and to work with no particular outcome in mind. I find it so much more difficult now that I am working in the abstract mode - because in my more realistic working past, I always could find a photo to guide me. This is different - a photo can contain some of what I want to appear - but a lot is now needing to be drawn from imagination and abstraction.

What do you think? What is the best way to build skills? What inspires you to just jump in and paint? How do you handle "artist's block?"

Goals for the New Year

2011-12-30T16:34:00.004-08:00

Koi (for C and H) Acrylic on canvas 18"x24"

New Years Resolutions are a good idea. According to the book I am reading for book group, The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin, resolutions not only increase your productivity or decrease your thighs, setting and keeping resolutions can make you happier. I would be happy to be happier all the time. One way I can see that I would be happier - is if I were a better painter.

So my resolution for this year - to constantly learn how to paint.

I have a strong start on this goal - beginning last summer when I picked up a paint brush to experiment with tempera paint I got at a garage sale. At the same garage sale, I bought, for a dime, the Watercolor Lesson-a-Day Calendar. These are tiny sketches to be painted and colored, of 365 paintings by dozens of artists and styles. I really enjoy looking at these images, and found myself sorting them into types - with consideration for how each was painted. I was looking for simple images, and ideas for paintings I, with my limited skills and ability, and especially, my young students, could try to paint.

I have written before about how I stumbled into abstract art in by seeking ways to teach, and by seeing with new eyes, the works of Klee and Kandinsky, Matisse and Miro. Since summer, as I have been combining learning to use acrylic paint with my study of abstract art, I have learned a great deal. Not the least of which is how much I need to know to become a better painter (as defined by my own criteria).

To accomplish this, my primary goals for the moment, until I discover what I need to know next, is to learn and improve technique -the How-to's

how to create texture with paint
how to create better brush strokes
to use paint like pastels - blend on the surface
use a palette knife
create 'impressions' with paint
learn to abstract
learn to be more impressionistic, trees, flowers, simple shapes to create impression
... abstract impressionism, expressionism

Based on my experience and the process of learning to paint, I know I am doing some things right. I am taking classes in Dynamic Abstract painting at PCC. I have befriended a helpful salesman at Aaron Brothers, where I buy my (steady stream of) art supplies. He is always willing to share a book recommendation or a bit of advice on paint, pigment, tools and materials. And, he figures out how to make the most of my coupons.

Another great resource has turned out to be the internet (what a surprise!). I have learned so much, and gotten so many cool ideas from videos that artists and teachers post of themselves painting and teaching on YouTube. And course, there are books. Amazon is richer for my growing collection.

The greatest teacher in this process has been practice. I feel as if I am learning to cook - trying new ingredients and recipes every day. I have filled canvases and sketch pads and pastel sheets with color and images. I have generated quite a bit of work - even some that I am proud of. I can not express how much I gained from the Art Everyday for a Month challenge. As a result of making art often - with no goal except learning from the process, I can see progress, change, confidence and pleasure in what I am doing - so, I want to keep doing it.

Therefore, I have saved my last two resolutions/goals for last ...

I believe that for me to meet my goals, I need to to paint or draw or work digitally - at least 4 times a week, to build my skills, and expand my creative arena. To really be happy doing this, I need external motivation - I need to connect with other artists and teachers, anyone with the desire to learn to make art, or to share what they know. So, I want to:

to teach my own classes, based on my own ideas, and
become part of a painting group - for a regular opportunity to meet, work, critique, share and learn with a group with common goals.

And one more thing, I also want to learn how to market art ... but first I want to make more of it ...

What are your goals as an artist? How will you meet them? Any ideas for me?

Happy New Year.

Pieces of the Whole

2011-12-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

Though I miss the dailiness of doing a painting a day, it has been nice to have some time to work on something larger. I've also had the time to explore a new book (which I will write about soon), and continue with my PCC class.

With everything I learn, I realize more and more clearly, that I am drawn to playing with color, discovering how they interact with each other, and how the combinations can create moods and atmosphere.

This image is a piece of a larger painting - part of a series I began as A for Abstract. Each time I revisit this theme, I discover new ideas, new palettes, new techniques and new questions about how to bring these paintings to life. I have noticed that there are at least several small lovely areas - each of which might be smaller abstract paintings on its own. I tweaked this in Photoshop to darken the scene ... just for the fun of it.

Dd is for Day 30 and Done (at least for now)

2011-11-30T09:12:00.000-08:00

We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves

over and let the beautiful stuff out.

~ Ray Bradbury

This year's challenge is drawing to a close - and I am experiencing a collection of emotions; relief, sadness, exhilaration and satisfaction for the chance to focus on a daily creation. Everyday brought the question of what to do - but it got easier over the days, and less scary to put something out there.

Today, I reviewed the last 29 pieces I have posted, and I am slightly awed by what I have done - by the variety of techniques and styles I used, and by the fact that, even on my busiest days, I followed through on my commitment to do this. If I were an athlete, I would say that I feel that my muscles are stronger and more limber for all this practice.

Of course, so much of the inspiration to keep at this, has come from the ideas, comments and support I have received from friends, and from other participants. There are so many talented people working out there - doing so many interesting things; I want to try them all. And, I want to thank all of you who visited the blog and shared your thoughts. I have learned SO much - and I have enjoyed every moment of this month.

As I said at the beginning, my goal for this month has been to develop my ability to work abstractly. Today's post - the grand 2011 finale, is an abstract painting, acrylics on canvas, completely from my imagination, though related in theme and style to another, smaller work I created a month ago (see A is for Abstract). It is the largest I have ever attempted - 36"x24" - and it was pure pleasure to paint. I can't wait to start on another.

Cc is for Colorful Characters

2011-11-29T09:16:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite ways to relax is to doodle images from a single line and see what appears. More often than not, my doodles turn into abstract people, and sometimes, faces. One of the challenge blogs I have been following describes these drawings as "one-liners" - a perfect description.

I use this method of doodling as a way to warm up - and then I like to color whatever appears - this is my idea of relaxation. I drew and colored this lady with markers - and then decided to spiff her up a little with Photoshop. My skills with this program have grown over the course of this challenge - I have learned to create many effects with ease. As usual, what I like best about this image is the color ... its always the color for me ... but so many lovely colors appeared I could not choose my favorite - so I am posting two. Which do you like best? Why?

Bb is for Bright and Bold

2011-11-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

I have been trying for days to bring a mandala pattern that I drew into Photoshop so that I could work with it. The problems with this include (but are not limited to) capturing the image with my camera so that it is not warped, getting rid of the shadows on the page so that Photoshop does not see the darker areas as shapes, ensuring that the lines are dark enough to be read by Photoshop as complete lines, and that the shapes remain individual so they can be filled with color. Nothing really worked well enough - maybe I lack the skill to do it right.

So, when all else kept failing, I used Adobe Illustrator to create the basic template for this, and then brought it into Photoshop to color and work with effects. I probably could have done it all in Illustrator, but I am more familiar with Photoshop. I love the results, but more than that, I love the feeling of having figured out the solution to this problem.

Aa is for Abstract and Acrylics

2011-11-27T10:40:00.001-08:00

My teacher always reminds the class to look for the "one perfect square inch" in every work. I find this advice to be a great way to look at a piece that is not entirely successful, and yet see what is working.

Today's image is a part of a painting on canvas I have been playing with for weeks - still in progress.

One of the charms of acrylic paints is that they can be painted over, build upon and altered - the layers adding texture and depth. I like this section of the painting which has gone from an awkward seascape to a fractured landscape. I am trying to find the balance of abstraction and readability, and in this part, I can see some of what I am looking for begin to appear.

Z is for Zinnias

2011-11-26T10:02:00.002-08:00

YAY! I've made it through the alphabet, though not yet through the entire month. After 26 days I really feel like I am in a productive and creative zone, and glad to be meeting my own goal of creating and sharing something everyday for this month.

Today's work is based on a photograph of zinnias - it is done in Photoshop.

Once again, setting out to plan a painting, I have combined digital effects that result in an image that reads as a painting, and provides me with the guide I need to move to the canvas. However, once again, I feel like this stands alone as a work of art worth sharing.

I have always loved making computer art. I have decades of experience in graphic design using all kinds of computer art tools - CorelDraw 1 anybody? But I used to feel guilty about using my tools to create "fine art." Lately though, the more I experiment, the more images I create, the more my point of view shifts. I think art happens where and how it happens -

For me, using digital tools allows me to build my visual and my technical skills. They also enable me to accomplish another of my goals for this month - to understand how to abstract an image. As I play with Photoshop and Illustrator, I begin to see how to simplify, how textures and shapes combine to "read" as flowers, or seascapes or sunsets. Most of all, no matter where the working takes place, I am LEARNING everyday and with every piece.

How do you feel about painting in Photoshop or other digital tools? How do you use them in conjunction with your art?

Y is for Yellow

2011-11-25T12:55:00.002-08:00

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, complete with a torrential and windy Pacific storm that seemed to tear the leaves from the trees. This morning, the sun was shining, and our morning walk revealed that there were still some leaves on the trees - yellow ones. Those hearty maples are lending their golden glow to distract shoppers from Black Friday :-).

Today's image is a combination of two leaf photos, Photoshop manipulation, to do two things, bring out details and enhancement the gorgeous colors.

X is for Experimentation

2011-11-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

This painting started was in class last week - it began as an abstracted sunset on the ocean seen from within a room. The painting is warm. There was a table and a bowl of fruit in the room.

I love the colors, and I have been thinking about how to further abstract the abstract all week.

This afternoon I decided to sketch out my ideas in Photoshop. I played with the composition, with the colors and with shapes. Then applied different filters for different effects, This is my favorite among at least seven variations, all of which are interesting perspectives of the simple shapes that make up this image.

Happy Thanksgiving - I am thankful for the opportunity to experiment with ideas and tools today, to be creative today and every day, and to be able to share what I create with you.

W is for Wet

2011-11-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

What better way to weather a this watery Wednesday before Thanksgiving than by creating a "flow painting."

This type of painting is done by literally pouring watered acrylic paint over the canvas and letting it flow. The shapes are made by shifting and turning the canvas to flow of the paint. There is very little brush work - but a little pushing does help create some good flows. It is messy and fun.

As each layer is dried, another is flowed on top. I chose the most watery and transparent colors I could to create this effect and I poured a final layer over the entire piece to give it a watery glazed finish.

V is for Endless Variations

2011-11-22T10:43:00.001-08:00

The next class in the free mandala class series was posted yesterday, and inspired me to try the technique again. One of the key points of yesterday's lesson, made so clear when I look at the work posted on the site, is that mandalas, even those based on identical patterns, offer endless opportunities for variation - in color, in intensity, outline, feeling and emphasis. Once you begin to vary the geometry - the possibilities are infinite - and fun. For today's image, I laid out the design on heavy watercolor paper, and used high quality color pencils. Still, though I layered color on, there is not enough punch. I once again used Photoshop to tweak the image and add the green background.

Clearly, I have not yet found the combination of paper and color materials that will work to create the intensity I desire - but I will keep on trying - I am thinking about pens for the next variation - whatever I choose to try - I am sure it will be fun to discover what appears.

U is for Up

2011-11-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

The endless rain and drear is dragging me down - so it was time to look up - up at the sky on a lovely evening. This little pastel (4"x6") is part of series of little sky sketches drawn from my photos of sunsets on the beach - in different places and at different times. What they share in common is gorgeous light and uplifting colors.

T is for Tualatin

2011-11-20T16:38:00.002-08:00

Truth told, I was considering T for timeout today. Yesterday was a busy day, filled with painting, today too, but I have nothing complete to share, so instead I decided to share a painting I did in a class last year - a small pastel of the boat ramp on theTualatin River - a deeply familiar place.

This has always been one of my favorite pieces of work - I do not know how I drew it, it just seemed to appear. The good news is that, to me, and to lots of neighbors too, I have totally captured the look and the feel of our river.

S is for Symmettry

2011-11-19T08:43:00.001-08:00

My recent fascination with abstraction is definitely related to playing with simple designs to use for art project ideas for kids. Simple line patterns lend themselves beautifully to any number of creative pursuits - they are easy, and fun, and encourage kids to find familiar shapes and objects in the spaces. Making the designs symmetrical adds an entire dimension of complexity, interest and beauty.

Because I was so taken with the fun of making these symmetrical drawings, I created at least a dozen works - exploring shapes, colors, medium and most of all, the amazing and unexpected creatures that appeared in the piece.

Blog readers will know that I like to play with scribbles, and that I like to combine drawing, painting and digital techniques.

Today's image began as another in this series - but I did not like the paper I had drawn on - so I photographed it in the black and white drawing stage and began to play with it in Photoshop. The result is this double double symmetrical design - digitally painted.

R is for Red

2011-11-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Its a red red red red world out there - at least for now. Storms, wind and rain will probably tear down this incredible beauty by tomorrow, but today was a perfect opportunity to record the remarkably rosy abundance of leaves.

Meteorologists are blaming the incredible intensity of the leaf colors on our unusual summer and fall weather - whatever the reasons, the results are spectacular.

Of course, I can not simply take some photos and leave them alone. Last year, for the challenge I created another leaf design - using gold leaves. I wondered what would happen if I played with this red image -

This is the result (thanks Photoshop) and thanks Ronaele for the inspiration :-)

Q is for Questions

2011-11-17T09:33:00.004-08:00

In the style of Richard Diebenkorn

Is this good? What is wrong with this? How can I do this? Why doesn't this look right? Who can help me? Why is this so hard?

Artistic confidence is not always my strong suit. Sometimes, no matter what I do, the image I am working on fails to satisfy my toughest audience ... me.

Maybe the only thing I do not question on my creative quest is my own sense of what is beautiful to me. In my eyes, either it works or it doesn't. I trust my sense of esthetics, just not my ability to create it.

Sometimes, as I am working along I suddenly know - this is good. More often, far more often, I know I am off - but I am not sure why.

One of my teachers suggests that a good way to learn technique is to copy the work of masters. I have learned a great deal about working with pastels in this way - and the results are often pleasing, and always worth the effort.

Today, in preparation for my Saturday Dynamic Abstract Painting class, I decided to explore the work of the artist we are going to study - Richard Diebenkorn. As I scrolled through images of his work, I found this simple semi-abstract seascape. I decided to copy this and see what the artist was doing - how did he use such simple forms, and yet tell a clear story of time and place? How did his colors impact the affect?

Though the original is painted, I knew that pastels would work well for me. I started by drawing the shapes - and began to color. Something was off - the questions started up - why doesn't this work? What is wrong? Stepping back and staring at the work for awhile, an answer appeared - I had drawn the trees too large and they completely threw off the perspective and depth. Once I redrew them, the proportions fit. Then, of course I had a few more questions - how can I create the depth in the clouds? Are the colors right? Is it raining too hard to take this outside to spray? After awhile - it all worked out - at least for now.

It is good to know that sometimes, if I ask the right questions, the answer will come. So. my questions to you - and I would be grateful for answers posted below ... What questions do you ask yourself as you work? Where do you find answers? Who do you trust to help you? What is the hardest part of creating art? I look forward to learning more about you.

By the way, this is 18"x24" on Canson Mi Tiente paper. It felt so good to have my hands back in the messy pastels for a change.

P is for playing, peppers and Photoshop

2011-11-16T09:14:00.002-08:00

Today is Art Everyday Month, day 16!

I have had a busy day. I taught 18 kids in my Young Rembrandts class this afternoon and spent the morning prepping.

There was grocery shopping, dog walking and dinner prep in the mix too. By the time I am getting around to making my everyday art, I am out of ideas, and out of energy.

But, I am determined to do something everyday, so I opened Picasa and started scrolling through my pix seeking inspiration. Last summer I had a huge harvest of wild looking peppers - I took many pictures of them, and even drew some. One of my favorite photos swam into my vision. OK - P is for peppers.

The pepper in the photos are bright bright red and green and shiny - somehow the colors are not grabbing me tonight - but the wild curvy shapes are interesting. So, I opened the image in Photoshop and just started to play - there is lovely music playing in the background, and frankly, trying filters and effects on photos with Photoshop is my idea of relaxation. I think the results are relaxing too - and so different from the original image. They have gone from garden reality to undersea abstraction with just the clicks of a mouse.

Once again this brings me to the value of this challenge - I am amazing myself with the variety of approaches I have at my fingertips. I feel like I am stretching and building my art muscles each day. Today's image suggests an idea for a painting .... so, who knows what tomorrow will bring.

O is for Online Learning

2011-11-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

One of the many benefits of this Art Everyday for a Month Challenge has been the opportunity to spend time on other people's blogs - looking at their work, reading their posts, and sometimes, following through on their suggestions and recommendations.

Today's art is the result of a link I found on an AEDM blog (I am sorry I don't recall which) for a free online class "The Mandala Free Class, A class to introduce and teach you how to do great Mandalas from a simple template."

The class is taught by Guadalupe Brizuela Cabal.

I love mandalas, and I love to take classes, and I love to learn online. Most of all, I love something FREE. So, I clicked through, signed up, and waited until the class was scheduled to begin - this morning.

On the site, as promised was a terrific video, as well as a materials list, templates I could use, and a discussion group. Who could ask for more? I learned so much from watching the first lesson that I did not even need to use a template. I dug out my excellent compass, ruler and triangle and drew a very light square on a sheet of drawing paper and designed a mandala following the directions I had just watched.

Gualalupe suggests coloring with watercolor pencils. I have a fine, and underused set I bought in Paris, and though I love them, I do not think they gave enough visual punch. Since it is suggested that we post images of the mandalas we create to share in the class discussion, and anyway, since this was going to be posted here too, I took a digital pic and brought it into Photoshop where I really went to town trying out lots of effects to strengthen the image. These are the results.

There are several more lessons still to come online - and others are invited to log in and join the class, here is the link again

I recommend the class, and I believe that online learning is ideal for visual thinkers - so check it out, sign up, and if you create anything, post a link here too.

N is for Nice and Warm

2011-11-14T08:55:00.001-08:00

November weather is nasty more often than not. Its grey, its rainy. What could be more comforting that swirling great globs of sunshine colors across the canvas and basking in the warmth.

M is for Many Colors

2011-11-13T13:11:00.001-08:00

So, what did I learn in school yesterday?

I am privileged to be studying Dynamic Abstract Painting with Illa Guttman at PCC this term. I have repeatedly referred to something I have learned from her in this blog - but yesterday's class was particularly enthralling.

The subject was Color Field painting "with its emphasis on stain painting and visual gorgeousness."

In class, we explored the often HUGE works of Helen Frankenthaler and Mark Rothko, among others.

Often in museums, when standing in front of a work of art that looks like nothing more than a line on a field of color, I think, I could do that. This kind of work looks easy - but ... Ha ha ha ... not so fast.

Yesterday was a chance to try. I began by finding a photo (a sea scene) with vivid colors that laid out in lines.) On a canvas 2'x3', and following the guidance of my teacher, I laid down a strong underlayer of a dark violet. Then, using painters tape, I laid out a pattern of stripes and began to paint, changing, mixing and layering colors - and seeing the effects of the color that lay beneath.

I was lucky to have 4 hours to work - because I needed time for layers to dry, and to watch how one stripe of color affected the next (and to remove and replace tape.) In the end, the simple stripes were too flat for me so I added the other lines. I am not sure if this works, but I know that I learned a tremendous amount, and already have several ideas for ways to use what I have learned in some new work.

L is for the Love of Learning Something New

2011-11-11T13:30:00.002-08:00

I am learning to paint in acrylics. Actually, I am learning to paint. Learning something new is just about my favorite thing to do - and learning to paint is a challenge on many many levels.

The desire to learn to paint began just over two years ago when I took a class in pastels. After a significant birthday I felt the need to prepare myself for a new stage in my life - one in which I had more time to create, and more need for a way to occupy my time with something meaningful and pleasurable.

From that time on, I was hooked on the fascination of trying to capture color and light and images in pastel, and later, in pencils and markers. As I worked, and experienced both moments of elated success and dismal failure, I began to understand that each piece is a teacher. I often find myself staring at something and thinking - what did I learn? What did I do right? What would I do differently? How can I get better at this? Sometimes the answers are right in front of me, more often my growth requires outside assistance from articles, books, teachers, and my husband with his logical mind and eagle eye for details. But I have discovered one thing for sure - the answers and the progress and the learning lie in the doing.

So, now I am doing something new, something difficult, something exciting and frustrating. And I am learning - the list of what I am learning grows everyday. For example, I am learning about acrylic paints. The color names are a book in themselves. I read articles on the internet , look at the work of professional and amateur artists, and I take classes. But still, the real learning happens as I work, or rather, as I figure out HOW to work in this medium. I am discovering that some paints are opaque, others transparent. Not all the tubes provide this information - though some do. Some colors mix beautifully with others, some, not so much. I am learning about surfaces to paint on, the best size for a piece, how to choose and arrange my tools and my paints, how to keep the paint from drying out, how much paint I need, ... I could go on an on (and I will, but not right now.)

One the toughest things for me is to understand WHAT to paint, because the images that lend themselves beautifully to pastels and color pencils do not always work in paint (and vice versa.) Though I often have ideas, I lack the skill to make them work. So, one of the ways I am able to rehearse a painting is to depend on my digital tools for help. I layout designs, try different strokes and techniques, play with color and shadows, and by doing this begin to understand where the light is, how the colors work together, how to adjust the proportions to improve the composition, and so much more. And sometimes, the digital image that results in just beautiful in its own right. The image above is one I used to plan a painting called Harvest - which is still not ready for prime time - but I like this digital painting enough to share.

Now, I need to get ready for today's painting class. I can't wait to discover what I am about to learn.

K is for Klee

2011-11-10T10:09:00.001-08:00

"Paul Klee’s personal style spanned an astounding range, blending primitive art, Surrealism, Cubism, and children's art. Extremely inventive, Klee created imaginative works filled with wit and references to dreams, music, and poetry ..."

From the synchronicity department this morning, just as I was getting ready to post about one of my favorite artists, Paul Klee, the website Art.com decided to do the same. The quote about Klee is from the site, which includes this link to a full gallery of his images.

It was because I just love looking at his work, that I had a major inspiration this summer, one that has been 'coloring' all of my art since. It all started as a search for ideas for projects to inspire my young students. Klee, with his simple forms and vibrant colors, and especially his scribble drawings is a natural way to help kids see the many ways that they can create art and beauty. So, I went to the gallery for a virtual stroll and happened upon this delightful image. My first thought
L'arrivée Du Marié, 1933 by Paul Klee
was that even a child could draw this. Then I noticed the name of the piece - which translated means The Groom Arrives.

This is one more moment when the advice from my teacher about naming an image comes in handy - as soon as a read the name, I saw, not a bright colored scribble drawing, but an Eastern European groom from a past century (what my grandfather might have work to his wedding) - hat, boots, pantaloons. A question floated up. "What would the bride wear?"

The answer practically flowed from my pen as I scribbled the lady above. Not only do I love her - (she hardly feels like my own creation - just a gift from the art heavens) - but she is amazingly like the drawings I obsessively created as a young girl - girls in dresses. This drawing is sharpie marker and oil pastel on heavy textured paper.

I taught several wonderful Klee related lessons to my students this summer - with amazing results - but in this instance, it was the teacher who gained the most from this lesson. As you can see from some of my recent posts, the abstract art I am almost compelled to create has a lot of roots in Klee's work. My sketchbook overflows with scribble drawings just waiting to be painted.

So, who inspired you? In what way? Please share.

J is for Jazz, jerk, jump, jig, jog, jello .....

2011-11-09T16:18:00.000-08:00

Driving along, thinking about what to do for my J post.

J J J? What begins with J? (I think I've been reading too much Dr. Suess to my grandson.)

Jazz, jagged, jerk, jump, jig, jog, jello (which jiggles) juggle. J moves, J soars. J's is lines. J is energy. J jangles with color.

Which brings me right back to my teacher's wise advice, to create an abstract - start with a word, or in this case, a list of words. This is the result, acrylics on a 9x12 canvas board and a little digital tweak to make it look better on screen.

I is for Ideas (or no ideas)

2011-11-09T08:48:00.002-08:00

One of the biggest challenges of the Art Everyday for a Month challenge is coming up with ideas for what to do next (okay, this is a constant challenge.) Add to this the fact that I am trying to work in an abstract way, and today I drew a blank. (Not one I can post here however.)

Though no abstract ideas are coming my way, the stack of pears on my kitchen counter are calling my name. The tree in my yard has been most abundant this year. A source of culinary inspiration, and this morning, an art idea.

One of the first things I learned to draw was a pear. I was first inspired to try to draw one because I saw them drawn, painted, photographed in almost every book I read as I was learning about drawing with pastels. Pears are just a lovely, sensuous shape. They come in wonderful colors, they lend themselves beautifully to pastels, and they taste good too.

As I look around my studio, I realized that because I draw pears at least a few times a year, they are a good judge of my progress. So, today, something real - a quick sketch in pastels on canson mi tiente.

H is for How-to

2011-11-08T09:25:00.001-08:00

I love to combine Photoshop with drawing, or use it to make digital pictures look like paintings, or enhance an image, or design a card, or, or, or ....

Photoshop is not an easy tool to master (in my opinion). Though I was adept at many other graphic and photo editing programs, (often self taught), I needed real help to learn how to make the most of this tool.

Even after years of use, I have only scratched the surface of its potential. I first learned how to use it by taking an online course. This was a great - I had all the time I needed to practice the lessons and the techniques on my own computer and my schedule. It was kind of an art everyday challenge in itself. When I was done with a lesson I posted it to the class website and had the benefit of class and teacher critique. Not only did I learn a lot, the positive comments really boosted my self-confidence, and the results of the lessons often became the basis for graphic design projects for my business.

Now, one of my favorite ways to expand my skills and try out new techniques is to explore Photoshop tutorials online for inspiration. Sometimes I look for something particular (once I needed to create bubbles with faces inside - and yes, by combining several tutorials, succeeded.) Often, I just happen upon an idea that appeals to me and try it out.

Today's image is built on one of my favorite photos. I took this at sunset one night at the beach - I loved the warm light of the original, so I decided to try the process described in a tutorial I Stumbled Upon to enhance the light and see what happened.

Which brings me to a caveat about tutorials - not all of them actually make sense to me - this was the case with the one I worked from. I don't think I did it right - but, I accidentally created a beautiful texture layer which, when I combined it with the original image, added a depth of light and warmth that I really like. Sometimes the mistakes lead to the best outcomes. When I completed the tutorial steps, I began to play with this using some of my favorite tricks - and this is the result.

I see lots of comments from other AEDM participants about the challenges of using Photoshop. I suggest googling Photoshop Tutorials (or go to the Adobe website) and see what you find. Try them out ... share what you create. And, don't be afraid to mess up - you never know what might appear.

G is for Grit

2011-11-07T09:21:00.002-08:00

I could write about the guts and grit it takes to create and share something new everyday, but that's not what I am thinking about.

Today, the grit on my mind is the gorgeous grit on Wallis Sanded Paper. This summer, in exchange for an art lesson, I received a handful of this heavy sanded paper. I had heard pastel artists rave about it, but I had never seen it or worked with it. Simply put, grit on paper + pastel = WOW! Every piece I have done on this paper has had a wonderful velvet texture that I just love.

One of my favorite ways to relax is to draw these scribble paintings, they are always fun and I never know what to expect when the color is added. This little abstract is done with pastel pencils on the Wallis Sanded Paper.

F is for Fun with Flowers Day 6

2011-11-06T07:46:00.001-08:00

Talk about mixed media, today's image started as a digital photo of a lotus like flower. I used it for the basis of a drawing in black and white to get a sense of the shapes. I liked the simple drawing so much I photographed it.

My plan was to paint this flower on canvas - I worked on it for several hours but I was not getting the vibrancy I had in mind. I will continue to work on the painting - but I liked the shapes and composition of this flower so much, I opened the black and white sketch in Photoshop and began to apply color.

A little wild? Maybe. But its a dark and dreary November day and I am in the mood for something fun. I hope you are too.

E is for Energy

2011-11-05T09:32:00.001-07:00

One of the things I have learned in my recent abstract painting class is the importance of naming your image. The act of giving your painting a name helps to focus the work.

So, before I began this painting, done in MyPaint, I decided my theme and name would be energy.

My teacher is right, having a word in mind begins the process of forming the image. As the seascape (one of my favorite subjects) began to emerge, the color choices and the brush strokes just flowed naturally.

D is for Dahlia

2011-11-04T08:39:00.001-07:00

Last year for D day I painted a detailed, realistic dahlia from my friend's garden. This one is based on a photo from my garden, which I then worked on in Photoshop to begin to understand how to abstract the image.

My teacher keeps reminding me to abstract an image, simplify - so that is what I tried to do - find and simplify the essential shapes.
The colors are all mine ...

I am beginning to find some ways to work with the acrylic palette. Once again, I selected only a few colors and white. I notice that when the colors are blended with one another, the results are harmonious, and the variety of colors that result are incredible.

This painting is on canvas board, 8"x10". The flower is probably close to its real size.

C is for Calligraphic Images and Contrasting Colors

2011-11-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

I've been taking a fabulous abstract painting class at Portland Community College. I plan to write more about it later, but every day I am inspired by something I am learning. One of the lessons involved creating images from calligraphy. So, using my best handwriting, on 24x30" canvas, I wrote a word that is meaningful to me - in two directions, reversing across themselves.

The other part of the assignment was to use a limited palette, so I chose colors so contrasting they seem to vibrate off of each other - adding black or white, I got a full array of shades to work with.

I find the results are fascinating - no matter which direction I turn the painting, I marvel at the variety of figures and creatures I see in the painted shapes - and the funny thing is, they are totally related to the word I chose.

B: is for I've Got the Blues

2011-11-02T07:50:00.002-07:00

I've got the blues alright ... Blues as in ultramarine, cobalt, phthalo, and prussian blue.

One of the most intriguing aspects of working in an abstract way, is the discovery of acrylic paints. My pastels have always arrived in a box, or have been hand selected from a display - their name meant nothing - they were reds, or darks or greys or ... I loved the colors, but what counted was not the name, only the shade, the brand and the type. Now, as I am beginning to experiment with acrylics - a world of poetry has opened up. I love the names, but this medium is a total stranger to me - a world to discover. My limited experience is teaching me that some acrylics are thick, some are transparent. Some work well when watered down, some make me feel like Van Gogh as they swirl and ooze on the canvas. One thing for sure - they are a challenge for me - so I often find myself using digital paint tools to think about what I might paint, and to practice the effects I have in mind (but not yet in hand.)

Which brings me to today's post. This painting was done with MyPaint, an open-source graphics application for digital painters. I was able to really focus on layering the colors to get the effects I wanted ... all the blues were there - and I played with them all, without getting my hands dirty. Now, if only I can learn to do this with those lovely blues ...

A is for Abstract

2011-11-01T08:36:00.001-07:00

November 1, 2011

I believe that the things we love to do as children are the things that are meant to part of our lives always. They can be an ongoing source of pleasure, relaxation and creative inspiration to enrich our lives.

From the time I could hold a crayon; my idea of fun was to open my box of 48 Crayolas, scribble a line on the cardboard that the laundry put inside my father’s ironed shirts, and color the shapes until a “beautiful design” appeared. I still love to do this, though now (lucky me) I have pastels and pens, yummy color pencils, and, lately, something new – acrylic paints to make playing that much more fun. But, no matter the medium, no matter the surface, I still just love to scribble a line on a page and discover what it is meant to be.

Since this summer, when I was inspired by the young artists I teach, I have been consciously trying to create art in the way I did as a child – freely, abstractly and colorfully, without worrying so much about detail and perfection. Sometimes I start with a plan - a word, an idea, or a color, and sometimes I start with no more than a scribble. But, no matter where I begin, I find that I almost always discover something unexpected, a face, a creature, a theme that emerges as I work. This new (old) process is compelling – it is also a challenge because I definitely do not like everything that results (and now I have to show it to you too!) but I love doing it.

So, my goal for this Art Every Day month is to create an image every day – sometimes I will paint, sometimes draw, sometimes I will use one of the many cool digital tools I love so much. I intend to create abstracts, but, who knows, reality may slip in here and there.

Whatever appears, I will write about the experience and share the results (cringe).

Today, (actually Halloween as I prepare this post) I painted the Halloween Forest. I started by sketching overlapping tree shapes on the canvas (18"x24"), under-painted all in a cool green, and painted the interior shapes in the hot colors of the leaves on the trees along my street. BOO!

How to Talk to your Kids about their Art

2011-07-28T12:28:00.019-07:00

Dillon, Age 6

The talk at the end of each art class is consistently one of the best parts of teaching young artists. This is time when we look at the day's work and talk about the things we like and the things we learned. It's a great way for kids to reinforce the day's art vocabulary and think about the concepts of the lesson.

Talking about what we see in our drawings - color, line, texture, symmetry and shapes, offers a wonderful opportunity for the kids to understand that there is no one right way to create something. As we go around the room and really look at each others work, it is easy to see that the drawings (like kids) are each beautiful in their own way.

I encourage (and model) the idea that perfection is never the goal of making art. It is the process, and the learning, not the product that makes art so much fun. And, since I hope to help each child see that there is something to appreciate in everyone's work, I help them find the words to use to express what they see and like.

Of course, when I watch the quiet smiles on their faces as each child receives honest and relevant praise for their work, I know they are getting more from the day's lesson than just dirty hands and a (fabulous) drawing to take home.

Gabe

Then the parents arrive. These are great parents, filled with joy and pride at what they see. I regularly hear them gushing about the 'fantastic' drawings.

Unfortunately, as one of my students point out, "you can't just say its 'terrific' all the time." So, in the interest of creating opportunities for meaningful conversation, here are some tips (some from the Big Black Pig Studio website) that parents and teachers can use to talk about art.

Don't over-praise.

If you rave about everything equally all the time, your kids stop valuing your praise and may eventually doubt that anything they do is praiseworthy. Instead of saying, that is brilliant, or beautiful, or amazing (what does all that mean anyway?) offer meaningful comments that relate to the actual work.

Ask the kids what they like about their work (and listen in on class conversations - parents are welcome at the end of class).
Ask the kids about the words they learned and have them show you examples of lines, patterns, blended colors, symmetry, pastels, ink, or ... This kind of conversation reinforces vocabulary and concepts and opens the door to conversation.

Praise them for doing, not being.

Focus your praise on what they have done, not how talented they are. "What a great idea!" or "You really worked hard on this painting!" rather than "You're so clever." Get it? Kids who are rewarded for "doing" (working hard and making progress) continue to strive and thrive. Kids who are congratulated for "being" smart--or artistic or imaginative--often start playing it safe to protect their image. Nothing gets in the way of creativity like fear of failing.

Praise the process, not the product.
Ask, how did you do this? Talk about what YOU notice in the drawing. e.g., What an interesting shape. How did you blend those colors? Those curved lines make a lovely shape. (Don't say, you colored outside the lines, that doesn't look like a fish. Who ever heard of a purple chicken?)

Praise the effort.
That took a lot of work. You were really concentrating. I can see you had fun. I like the way you drew these strong lines.

Praise the imagination and creativity.
What a great idea to paint the cat green (or the chicken purple.)

Ask the kids what THEY think about their work.
Invite them to evaluate their own work. What is your favorite part of the picture? What was the hardest part of drawing this? Is there more you want to add?

TIPS:

Ask open-ended questions when talking to kids about their art (or anything else). These kinds of questions allow kids to respond with thoughts, not simply yes or no.

Look at art with your kids. Take them to an art museum, stop into a gallery you pass on the street. Get art books from the library. Go online. There are endless resources available. Then, listen to what your kid has to say about what he or she is seeing. (When your boy says a painting is "gorgeous" ask, what do you like about it? This is a great way to understand what he is seeing and thinking.

Follow this blog. I regularly post information, ideas and resources that parents and teachers can use when talking to their kids about art. Comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome. So are posts of your kids art. I love to see what they are doing when not in class, so will my readers. There are two ways to do this, follow be email or join (scroll down to find links to either option on the lower right side.)

Check out the Art Ideas and Resources page on this blog, and visit all the posts that include the words ART, RESOURCES and KIDS. You will find ideas for making art, taking photos, finding and using resources, and lots more.

TRY THIS FUN ACTIVITY
Gallery Stroll - this activity is an opportunity to talk about art and build art language. Expect to hear words that describe color, shape, motion, emotion, and much more. Chosing favorites also builds decision-making skills.

Arrange ten to fifteen pictures (magazines, photos, paintings) around a room to create a gallery
Have kids walk around the gallery and study the images on the walls
When they have completed inspecting each picture, have kids rank the pictures numerically, from their favorite to their least favorite. (Note: Suggest that kids write or sketch a brief “memo” of each image in a notebook.)
After they’ve made their choices, have kids talk about their reasons (criteria) for choosing their three favorites and their least favorite. Then, ...
DISCUSS: What attracted you to the pictures you liked best? Why did you choose the one you did as your least favorite.

Come Draw with Me (Art in the Garden)

2011-07-07T13:35:00.003-07:00

I will be teaching another art class for young artists (age 5 - 15) this summer - at Luscher Farms Gardens in Lake Oswego.

This beautiful place in the perfect location to enjoy gorgeous plants and flowers, and learn how to draw them. We will explore the colors, shapes and details of the flowers we find, and notice how shapes and characteristics we see in one flower, repeat in others. We will work together to create sketch, draw and paint in a variety of media. All supplies are included.

Class Days: Tuesday, Thursday

7/19/2011 - 7/21/2011 | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Ages: 05 - 15
LUSCH - Luscher Farm
Non-District Price:$40.00
District Price:$35.00

ToREGISTER:

http://www.lakeoswegoparks.org/products.asp?pfid=2469&dept_id=300&strMode=2&name=Ar

Summer Fun Idea: Lewis and Clark Activity Guides

2011-05-31T10:03:00.016-07:00

More than 200 years ago, the Corps of Discovery spent an incredibly difficult winter at their destination, the Pacific Ocean. Their time here, along the Columbia River, at Fort Clatsop and on the Pacific makes for riveting reading in their journals. But, for those of us who live or visit the Pacific Coast, there is also the opportunity to see the places they stayed, walk the paths where they walked, and discover first hand some of the challenges they faced.

Several years ago, as part of the bicentennial celebration of arrival of the expedition to their destination, the Pacific Ocean, Oregon Public Broadcasting, in collaboration with the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and Destination: The Pacific, (and me as the writer) designed THE LEWIS AND CLA RK ACTIVITY GUIDES, seven day trips to bring the spirit (and experiences) of the Corps to life.

No matter your age, a visit to the places where the Corps "wintered" (and almost starved) more than 200 years ago is an inspiring opportunity to walk in the steps of history and explore spectacular natural beauty.

And there is no better way to discover what they experienced than to take the time to travel the expedition's route. Each of these activity guides (available online, and as printable PDFs) offer a wonderful way for families to get outdoors, visit the beach, and spend quality time discovering some of our local history. Each day's activity focuses on a particular aspect of the Corps' accomplishments and adventures, every trip includes visits to parks in Washington or Oregon, interpretive information, historic sites, trails, beaches and scenic views. They include places to visit, tips and resources, and a learning activity.

These day-long adventures are designed to include something for everyone — the nature lover, the scientist, the history buff, the boat lover, the path finder, the foodie, the writer, the photographer, the artist, and of course, the family seeking a wonderful way to combine learning with fun. After all, school is ending soon and the sun might come out, tomorrow (or maybe some other day). But, weather or not, parents will be on the lookout for fun, fascinating, inexpensive (and hopefully educational) summer adventures.

ART TIP: Meriwether Lewis filled his journals with sketches of animals, plants and flowers he encountered on the expedition. There will be almost as many opportunities for your creative kids to sketch what they see. Be sure to pack a sketch pad, pencils and color pencils or markers to encourage young artists to capture birds, butterflies, seascapes, flowers, or the family having fun.

Note: About the photos. I took these while exploring the sites to write about. As I was heading to Fort Clatsop, where the Corps spent the winter, particularly hoping to find elk to eat, a large group of elk stepped out of the woods and into the road! The beach photo shows the place where members of the Corps, with Sacajawea (seeing the ocean for the first time) came to collect whale meat.

See You in the Funny Pages: Summer Idea for Cartooning Kids

2011-05-24T09:32:00.011-07:00

The school year is coming to an end, and so are our weekly art classes. Parents are asking for ideas to keep kids creating and growing their art skills over the summer. There are lots of classes and camps (including some of my own) available. However a week long class is not enough for some kids - you know the ones - the kids who wants to draw all the time. These are the kids who would rather hold a crayon than a ball, rather draw than read (or sleep).

When I see kids like this, kids bubbling with creative energy, I try to give them ideas for things to do to build their skills. This term I have been inspired by the joy, energy and creativity my students are bringing to cartooning, so to keep these kids involved and growing artistically over the summer, I will share an idea I learned from one of own art teachers.

This man, whose ability to draw figures is simply awesome, surprised all the students in the studio by announcing that he learned to draw by copying comic books! It surely worked for him, and it is working for me, as I now find myself copying comic pages to understand what the artist is doing. I am often surprised at how easy it is, once I understand the basic shapes and style.

So, parents, to encourage creative cartooning, provide your kids with drawing inspiration, and build thinking skills at the same time, give your kids the Sunday comics, or a favorite comic book, some paper, pencils, sharpies, color pens and crayons, and invite them to learn how to draw a favorite comics character. Look at the comics together. Which do you like? Which looks too hard to draw? Which looks easy?

Once you have chosen a character or strip to try, talk to your kids about what they see. Ask about the shapes, (what shape is Charlie Brown's head?) How does the artist ensure that we always recognize Charlie Brown? This video is a great way to help kids understand how to show a character from different angles. Are some things always the same? What changes?

How does the artist show emotions? We've talked about this a lot in our classes this term, so your kids will have ideas on the subject. Encourage them to tell you how we know that characters are happy, sad, scared, etc. (Hint: check the eyebrows for clues.)

Of course a key element of a cartoon is the scene. What do we see in the backgrounds to let us know where this is taking place? How does the artist show motion? How does motion combine with background elements to help tell the story?

In my classes I am always delighted to see kids adding their own touches to the drawings we do, and cracking up as they work. They know what they think is funny, and are completely able to express their humor by adding words and/or pictures. Of course the laughter of their table-mates is a definite clue that they are on the right track.

So, one more thing - whether your kids are drawing cartoons of their own, or analyzing the work in the comics pages, ask WHAT MAKES THIS FUNNY? Their answers may surprise (and amuse) you.

Parents, please share your kids work. You can post them directly to this blog, or contact me for information on how to get show their work on this blog.

Upcoming Summer Classes: Time to Sign Up

2011-05-16T11:35:00.010-07:00

I will be teaching several classes this summer to will allow kids and adults (and me) to take advantage of the beautiful gardens at Luscher Farms on Stafford Road in Lake Oswego. Participants will be able to work indoors or out (depending on weather) and materials are provided.

Classes are offered through Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation.

For more information or to register: www.lakeoswegoparks.org or call: 503-675-2549.

Feel free to post any questions below, and please, share this information with anyone you know who might enjoy the chance to spend some time being creative while surrounded by nature, beauty and growing things.

NOTE: Private classes (one-on-one or small groups) and workshops are also available. Check the ART EDUCATION section of my website for a list of possiblities, or suggest your own.

Art Picnic in the Garden
Capture the colors and shapes of the Friends of Rogerson Clematis Collection’s remarkable clematis collection in drawings and photos. I will provide drawing instruction, inspiration, and a variety of materials. Bring a brown bag meal to enjoy at the farm, and a digital camera to capture what you see (optional).

WHEN: Tu 6-8:30p 6/14-6/21
For Ages 16+
Cost: Res $30/Non-Res $35 LUSCH
Reg ID # 3300140

Art in the Garden for Kids
Learn how to draw the basic shapes and details of a flower, consider their color and their complex design, then explore the garden to discover how the shapes and details repeat in other flowers. Create sketches and paintings of your observations. Materials and inspiration provided. Kids are encouraged to bring a snack and a drink.

WHEN: 10a-12p Tu/Th 7/19-7/21
For Ages 5-15
Cost: Res $35/Non-Res $40
Reg ID #: 3200470 LUSCH

Introduction to Painting in Pastels
Prepare to get your hands dirty. Through a variety of garden related drawing painting projects, we will learn about this versatile medium, explore how pastels can be used to achieve stunning effects, vibrant color and rich texture.

WHEN: 7-9 pm Tu 7/5-8/2.

For Ages 16+
Cost: Res $90/Non-Res $104
Reg ID: # 3300145 7-9p LUSCH

Humor and Fun: Essential Elements of Creative Thinking

2011-04-18T16:35:00.008-07:00

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” Unknown

“Play is the highest level of child development. It is the spontaneous expression of thought and feeling … the purest creation of the child’s mind …” Friedrich Froebel

Young Rembrandts has been posting tips on their Facebook page to encourage creativity in kids lately. This week they suggest that we “encourage ingenious humor.” This is a fine fit with the theme of the work we have been doing in class this term – cartooning.

WHY: Research on humor and play in everything from National Geographic study of animals in the wild, to studies of highly gifted and successful adults in business point to the same idea – laughter, combined with learning, promotes creativity, complex thinking, positive social interaction and increased self-esteem. Laughter in the classroom (or family room) has a way of diverting attention from difficulties, reducing stress and promoting well-being. Laughter relaxes kids and helps them feel at ease. A classroom or home environment that encourages humor and inspires kids to view and show the world through their unique perspectives is a place that stimulates creative expression.

So, cartooning is not only an opportunity to learn new drawing skills, but also a way to encourage kids to think about story structure (characters, place, situation), and to consider the possibilities … what might happen in the next drawing? Most of all, drawing cartoons encourages an essential element of creative thinking … humor (and its sidekick, fun). As an added benefit, cartooning also provides a way for kids to strengthen relationships and self-confidence through play and laughter.

Howard Gardner, author of Frames of Mind, The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, would define kids who love to draw as Visual/Spatial learners. They are responsive to the visual/spatial world and are often able to recreate it. (One look at their drawings makes it clear who these kids are.) This type of learner enjoys making art and loves to have access to art materials (paint, pens, markers, clay, scissors, paper in many colors, glue sticks, etc.) This kid may also be a map maker. So, if you have a visual/spatial child, encourage her to draw what she sees, and, create maps of the places she has been.

Of course, many of the kids I work with show multiple abilities, including Verbal/Linguistic intelligence (kids who like to play with words and language. Jokes really appeal to these kids, even when told without words.) I also see lots of kids with Intrapersonal and Interpersonal intelligences, characterized by the ability to understand emotions and what makes people “tick”). That is why they “get” what is going on in the cartoons with just a glance.

It is because of the diverse abilities I see in my classes that I am so delighted to be teaching cartooning. Creating a series of drawings is, as Elizabeth (age 9) point out, “making picture books with only pictures.” So, when we draw cartoons, we not only create characters and establish a setting, but we learn to show motion, emotion, and story arc - all without writing a word (unless you are like AJ who adds thought bubbles to every scene.) Best of all - we laugh. One of my favorite parts of every class is posting the pictures we are going to draw and asking, “What’s going on?” I love that even my shyest kids giggle at the pictures. I also love listening to them talk about what’s happening, and watching them enhance their drawings with their own ideas and jokes, most of all I love how they share their ideas, and make the other kids (and me) laugh. Simply put, cartooning is fun.

Personal Creativity Comes from Considering How to Stimulate Creative Kids

2011-03-04T13:38:00.010-08:00

I am getting ready to teach a Young Artist's Studio over Spring Break. I want to have really fun and interesting projects to offer my students, and I want them to be grounded in the work of famous artists.

One of the things I am always struck by in my Young Rembrandt's classes, is how much young kids love to look at fine art books. Even tiny kids ooh and ahh over Monet and Salvador Dali. So, with this in mind, I've been scouring the library for art books written for young readers. I've noticed that Paul Klee, with his vibrant colors, simple shapes and imaginative images is a very popular subject for these book. I've now spent several hours looking at his work, seeking ideas for the art classroom.

My study has resulted in what I hope will be a totally lively and engaging curriculum, and it has also resulted in a spate of creative production for me. One of Klee's pictures that absolutely grabbed my attention is called, The Groom's Arrival. It is essentially a doodle of overlapping lines loaded with color - that creates the image of a man in a hat - a groom. I knew I had an idea for a lesson - but then, a question popped to mind ... What Would the Bride Wear?

This picture is my answer. WHAT FUN! She seemed to just pour out of my pen. She is colored in oil pastel (a nice medium for kids) on heavyweight drawing paper.

BLOG RECOMMENDATION One outstanding source of inspiration I have found is a blog called Art Projects for Kids . The creativity and sheer artisticness of the projects offered and described are wonderful.

For more info or to Register for my upcoming class:

REGISTER NOW for Spring Break Young Artists' Studio

2011-03-01T13:09:00.004-08:00

Lakewood Center for the Arts
368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego

YOUNG ARTISTS’ STUDIO:  A PALETTE OF POSSIBILITIES

Come discover how color, texture, shape and line unite to create works of art. Young artists will discover the pleasures of experimenting with different tools, techniques and materials as they create their own work, develop skills and explore the work of famous artists. The studio atmosphere will encourage creative expression and offer opportunities for students to see and think about the visual world in new ways.

Instructor: Tobi Kibel Piatek $79
Ages 6 - 12 3 days
March 21 - 23 10 AM - Noon

Registration Information

To pre-register for any class listed please print the Lakewood class registration form and mail to P.O. Box 274, Lake Oswego, OR 97034.

Registrations are also taken at our box office on weekdays from 9-5. A minimum enrollment of 8 students per class is needed. Programs will not be held if the minimum enrollment is not met. All classes are at Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego.

Art and Culture: A Natural Connection to Build Understanding

2011-02-10T09:58:00.007-08:00

What better way to encourage kids to learn about and appreciate the values, skills and practices of another culture than to look at the art produced by its people?

Art has always played an important role in shaping and recording cultural history and lifestyles. Art also plays an important role in making kids happy and comfortable in school. I know that for lots of kids, the opportunity to create art can help engage him or her in school, and open a door to learning across disciplines.

Recent visits to some schools in Portland make it clear that art is happening in the schools, but for some kids (kids like I used to be) there is never enough art in a day.

Here are some ideas for strategies that teachers, instructors and mentors (especially in after school programs) can use to stimulate interest in other cultures, while also providing opportunities for students to see and experience many forms of art.

Bring samples of art into your space. Bring objects, slides, photos, posters, fabrics. You get the idea. For example, a unit on African art might include masks, wood carvings, beadwork, jewelry, fabrics and more. Any of these can become a starting point to open a conversation about both the art, and its uses in its culture.

Talk about what you see, ask:
- What are these things used for?
- What materials are they made of? Where do these materials come from? Can these materials be found in a store?
- Are they part of every day life or are they meant to be displayed in a museum or a temple?

Teachers may want to pose some questions as research. Invite kids to visit the library, explore books and art sites on the internet, and talk to family and community members to find out what they know about African art. Then, encourage them to share what they’ve learned - in words, or by creating a piece of art.

Mentors (and of course, teachers too) may want to take advantage of parents or other community members to take part in the conversation, and share some of their favorite art as well.

In the course of a conversation about African art, kids may learn that in most African cultures art is used to express religious beliefs, to teach behavior, to communicate history and to proclaim an individual’s status in the community. What about art in other cultures?

RESOURCES
There are so many wonderful resources to help you bring Art and Culture into your classroom or program; you may find your biggest challenge deciding where to begin. Here are two really good ones:

Global & Multicultural Resource Center The centerpiece of the World Affairs Council’s statewide K-12 program is the Global & Multicultural Resource Center. Housed at Portland State University, the Center enhances international and multicultural education in both schools and the community. Our resources and programs are available to teachers, students, parents and organizations in both Oregon and SW Washington.

Be sure to check out the Culture Boxes provided by this program http://www.worldoregon.org/more/education/resources.php
“Our Culture Boxes on over 90 countries are brimming with maps, lessons, and hands-on treasures from musical instruments and traditional clothes to toys, games and easily transportable props.

A typical box or set of boxes contains:
Books, lesson plans, maps, audio/video tapes, posters, CultureGrams, files, newspaper clippings, AND hands on items in the following categories: food, shelter, daily life, arts & crafts, dress, beliefs, toys & games, music & dance, language, and more…”

For more information on our Culture Boxes, Reference Library and programs, please see our website: www.worldoregon.org/more/education/index.phpDonations to the boxes from your travels are more than welcome!

Multicultural Lesson Plans Art based lesson plans written by teachers. These are great recipes for success.

TELL US:What do you do in your classroom or program? Share your ideas for projects and resources on this blog?

Classroom Culture and Creativity: What do you think?

2011-02-08T09:48:00.008-08:00

When I work with kids, whether as a teacher of art, drawing or creative writing, (or in former days as a parent), I can always expect lots of questions. In my experience, the questions I hear most often do not relate to the content of the lessons or conversations - they are the "can I" questions. Can I color this red? Can I add a pattern? Can I write about my cat? Can I make this ... bigger, smaller, longer ... ? You get the idea.

In my classrooms, I strive to create a culture where kids feel free to experiment and make mistakes, after all, I am teaching art and creative expression. However, I am often brought up short by how timid and worried even my most creatively talented kids can be, to just do something they have not been specifically told to do. I can't even count the number of times I have invited kids to try out their ideas, to take a risk, to make a mess, and to use the garbage can (someone invented that too.) I regularly point out how every mistake can be a learning experience, and share stories of my own struggles and mistakes.

An interesting blog post I read this morning, What's school got to do with it?put this into a slightly new perspective for me. The blogger, Anne Marie Lei, asks the question How do the patterns we learned in the classroom as kids keep showing up in our adult lives at work---in our meetings, team projects, and relationships with managers and colleagues?

For me, the question is not (yet) about future work, but about day to day experience in school. Her post made me wonder how the patterns we learn in classrooms and at home as kids show up in the way we think and learn at school (or in art classes.)

How does the culture of the family and school, and the style of individual teaching impact a child's ability to think and work creatively? What style of teaching and parenting is most likely to result in creative thinkers, and kids best able to function in a world that demands flexibility and constantly changing skills?

This is an open-ended question (as I believe most should be) - what do you think? How does the culture of the classroom impact the way our kids learn and interact? What kinds of teachers are most likely to encourage creative thinkers? Does it matter in the long run? Please share your thoughts and ideas.

Can the Tiger Change its Spots?

2011-01-24T14:12:00.004-08:00

This drawing is from a photo I took years ago in my sister-in-law's truly exquisite garden. Sue's garden is filled with lilies in colors as bright and vibrant as the sun. I was especially drawn (!) to this one (a tiger lily?) because of the dots and curves that add such pizazz.

It took a long time to figure out how to draw this flower. The very things that make it so beautiful also presented me with real drawing challenges, and real pleasure (those curves! those dangling parts with big shoes!) I will probably want to try this again sometime, to see how I can improve on this version.

This is done in color pencil on heavy drawing paper (very old, from a stash of papers I saved long ago).

Inspired by Sunshine

2011-01-22T17:11:00.004-08:00

I will be teaching some art workshops this summer - drawing and painting classes in the garden, so I 've been feeling the need to polish my flower drawing skills. To do this, I have been drawing flowers in color pencil and charcoal. But yesterday, my gift to myself arrived, a set of 48 Conte Pastel Pencils.

When I was a child my FAVORITE gift was a box of 48 crayolas. That brand new box, filled with these fantastic colors (sepia, goldenrod, prussian blue, magenta, burnt sienna) was irresistible. I don't even remember what I drew or colored. I do remember the delight and possibility of those pristine, fragrant crayons in my hand.)

Anyway, I like new colors, and I especially like my new pastel set. It is gorgeous and the thick pencils feel great in my hand. Combine the sunshine, my practice drawing daisies, and my new colors, and you get this sketch. It is on drawing paper and I think it is very cheery.

My favorite software for creative kids

2010-12-15T09:35:00.006-08:00

For several years, my job involved developing technology based curriculum for elementary age kids. Every month, I received samples of the latest educational software, and an assignment to develop a project based activity that incorporated this software and one other. Without a doubt, my favorite one other, in fact my favorite software to work with, was Kid Pix Studio.

Later, I often used this simple, effective and wonderfully designed software to introduce teachers and tech-nervous adults to the mysteries of creating lines, shapes and colors on their computers; I also used it to introduce basic word processing and demonstrated how their creations could be turned into lively presentations using tools and producing results that rival far more sophisticated programs - all in one easy to understand package.

So, when parents ask me to recommend something that their creative kids will enjoy, Kid Pix is my go-to suggestion. It is great software for drawing, painting and learning the difference between the two - both on paper and on the computer screen. It is also an ideal tool for building word processing skills. Combining images and text equals graphic design - and the possibilities are unlimited (just watch your kids.)

What I like best is that by playing and creating, kids learn skills that will serve them for all their computing life (or until computers become obsolete - which, I admit, is entirely possible.)

I could go on an on, but teachers and other users around the country have discovered this versatile tool and have posted many great ideas they use to meet their classroom content standards and create beautiful works of art and information. If you are looking for ideas for things to do with Kid Pix - simply Google the words and see what appears.

Here's information about the latest version.

Kid Pix Deluxe 4 Home Edition has all the creative functionality one would expect, from selecting from an array of art mediums (paint, watercolor, airbrush, pencil, crayon, marker, chalk, etc.) to using various finishing techniques (stickers, stamps, typeface, etc.).

In addition, the software can add special effects (animate, smudge, smear, warp twist, etc.) for a wacky look, suggest ideas and backgrounds to help get creative juices flowing, and import digital photos to personalize. For more than 10 years, Kid Pix has been the graphics software of choice for educators, parents, and, most importantly, kids!

By the way, if you already have a version, free updates are available online.

How do you use KidPix? Do you have another favorite software that you would recommend for creative kids? Use the comment box below to share your thoughts. Thanks.

Creative Solutions for Winter Break

2010-12-08T13:10:00.013-08:00

Art Classes for Kids in Portland Oregon
Resources for Parents of Creative Kids

With holiday break looming at the end of the week, I offer this list of hands-on creative classes and things to do over the winter holiday. (Editor’s note: In my opinion, an art class or drama workshop is a great gift for the right kid.)

OregonMom.com (Where to go with kids in tow)
Check out this is great website for parents. It covers a a broad spectrum of information relevant to anyone raising kids in Oregon. Specific to this list - the site includes a comprehensive list of art resources for kids.

Here are a few more resources.

Oregon Art & Theater Classes for Kids
Portland/Metro Area

My Masterpiece Art Studio
This site is loaded with things to do - I love to work in a studio atmosphere, and so will creative kids. The website lists fund Art Camp Workshops – click here to see a list of events offered during Winter Break and Spring Break.

Click here for a Winter Break 2010 flyer

Portland Childrens’ Museum
Winter Break Camps
Avoid cabin fever! Let us entertain the kids with cool winter projects. For children age 4 1/2 to 12. December 20-23 and December 27-30 from 10:00am-1:00pm or 2:00-5:00pm.

Winter Camp Ages 6-10 Years
December 20, 21, 22 & 23 or
December 27, 28, 29 & 30
9am-5pm

Portland Art Museum Family Programs
The Portland Art Museum offers tours, demonstrations, performances, story times, and hands-on activities designed to spark the imaginations and creativity of our youngest visitors and their families while fostering art appreciation. CHILDREN UNDER 17 ARE FREE!

No School Art School
1639 NE Alberta St.
Portland, Oregon
1639 NE Alberta St., Portland, Oregon
While the kids are out of school, Art School is IN SESSION. Jennifer Wells Design, DIY Lounge and a wide variety of local artist/teachers are teaming up to offer an amazingly comprehensive art program for kids age 6-12! This camp operates as three art workshops in one dynamic day. Children participate in unique art and music projects, art history education, and cultural diversity, while gaining insight into themselves and the world around them.

In case you still need more ideas - Visit the Omamas blog on OregonLive.com for listings for ideas for winter break camps.

Ten Tips for a Camera Safari and a Photo Contest for Kids

2010-12-08T12:21:00.004-08:00

Taking photographs encourages kids to focus on the world in new ways, develop their ability to observe, and see the world from different perspectives. In other words, taking pictures encourages kids to be creative and strengthen several core thinking skills (focus and observation to name just two.)

Viewing photographs, in their infinite variety of images and colors, inspires kids to try to capture, save and share their vision of the world.

In my course for teachers and mentors one of the most popular assignments is a Photo Safari, a project that encourages students to share their world in a visual way by taking pictures of people and places in their community. This experience can have amazing results - for the photographers and for the viewers.

All it requires is access to a digital camera, and the technical ability to move the images from the camera to a computer. There are endless possibilities for sharing the photos you take, but that's another post.

One more thing that will help, is knowing a few tips you can use that will result in a better photo. Thanks to photographer and videographer John Waller for the great suggestions included below.

Waller is the originator of the Photo of the Year (POTY) contest, a fundraising event since 2002 that has raised thousands of dollars for the MESD Outdoor School Program. Over the years this great contest has expanded in many ways. It now includes a category for entries from photographers under 18.

About the contest: Youth: Any students out there with a strong attachment to your digital camera? This category is for photos taken by those 18 and under. Use that youthful imagination and make your mom proud. TEACHERS, say it with us, "Hmm...Photo of the Year...what a great addition to my curriculum...I should email the folks at POTY about submitting photos as a class!"

For more information, and to enter your kids' work, click here.

I hope you will take some time to visit the website, view the amazing outdoor photos, and share them with the kids your work with. Then, encourage them to grab a camera, head outdoors, and see what develops. And, please share your photos and experiences here - (photos can be posted to this blog - ask me how! Just post a comment at the end of this post and I will provide a How-to)

Ten Tips for Better Photographs

1. Be in the right place at the right time. Get out there, look around, and take your camera. It is tough to take great photographs if even one of those actions is missing.

2. Take lots of pictures. Digital photography has opened up a world of possibility to the amateur photographer because now you can instantly review your pictures. Adjust your settings, try different angles, or capture the action at different moments. The more photographs you take, the more likely you are to get a great shot. But remember what worked and what didn't and apply this new understanding when you take the next picture.

3. Watch the sun. The best times to take pictures are usually early in the morning and early evening; the worst time is generally midday, when light it most harsh.

4. Flash away. Just because you are outdoors doesn't mean you should put away your flash. Subjects in shadow can appear much too dark when compared to a bright sunny backdrop. When using your flash outdoors, the camera exposes the background first, then adds in the flash to illuminate your subject.

5. Get close up. Investigate the world around you in finer detail and you will discover a wealth of photo opportunities right at your feet. Most cameras have a macro mode that make getting those close up shots of insects and flowers a snap. Or when you are shooting action, zoom in so we can see the beads of sweat on an athlete's forehead.

6. Anticipate what is going to happen. To take a great outdoor action shot, you need to prepare for it in advance. What might happen, what would be the best angle, and are your settings appropriate? Then when your buddy cuts a sweet turn on their skies down the mountain, you'll be there to take the picture.

7. Use a tripod for low light. Those sweet sunsets, or moonrises, or starry night shots can be really sweet pictures if they are sharp and crisp. But a tripod is necessary because even the slightest shiver or tremble from a hand-held camera can cause the scene to blur.

8. The rule of thirds. This time tested rule tells us that we should not put the horizon line in the middle of the shot, but rather drop it to the bottom third or the top third depending on what meaning you want to convey. A low horizon conveys a sense of open, vast airiness, and a high horizon instills a sense that the land is the dominant force. The same is true for framing people.

9. Get a sense of perspective. Sometimes having a person in your scenic picture really impresses how big those mountains, or that cliff, or waterfall, or landscape really is.

10. Get creative. There are a lot of predictable photographs out there. The unconventional photographs really grab people's attention.

Play around with angles and settings and HAVE FUN!

Original Holiday Card Designs online

2010-12-06T15:34:00.011-08:00

One of the side benefits of the Art Every Day for a Month challenge was learning about new ways to share my art. I have created (am in the process of creating) a line of greeting cards and note cards that are available online at Greeting Card Universe - a great resource for artists who are seeking an easy (I hope) way to sell and display their art. It is also a perfect place to see and purchase an amazing array of cards.

I will keep you posted about the actual results of my new venture, but for now, click on a card to check out my new virtual stop, TKPiatek Designs.

Art Every Day: Z is for Zen

2010-11-26T09:51:00.003-08:00

Day 26

Today's image of a lotus is drawn from a favorite photo, and also a reminder to focus on the light at the heart of things. This drawing is in color pencil on vellum.

Art Every Day: Y is for Yellow Bird

2010-11-25T09:33:00.005-08:00

Day 25

Happy Thanksgiving. I have much to be thankful for, this year and every year. I think this little bird is thankful he is not a turkey.

He is done in colored pencil and ink.

Happy holidays one and all.

Art Every Day: X is for eXhilaration

2010-11-24T10:37:00.004-08:00

Day 24

I can't take too much credit for today's post, other than knitting this lovely green hat and birthing and raising this baby's mother :-)

But I am sharing this ultimate act of creativity as an eXplanation for my eXhilariation.

Today is a GRAND day for our family, and I am taking the day off from creativity to just feel thrilled (and maybe do a little cooking).

Art Every Day: W is for Winter

2010-11-23T07:48:00.005-08:00

Day 23

Winter has arrived with an 'Arctic Blast' to our usually temperate region. The frost and some snow are truly on the pumpkin, and some tiny pears that never developed on the tree. I love the way one is still growing upwards (they do that till the grow heavy enough to turn downwards.)

For me, winter is always the time of wishing for warmer weather. The yellow in these pears brings a little sunshine to the coldest day.

This is a combo of Mother Nature, digital photography and Photoshop.

Art Every Day: V is for Variations

2010-11-21T12:25:00.009-08:00

Day 22

There were a few sun breaks between the rain yesterday, so we (husband, dog, camera and me) headed out for a walk. I photographed a fairy ring (a perfect circle of mushrooms) growing on the bark dust in the park. There were fallen leaves everywhere - yellows, brown and red.

Separate from the masses of fallen oak and maple leaves on the ground, was this ... lone birch or aspen leaf. The simple, single heart shape and golden color stood out from the rain wet tarmac.

I like this image so much, I could not resist playing with it in Photoshop. After tinkering around, I had several variations. I think each one works on its own, but, like a good marriage, I think they are even more effective together.

Art Every Day: U is for Umbrellas

2010-11-20T16:08:00.009-08:00

Day 21

Umbrellas have absolutely nothing to do with this post, but I needed something to call it. I had a lot of ideas - like up and I'd paint clouds, or upside down (I like that idea) or ultramarine blue and paint gorgeous Nepalese poppies. But this is what appeared today - I don't know what kind of flowers they are, only they are small and I drew them big, on black paper with pastels.

There we go, U is for Upsizing.

Art Every Day: T is for Tinkering

2010-11-19T15:33:00.022-08:00

Day 20

I've been working on card design all day, stuck in digital mode. So, to take a break from working with images on my computer, I clicked back over to the Fluid Painter application to continue experimenting with swirls. (In other words, continue working with images :-< )

Today's result was this bouquet of roses. It's funny how just switching gears can be so pleasurable.

I love to tinker around with new programs. I have learned much of what I know about Photoshop and other digital art programs through experimentation and minimal guidance from online tutorials. As a digital designer, some of my best and most unexpected successes have appeared in this way. The chance to play in all sorts of modalities has been one of the greatest benefits of this challenge.

Onward to Day 21.

Art Every Day: S is for Stormy Seas

2010-11-18T11:43:00.008-08:00

Day 19

Now this was a cool project. Visiting the blog of another artist doing the challenge, I found a link to an amazingly fun digital tool called Fluid Painter. Peter Blaskovic, the developer says that it is an "experimental tool for painting liquid." Works for me!

Once I started playing with it, I couldn't stop. I soon understood how to use the tool, and made several pretty pictures. I could not figure out how to save them until I thought to use the snipping tool in the latest Office program (love that tool by the way). Once I could capture my images, I dropped this one into Photoshop and really started to play.

This is the result, easy, digital and FUN!!!!

Art Every Day: R is for River Revisited

2010-11-17T13:24:00.007-08:00

Day 18
One of the best things about having a dog is the walks we take. Living as I do surrounded by water, I often walk along the river. It seemed like every walk last fall (not so much this rainy one) resulted in a stunning play of light on leaves, clouds and water.

I took dozens of photographs, and tried several time to capture the vibrant light in pastels. The paintings always lacked the intensity I saw outdoors. So I tried again today. I am still struggling with the texture and shape of the mass of trees, but the light is a little better. The sky really was this blue. I think all this challenge practice is helping.

Every time I look at the photo or the painting, I remember the incredible beauty of that day on the river.

This is pastel on canson mi tiente.

Art Every Day: Q is for Quiet

2010-11-16T09:23:00.017-08:00

Day 17

I am a writer. I make my living with my words. I play word games, solve word puzzles, read read and read, and I talk. What this means is that there is usually a lot of noise and conversation in my head. Grabber headlines, witty closings, captions, rhyme schemes, paragraphs and voices wake me up at night.

Not when I am drawing. One of the things I noticed, almost from the beginning is how quiet my inner world becomes when the colors come out. All I get are some occasional (and very polite) directions - a little darker here, the edge is a beautiful curve, more blue under the red. This is a place I want to be more and more often.

I have really been enjoying looking at the work of other artists in this challenge. I have noticed that some people are creating mandalas. I have done a few in the past, as part of lessons I teach combining art and math and technology. I think that a mandala is a fine reflection of the idea of a quiet space.

I found this orchid image I drew from a lesson in a colored pencil book years ago. I brought this into Photoshop and turned it (literally) into a mandala.

Art Every Day: P is for Poppies

2010-11-15T15:06:00.005-08:00

Yesterday was the birthday of Georgia O'Keefe. An image of one of her paintings of giant red poppies was posted with information about her art and her life on Facebook.

I love poppies, but I have always been too intimidated by the intensity of color and the detail to try to paint one. However, I have a file filled with poppy pictures I've taken, and one favorite that I keep on my walls to enjoy every day. So, in honor of one a great artist, I was inspired to give this a try.

I drew with color pencil on vellum, and then brought it into Photoshop and saturated the image so that the colors and the details popped beyond what I saw on the page. I love the results! I hope you do too.

Art Every Day: O is for Observation (and maybe Obsession)

2010-11-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

Day 15

Today's picture is a digital image, a photograph of the sky viewed from the top of the hill in the park on the mushroom expedition. What grabbed my attention was the group of stripes in the middle of the clouds.

I have always been highly visual. I learn best by watching, I notice tiny details all around me, and most of all, I am aware of color. The advent of a digital camera in my life offered incredible opportunities for observation and focus. I especially enjoy the ability to see things from a macro perspective (see my flower pictures on this blog.) The process of viewing the world through the digital lens has clearly increased my powers of observation.

Then I started to paint from my photographs. My early efforts were most successful when I painted the lights and the darks that I saw. I spent hours searching my Picasa files finding images that would work to allow me to use the new skills I was developing. Seascapes, sunsets, images with strong contrast worked the best.

This new way of seeing, and my quest for images to paint became apparent in the photos I took. And my photos were definitely better. But there was more change coming. Soon, when I looked at an object or a scene, I began to think about how I could paint it. I observed carefully, running questions through my mind. Where were the lights? What were the colors in the shadows? What shapes, what lines did I see? I had the odd experience of walking into familiar places and seeing them in new ways - with an eye toward recreating them on my page.

Which brings me back to today's image. The sky over the park was huge - but the light was only in the sky, the earth was dark. I wanted to highlight the stripes of clouds I find so beautiful. I used my digital tools to open the foreground, illuminate the sky and make the colors as vibrant here as they are in my imagination.

Art Every Day: N is for Nature

2010-11-13T17:59:00.000-08:00

Day 13

Yesterday was our anniversary, and just like on the day we were married, it was a sunny afternoon. It is never a good idea to ignore the light in November; who can say when it will be back again, so the plan was to head outdoors.

Earlier in the week I heard a report of the impressive crop of mushrooms growing in the forest. We decided to go hunting. My husband envisioning sauteed delights, the dog, and me with my camera. We drove west toward the coast, and drove to the top of a high hill in the state park. Tomorrow I will show you the sky. Today, I drew a mushroom on the forest floor.

This is pastel pencil and pastel on Canson Mi Tiente.

By the way, though the picking was poor, the hike was a pleasure, and a stand along the road sold us a bounty of chanterelles. Dinner was delicious.

Art Every Day: M is for Magic

2010-11-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

Day 13

I started painting in pastels one year and one month ago. Before that my artistic life was filled with self-conscious struggle. I had the confidence to use my skills as a graphic designer and craftswoman, and loved the images I created digitally, but painting and drawing was not something I thought I could do.

Then I took a class in pastels. I had worked with them before, and enjoyed the experience. But, this time, something changed. I fell in love, not only with the pastels, but with the process of making art 'by hand.'

The best way I can describe what happened is that every time I started to draw, I felt MAGIC! And I still do. For me now, it is a form of magic to sit down in front of a blank page, and watch (almost like a bystander) as something amazing appears.

Today's piece is cut paper, and was it FUN! The idea comes from a combination of inspirations. The idea for working in paper came from an activity in the lovely book Paint Happy, by Cristina Acosta. It struck my fancy because I have boxes of wonderful collection of colored papers in my stash closet, some from my years as an art student at Pratt Institute (a very long time ago.) Once I had the idea for the medium, I needed an image. I walked around for days trying to decide what would work. Then, among the lesson plans for my Young Rembrandts students, was a tree image that teaches foreground, middle and background. I had it.

My next worry was how to get the shapes just right. After fussing for a while I simply started cutting and pasting (something I, as a former art student, am highly experienced at doing) and the scene took shape. I love the simple shapes and the colors. Most of all, I liked playing with the paper and seeing what appeared. Magic!

Art Every Day: L is for Light

2010-11-11T16:18:00.001-08:00

Day 12
Its dark outside. This is true for most of the time in this season. How lucky I am to be able to generate light with my color pencils.

Simply looking at this sunflower warmed me up. Painting the glowing yellows and hot reads against the dark background was not only a chance to explore the structure of the flower, but it was a lesson in painting light.

To do this one, I set it out as an exercise in seeing and drawing only the shapes of the colors I saw. In the process, I blended layer upon layer of colors to build to the combination of light against dark. Its almost bright enough to let me ignore this dreary day.

Art Every Day: K is for Kids and Creativity

2010-11-10T19:07:00.001-08:00

Day 11
Today's image is a botanical drawing of a potato plant- the final assignment in the fun class I am just completing. It is a botanical drawing - so has no shadows. It looks a little flat to me. None the less, it was fun to draw. I used graphite and color pencil.

Now onto the K. I have kids on my mind. I am just back from a teacher meeting with a handful of interesting and challenging new lessons to present. The classes I teach are part of an after school program funded by parents. This means that only kids who can afford the classes, get to participate. Yet, every kid I encounter tells me they love to do art, and that they wish they could do more of it in school.

Today, the arts are a luxury that many of Oregon's financially strapped schools can't seem to afford. Art advocates (I am certainly one) believe that the price for eliminating the arts from our schools will exact a price we don't want to have to pay.

Arts help students think creatively, not only express ideas, but shape them too. They offer opportunities for success in a variety of learning styles, and prepare kids for the world of work beyond school. And, most of all, kids like art. For many, the arts are what keep them coming to school day after day.

To learn more about the value of arts education, check out this video about the importance of creativity and the value of arts in school from Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) Art Beat at School.

By the way, Oregon Art Beat at School is another fantastic resource for art education, ideas and resources. It includes lesson plans sorted by grade, subject and content standards, and are based on individual videos aired on the TV program and available for streaming online (and in your classroom).

In the interest of full disclosure, I am one of the writers for the site, and I highly recommend it.

Art Every Day: J is for Just Do It!

2010-11-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

Day 10
I had no idea what I was going to do this morning. I spent some time looking at books seeking inspiration. Today is J - joy, jobs, jumping up and down, blue jays? What?

Then, email arrived from John (a good sign). Attached was a photo of a bald eagle taken near his home in New York. I have only even attempted a bird once before, but I loved the image. Frankly, I had no clue where to begin, but I decided I'd just try it and see what appeared.

My first thought was to simply capture the darks and lights in graphite and then ink. Soon, as I stared at the eagle and sketched the basic shape, colors and patterns began to appear. Some of the darks were blue, some red. Some of the lights were white white, others creamy, some yellow. Out came the pencils. One thing I wanted was to make this guy look friendly (I have some JOY in my future who might want an eagle to look at).

Here he is - a fuzzy, friendly eagle on vellum in graphite and color pencil.

Art Every Day: I is for Iris - Goddess of the Rainbow

2010-11-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Day 9
I was introduced to the irresistible beauty of irises by a friend at work many years ago. His entire tiny urban front yard produced a veritable rainbow of exquisite blooms each spring. Every day during the season, he'd bring irises to the office, some for each of the ladies. I was enchanted.

Some blooms huge, some tiny, some fragrant, some flagrantly sensual. I was amazed by the second bloom that appeared after the first wilted. Most of all, it was the colors that attracted me to these flowers. No wonder they are named for the Iris, the Winged Goddess of the Rainbow.

Later, camera in hand, I discovered another aspect of the iris's magnificence - the shapes, the curves, the delicacy. I could go on and on ... but instead of telling you, I will show my version of this goddess flower. This is color pencil on vellum - but I brought the finished image into Photoshop and dropped in the turquoise background (iris in the sky?)

As I worked on this I made another discovery. It took a rainbow of colors to paint this red flower.

Art Every Day: H is for How-to

2010-11-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

I am sure it comes as no surprise to others participating in this challenge to learn that creating an image everyday, and living the rest of my life, is not that easy. The hardest part, for me, is figuring out what to draw every day.

Add to this the alphabet organization I've given myself, and, in case things are not complex enough, I am also trying to experiment with different combinations of media to create different effects.

And, after working for detail in the last two florals, I feel the need to try something loose and sketchy.

Though I am rarely short of ideas, I am often woefully short of technique. As a teacher/writer, I seek, and frequently write, resources, how-to's (e.g., how to stimulate creativity) and curricula for educators. With this in mind, I did a search on How-to's for artists. Surprise, surprise, I came to a site already listed on THIS blog!

The idea for this drawing of a favorite garden is based on a lesson plan I found on DickBlick.com Resources for Educators. This is a great resource for ideas and How-to's. This is also the place you can go to buy new and replenish dwindling supplies.

The garden is drawn on matte acetate with color pencils (which worked surprisingly well). There is a sheet of metallic paper behind the image that gives it the light. Its rough, but I would certainly try this approach again. I an going back to this site for more ideas to try - for myself and my students.

I am always looking for great instructions and ideas - for myself and to share. Please post your favorite resources here.

Art Every Day: G is for Garden

2010-11-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

Day 7
I've mentioned that I love to photograph flowers. I do this where ever I go. Fortunately, in my neighborhood of big yards and burgeoning gardens, I don't have to go far to find something to beautiful.

Though our garden is usually full of vegetables, and our trees hang with fruit (and gorgeous spring blossoms), I often prefer to visit the Master Gardener up the street when seeking inspiration. Monet would have been happy in S's garden.

This drawing is from a photo I took there years ago. I don't know what kind of flower this is, but I love dark flowers, especially, as in this case, when they grow among crowds of white clematis.

I have drawn this flower before, always struggling to get the details out of the lush dark petals. This time I used color pencil on vellum. This seems to me to be a really good combination of paper and media, the vellum does a good job of holding and showing the color and texture I use to apply it.

Art Every Day: F is for Flowers

2010-11-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Tell them dear, that if eyes were made for seeing, Then beauty is its own excuse for being
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Rhodora"

I grew in up the Bronx. My concept of flowers included daisies, roses, scrawny sprigs of lilacs, the creamy gardenias my mother grew in a huge pot on the fire escape and thevivid yellow forsythia bushes that bloomed in the park across the street - the neighborhood harbinger of spring. I noticed flowers, but I never really looked at them. Then I moved to Oregon.

Flowers are everywhere. Flowers are gorgeous. I own a digital camera. I love to take walks. See where I am going with this? I have taken 1000's of digital photos of flowers. We are known to seek out botanical gardens when we travel ... with my camera.

As much as I love to look at, pose and photograph flowers, I think they are difficult to draw. Some of the images I would love to paint are too complex and I am too impatient to diddle in teeny tiny details. But, in honor of this challenge, I drew (is working in color pencil drawing or painting?) this beautiful 'sport' dahlia I found thriving in its new home on a recent trip to Eastern Oregon. When a flower has "sported," (I am told) this means that is shows two colors because its seed is trying to revert to its original color.

This is color pencil on rice paper.

Art Every Day: E is for Errors and Eye Appeal

2010-11-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Day 5
My husband believes that for art to be "good" it has to be attractive to the eye, even pretty. I am not sure I totally agree, but I do know that the images I like definitely fit my own criteria for beautiful. Color - vibrant and rich - always grabs my eye.

As I work to build my skills and generate work, I often look at art - at galleries and art shows, online and in my art books. There are times that I look at technically perfect and highly detailed images, that certainly took time and effort to create, but - for some reason they leave me cold. Other times, I see things that I love, not for their perfection, but for some hard to identify quality that simply speaks to me. I guess that is what I mean by eye appeal.

Which brings me to errors. My Iphone camera is my constant companion. It is the tool I use to capture the world of beauty that surrounds me. It is also the first step to much of my artwork. This summer I was trying to take pix of the hops that grow in our garden. Something distracted me and the camera slipped. However, as I saw it go by, I realized that the image I had captured in error was a potential pastel painting.

It was an interesting experience to try to paint a picture that is deliberately out of focus. I love the colors on this one.

How do you define good art?

Art Every Day: D is for Design and Drawing

2010-11-03T18:21:00.001-07:00

Check out the new blog design! I hope it makes things easier to see and find.

Redesigning this page should count as my creative art for the day .... but noooo. Today was my botanical drawing class with teacher Jill Jeffers Goodell and I had the chance to spend the morning drawing carrots with pen and ink.

I think it is fair to say that drawing is not my strong suit. I prefer to slop the colors down and see what appears. But, D is also for Discipline and I get so much out of the time I spend focused on carefully drawing, I know I am seeing the results in my paintings.

If drawing a carrot was not enough of a challenge, drawing in pen and ink put it over the top. The reason I LOVE pastel is that it is so forgiving, Make a mistake, make it go away - nobody knows but you.

In pen and ink, my messy tendencies resulted in an ugly stain at the bottom of the page. So - D was also for Determination today. I was determined to post this picture, so, I brought it into Photoshop and figured out a way to edit out the stain. Cool.

Art Every Day: C is for Cezanne

2010-11-02T19:41:00.002-07:00

Day 3: Perhaps it is the result of painting apples, or even today's pears, but all this fruitfulness brings Cezanne to mind - and reminds me of one of my favorite art classes (Painting in Pastels, at PNCA).
One of our assignments was to select a section from a masterwork and copy it. I chose to work from pastels by Mary Cassatt and Degas (always an overachiever, I did the assignment three times).
So, today, I decided to seek some inspiration from studying Cezanne's painted apples. To the internet ...
My first click brought me to a wonderful website from the Metropolitan Museum of Art "Cezanne's Astonishing Apples" It is perfect for kids, with its "Look Closely" feature. But perfect also for me - I got to look, in detail, at his painting, Apples and Primroses, hear a nice story about his life, and learn how Cezanne approached his work.
My time spent with Cezanne also helped me understand the challenge I had while painting these pears. One is shiny, two are are not. I am still playing with it to get the light and the colors to work. I did this one on a dark grey Canson Mi Tiente. I like the way the dark color supports the bright white in the foreground.

Art Everyday: B is for Bowl (of Apples)

2010-11-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Pastels, finally, on red canson mi tiente (paper). I love the way the apple green just jumps off the page.

It is interesting to note the carryover from yesterday's project As a teacher, I am trying to determine what my students are learning from the step by step drawing and coloring projects. I can tell that they love what they are doing, but what are they taking away?

In this instance, by following the steps, I learned some new things about how to color the simple forms in the basket of apples to create roundness, establish shadow and highlights, and blend the colors to look like 'real' apples. I will have plenty of ideas to share with them today.

Art Every Day: The Challenge Begins

2010-11-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Let the challenge begin at A. A is for Apples.

Though I've posted a few images in the last week to give myself a taste of what it will be like to do this, the Art Everyday challenge officially begins today, November 1. The goal is to create and post something everyday this month. I am already feeling the pressure to find subjects to paint, and more to the point, paint something I am willing to share. I hope to learn a great deal, and to work even more than that.

Funny, though I mostly work in pastel, most of my recent work has been in other media. There are several reasons for this: First, I do what I am told in class :-), also, I am trying out project ideas for classes I am developing to offer this spring, and, I am currently teaching classes for Young Rembrandts, a program that teaches drawing to young children.

For these classes, I receive a curriculum packet that specifies all the details and every step for each lesson.This week, we draw a basket of apples using colored pencil. It took me several hours of uninterrupted drawing and coloring to even begin to get the richness of color I associate with apples (and art) I am curious to see how my students do with this project. They surprise me every week - so we shall see.

This image is actually my practice for the lesson I will present this week. It was interesting to layout the fruit in a circle, consider the light source, and have fun with the color. One of the advantages to teaching these classes is the opportunity to see how someone else approaches drawing different subjects. Not surprisingly, I learn as I teach.

I plan to keep with this apple theme a little longer and see what appears. See you tomorrow.

EveryDayArt3: For the Birds

2010-10-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

When I teach art classes for kids I am often surprised and delighted with their total willingness to try anything I suggest. So, I channeled this childlike openness when assigned this picture of birds on a feeder in class last night. I've never drawn birds before, and I have forgotten how much I used to enjoy working in colored pencils. I often found them to be too slow for my impatient self. I so appreciate my teacher's sense of the right tool for the job - this image would not have worked as well in pastel (though I may try it to be sure).

One of the things I liked best about this drawing was working in the narrow vertical format. It doesn't photograph well, but it was an interesting composition challenge. I can't say I love this drawing, but I really enjoyed trying something new.

Art Every Day 2

2010-10-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

It was just a year ago that I discovered the pleasure of painting in pastels. Previously, most of my art has taken digital forms, often graphic design, and lots of craft work. Spending this year learning to paint in pastel, exploring this new and totally delicious medium and struggling with a less than stellar job market has made something absolutely clear to me. The work I want to do must include art ... making art, and teaching art.

So, I feel like I am circling back to my creative beginnings. And, I feel that I am moving forward. This week, while cleaning out my office, (making room for all of my glorious collection of art supplies - some decades old) I discovered several rolls of vellum. This image combines inspiration from my botanical drawing class with an experiment using water color pencils on vellum. In progress.

A New Inspiring Idea: Art Every Day

2010-10-23T21:10:00.001-07:00

Its been a while since I felt inspired to write in this blog ... but the Art Every Day Challenge has given me the impetus I need to do something I have wanted to do for a while - put something, anything, on the page everyday.

Taking part in this challenge will (I hope) not only inspire me to be more creative and artistically productive, but also give me the opportunity to discover lots of other artists, learn about what they are doing, and how they do it.

So, this blog is, at least for now, the perfect place to post the images that I create. Since I am currently taking a class on botanical drawing, this first image is from class, a small sketch of a lily, done in oil pastel. I can't wait to see what I am going to post tomorrow.

Inspiring Ideas

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In Layers

Playing Some More

Playing

A Break from the Ordinary

Through a Glass

Building to a Conclusion

Exploring Variations: Finding Ideas

Goals for the New Year

Pieces of the Whole

Dd is for Day 30 and Done (at least for now)

Cc is for Colorful Characters

Bb is for Bright and Bold

Aa is for Abstract and Acrylics

Z is for Zinnias

Y is for Yellow

X is for Experimentation

W is for Wet

V is for Endless Variations

U is for Up

T is for Tualatin

S is for Symmettry

R is for Red

Q is for Questions

P is for playing, peppers and Photoshop

O is for Online Learning

N is for Nice and Warm

M is for Many Colors

L is for the Love of Learning Something New

K is for Klee

"Paul Klee’s personal style spanned an astounding range, blending primitive art, Surrealism, Cubism, and children's art. Extremely inventive, Klee created imaginative works filled with wit and references to dreams, music, and poetry ..."

From the synchronicity department this morning, just as I was getting ready to post about one of my favorite artists, Paul Klee, the website Art.com decided to do the same. The quote about Klee is from the site, which includes this link to a full gallery of his images.

L'arrivée Du Marié, 1933 by Paul Klee

So, who inspired you? In what way? Please share.

J is for Jazz, jerk, jump, jig, jog, jello .....

I is for Ideas (or no ideas)

H is for How-to

G is for Grit

F is for Fun with Flowers Day 6

E is for Energy

D is for Dahlia

C is for Calligraphic Images and Contrasting Colors

B: is for I've Got the Blues

A is for Abstract

How to Talk to your Kids about their Art

Come Draw with Me (Art in the Garden)

Summer Fun Idea: Lewis and Clark Activity Guides

See You in the Funny Pages: Summer Idea for Cartooning Kids

Upcoming Summer Classes: Time to Sign Up

Humor and Fun: Essential Elements of Creative Thinking

Personal Creativity Comes from Considering How to Stimulate Creative Kids

REGISTER NOW for Spring Break Young Artists' Studio

REGISTER NOW for Spring Break Young Artists' Studio

Lakewood Center for the Arts368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego

YOUNG ARTISTS’ STUDIO: A PALETTE OF POSSIBILITIES

Registration Information

Art and Culture: A Natural Connection to Build Understanding

Classroom Culture and Creativity: What do you think?

Can the Tiger Change its Spots?

Inspired by Sunshine

My favorite software for creative kids

Creative Solutions for Winter Break

Ten Tips for a Camera Safari and a Photo Contest for Kids

Original Holiday Card Designs online

Art Every Day: Z is for Zen

Art Every Day: Y is for Yellow Bird

Art Every Day: X is for eXhilaration

Art Every Day: W is for Winter

Art Every Day: V is for Variations

Art Every Day: U is for Umbrellas

Art Every Day: T is for Tinkering

Art Every Day: S is for Stormy Seas

Art Every Day: R is for River Revisited

A workshop for creative kids
who love to paint, or want to learn how

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Lakewood Center for the Arts
368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego

YOUNG ARTISTS’ STUDIO:  A PALETTE OF POSSIBILITIES