LEONA'S ART CLASS

Wildflowers in Winter

2012-01-24T09:28:00.009-05:00

I'm really thrilled that my Wildflower Paintings are featured this month on Ellen Shapiro's blog, Dig It!. These oversized acrylic flower paintings are based on visits to Outer Island, one of the Thimble Islands near Branford, CT. I love the way these wildflowers burst with color amid the island's stark beach environment.

My wildflower paintings are in the windows of Max's Art Supplies in Westport, CT during the month of January. My husband, photographer Richard Frank's photographs are in the windows too. In contrast to my color-filled paintings, his stunning photographs of Outer Island are in black-and-white. If you're in Westport, enjoy the display!

Training the Eye

2011-11-04T23:52:00.007-04:00

There's so much to be learned from doing a white-on-white drawing on charcoal-toned paper. This exercise really trains the eye to look carefully for differences in value. It's those subtle transitions from dark to light, and vice-versa, that create three-dimensionality in a drawing.

Looking for the shapes of shadows, not just amorphous shaded "areas" will create credible volume in the objects you draw. The sensitive drawing above was done by Kristhy, a ninth grader. She successfully established a consistent light source, coming from the right, and carefully analyzed the shapes of cast shadows on the tabletop. Notice especially how Kristhy looked for the shapes of shadows on the objects.

Kristhy worked on this excellent drawing for several hours - time well spent in training her eye to observe carefully.

Revisiting Molly

2011-11-04T22:14:00.012-04:00

In a previous post, I presented drawing-on-toned-paper lesson, and showed Jen's drawing of her Scottish terrier, Molly:

http://leonasartclass.blogspot.com/2011/09/drawing-what-you-lovesketching-scottie.html.

Although she was pleased with her results, Jen felt she could go further with her drawing. We both thought the darks could be emphasized more, and Molly's eyes needed to be darker as well.

We also used a nifty tool called an artist's bridge. It's a small transparent raised shelf to rest your drawing hand on, instead of leaning directly on your paper. It helps to keep the charcoal from accidentally smudging, & you can still see your work through the clear acrylic bridge.

With a little more work and thought, Jen was able to give her drawing more impact and depth. There are a couple of important lessons in this process of re-evaluating one's work:

* Sometimes we need some distance and time to evaluate our work.

* As artists, we need to be open to making improvements or changes in our work.

Here's Jen's finished version of the portrait of Molly. Beautiful job, Jen.

Drawing Inspiration

2011-10-22T10:19:00.010-04:00

I recently saw two beautiful drawing exhibits at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York. "David, Delacroix and Revolutionary France" consists of 80 drawings from 1789-1852, an extremely fertile period in French art. These incredible works are on loan (only at this venue) from The Louvre until December 31st.

The second exhibit, "Ingres at the Morgan," is a group of The Morgan's holdings of drawings by iconic draftsman Jean-Auguste Dominique Ingres (1780-1867), and it's on view until November 27th. The drawings he made as a 13 year old student are astonishing.

The skill demonstrated in all these drawings is phenomenal, and the sensitivity of line, the subtlety of tonal range and mastery of simple media (graphite, chalk, watercolor) are dauntingly magnificent. The drawings live and breathe before one's very eyes.

The exhibits at The Morgan answer the question, "Are drawings done as preparation for paintings?" Well, sometimes they are, but they are undeniably exquisite ends in themselves.

Don't miss this rare opportunity!

The Value of White-On-White

2011-10-17T09:53:00.041-04:00

In previous posts, I've written about the process of creating a toned-paper charcoal drawing. High school students made animal drawings, and Jen drew her Scotty dog, Molly, by first applying charcoal all over the paper, and then drawing lines on top of that layer with soft charcoal. Next, tones or values of gray were added and blended, and a kneaded eraser was used to remove charcoal to gradually create lighter values or whites.

I love teaching this flexible method of drawing to both children and adults, because it's so easy to make changes in your drawing this way. It's a thoughtful process of making judgements about the "darkness" and "lightness" you want to show. Sometimes the color of an object makes it confusing as to how the light source is affecting it. That's why I like this technique of drawing groups of white objects on a white cloth. It helps the artist concentrate on light and shadow, and therefore helps to achieve three-dimensionality.

"How do I make it look real?" There are no fancy tricks. It's all about taking your time to make careful observations, critical judgements and keeping an open mind. My students often spend several hours working on white-on-white drawings, and they're invariably happy with the results.

WHITE-ON-WHITE DRAWING FROM OBSERVATION

Materials:

White drawing paper of good quality, 16"x20" or 18"x24"

Soft willow charcoal

Kneaded eraser

Paper towels

Spray fixative

Procedure:

1. Set up a group of white objects on a table with strong light from a lamp on one side. Consider using white eggs, white cups or bowls, white boxes, etc., and arrange them on a white cloth with a white background.

2. What to look for before you begin:

*Notice how the shapes of the shadows form around the objects and lead your eye from one thing to the next.

*Notice how it's the value (degree of darkness) that separates one object from another, not dark "outlines."

*Be open to seeing not only the shadows cast on the tabletop, but also the shadows on the actual objects.

3. Now tone your paper: using the side of a short piece of charcoal, make broad, dark strokes on the paper, evenly covering the whole surface. It helps to work on top of a pad of paper for smooth application.

4. Using a paper towel, gently smooth and blend the charcoal as evenly as possible all over the paper. If too much charcoal is removed, just apply more, and smooth it again.

5. Draw light lines with your charcoal, and make decisions and changes as you go, always comparing the size and placement of drawn objects to what you actually see in front of you.

6. Start putting in large areas of darks where you see then in the set-up. Keep comparing and varying the degree of darkness to approximate as closely as possible what you see. Sometimes you need to do more looking than drawing!

7. "Pull out" any light areas you see, using your finger tips or your eraser. You can squeeze the kneaded eraser into pointed or knife-edged shapes to erase small areas that are hard to reach with fingers.

8. You can work back and forth from dark to light and vice-versa, until you are finished. When all your objects look consistently lit from one side, and all the shadows are consistently cast on the opposite side, your drawing will look convincingly three-dimensional.

9. In a well ventilated area, or outside, spray your drawing lightly with fixative to prevent smudging.

I can't overemphasize how important it is to allow yourself the time to really look at your set-up of objects and be open to changing your mind about your drawing, or comparing degrees of darkness. Keep looking!

Amy with her white-on-white drawing - beautiful work!

Drawing What You Love/Sketching Scottie

2011-09-24T22:30:00.022-04:00

When Jen wanted to make a drawing of her delightful Scottish terrier, Molly, I suggested she use a photograph of her dog for reference. We worked with the same toned paper technique I taught to a group of high school students in my Drawing Animals lesson.

After toning her paper, Jen drew Molly's features with charcoal lines. Then she established all the darkest shapes on Molly's face by making intuitive repeated bold strokes within those areas, suggesting fur. She achieved beautifully loose movement and texture with this approach. Jen also used her kneaded eraser to remove the charcoal in selected areas of her drawing, establishing lighter tones, as well as near-whites.

Jen's close familiarity with her dog contributed meaning and enthusiasm to the process of drawing Molly. When you decide what to draw, think about using something or someone close to you as your subject. Try using this charcoal-toned paper technique to draw animals, people, landscapes or still lifes. It's a very forgiving process that allows for easy modifications and changes. To change a line, just rub it out with your finger or a paper towel, and redraw it.

I really love drawing with charcoal, & I created a series of large drawings of fruits and vegetables, including the charcoal diptych drawing, "Three Peppers." I'm thrilled that based on this drawing, I was recently awarded a solo exhibition at John Slade Ely House New Haven in September 2012!

Here are the steps for making a toned paper charcoal drawing:

TONED PAPER DRAWING

Materials:

soft willow charcoal in 1 1/2" lengths

white drawing paper

kneaded eraser

paper towels

photograph for reference, optional

spray fixative

Procedure:

1. Using the side of your charcoal, make broad, dark strokes on the paper, covering the whole surface. It helps to work on top of a pad of paper for smooth application.

2. Using a paper towel, gently smooth and blend the charcoal as evenly as possible all over the paper. If too much charcoal is removed, just apply more, and smooth it again.

3. Draw the basic shapes of your subject, and fill in the dark areas with charcoal. You can blend and lighten any areas with your finger or paper towel. Also, use your kneaded eraser to "pull out" charcoal in order to create very light areas. Keep adding darks, middle tones and lights, to establish a three-dimensional representation of your subject.

4. In a well ventilated area, lightly spray the fixative on your drawing to prevent smudging.

"Molly" by Jen

"Painting" with Tissue Paper

2011-09-14T22:59:00.024-04:00

This wonderful technique combines drawing, bleeding tissue paper and glue to create a colorful one of a kind painting. You can find two different kinds of colored art tissue paper in art supply stores. One type keeps its color when wet, and the other type "bleeds" its color out when wet. Using bleeding tissue paper for this project will allow the colors to run and blend into each other in beautifully unpredictable ways.

You can see my video lesson on Tissue Paper Painting here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwICGuREYAU

Here's how you make one.

TISSUE PAPER PAINTING

Materials:

white recycled mat board or cardboard, 9"x12" or larger

pencil with eraser

Thick black permanent Sharpie pen

Bleeding tissue paper, assorted colors, torn into small pieces

White glue

Old brush

Small recycled plastic container for water

Water

Procedure:

1. Cover your work surface or table with a plastic tablecloth or newspaper to protect it.

2. Using your pencil, do a line drawing on the white board, keeping your lines simple and bold.

3. Go over the pencil lines with a thick Sharpie pen. Erase any stray pencil lines.

4. In your plastic container, make a mixture of 2/3 glue and 1/3 water. Stir with a brush.

5. Working a small area at a time, paint the glue mixture onto the board, apply a small piece of the bleeding tissue paper on top of the glue, and paint another coat of glue on top of the tissue. The pieces of tissue should overlap, creating transparent mixed colors, and the colors will also bleed into each other and onto the white board. Allow your tissue shapes to fall outside the black lines once in a while.

6. Continue this process, until you have covered most of the board with colored tissue. If you wish, some white spaces may be left uncolored. When the glue mixture is wet, the colors may appear cloudy, but once it's dry, it will look clear.

7. Don't forget to wash the glue mixture out of your brush very thoroughly.

8. Allow the board to dry overnight. If thin boards buckle when dry, they can be flattened by placing the completely dry board under some heavy books for a couple of days. You may want to mount your "painting" on a larger board of a contrasting color to frame it for display.

Graham's Tissue Paper Painting

Under the Sea - Watercolor Resist

2011-08-28T21:25:00.015-04:00

It was a pleasure working with seven year old Rachel last week on an "Under the Sea" watercolor resist painting. Rachel's concentration and inclusion of detail paid off in the beautiful results she achieved. Brava, Rachel!

Here's how we did it:

UNDER THE SEA WATERCOLOR RESIST

Materials:

Watercolor paper, approx 11"x15"

Oil pastels, select any light and bright colors, except for dark blue

Blue liquid watercolor paint

Thick watercolor brush

Water container & water

Water spray bottle, optional

Procedure:

1. Using oil pastels, draw an imaginary underwater scene, including any of the following: fish, whales, sharks, crabs, eels, sand, seaweed, coral, bubbles... and use imaginary colors and patterns.

2. Make your lines bold and solid by pressing hard as you draw, and go over your lines a second time to make a thick layer of oil pastel on the paper. Be sure to leave some areas on your paper white.

3. Dip your brush into the liquid watercolor, and let it gently glide right over your drawing. You'll notice that your bright oil pastels lines resist the watercolor, and will pop out from the watercolor wash. Use plenty of paint, and allow puddles to form and dry in place.

4. While the paint is still damp, you can create interesting patterns by using the water spray bottle to squirt a few random sprays on your painting. (Don't overdo this step, as too much water will dilute your blue paint.)

5. Allow your painting to dry flat.

Wonderful Exhibition/Two Sisters

2011-08-08T12:43:00.005-04:00

I saw a great exhibition at The Jewish Museum in New York City, called "Collecting Matisse and Modern Masters: The Cone Sisters of Baltimore." This is a show of over fifty modern paintings that were collected by Dr. Claribel & Miss Etta Cone, including works by Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, van Gogh and Gauguin.

At the time that these two visionary collectors amassed their collection, avant-garde art was not yet appreciated or understood by the general public. The Cone sisters acquired their art by buying directly from the artists in their Paris studios in the early 1900's, and developed professional relationships with the artists they patronized.

It's fascinating to see what the Cone sisters bought to display in their home for their own enjoyment. Of course the collection now has enormous value, and has been donated to the Baltimore Museum of Art, where the two women were raised and lived as adults.

The Exhibit will be on view at The Jewish Museum until September 25th, 2011. You won't want to miss it.

Drawing Animals: Kittens & Whales & Giraffes, Oh My!

2011-08-08T11:01:00.017-04:00

Last week I taught a "How to Draw Animals" lesson to a group of high school students. Most of the students provided their own reference photographs to work from. Having the students copy their reference materials, would have produced acceptable results, but I wanted the students to get the most mileage out of this one-day project, and go beyond copying.

First, I discussed and demonstrated how to look for the main shapes of a subject, whether it's an object in a still life, a landscape or an animal. I advised them to look for and establish the shape of the animal's largest part first (usually its body), and draw an abstract shape, such as a rectangle or oval to approximate it. Then, keeping aware of relative size, distances apart and gesture, the other body parts could be added as general abstract shapes as well. I explained that while developing the drawing, the artists would be able to keep refining their judgements to make appropriate changes, as they gradually added detail.

Next I introduced the students to the process of working with vine charcoal and kneaded erasers on white paper toned with charcoal. First each student covered his/her paper with a layer of dark tone, using soft vine charcoal. This was smoothed over lightly with a paper towel. Then, using the same charcoal sticks, they drew the basic shapes for their animals. As the drawings progressed, I showed the artists how to use their erasers as drawing tools to "pull out" whites from the paper, and to blend grays. Erasers could also be used to add light strokes for background texture or fur. Fingers were also very useful for blending, adding and subtracting values and practically "sculpting" the darks and lights.

None of the students had used this drawing approach before, and all found it satisfyingly forgiving, effective and fun. Many of the artists were pleasantly surprised with their results, and parents and other adults were surprised at the sophisticated level of work that was accomplished in only two hours.

You can use this technique of initially toning the paper to draw an animal, a portrait, a still life, a landscape, a seascape or an abstract fantasy. Your fingers and eraser will be a mess, but you can always clean up, and I think you'll really enjoy the results.

The Students' Drawings

Middle School Artists - Old Friends

2011-07-09T12:35:00.012-04:00

It was great to work with three middle school students I knew from prior teaching experience, who came to the studio to paint and draw. Isabella and Olivia worked on acrylic still life paintings from observation, while Adlai drew with Conte (hard chalk) pencils, from imagination.

Isabella's painting is an inclusive composition of the studio set-up, while Olivia's is a stylized and closely cropped approach. Adlai's fascinating and skillful drawings refer to Greek and Roman warriors and mythical beasts. The studio was alive with their creativity!

It's always a privilege to observe and nurture the intellectual and artistic growth of young artists, as I did with these three maturing students. What a delight to reunite with old friends.

Mother & Daughter: Painting Together

2011-07-09T11:36:00.012-04:00

Inwha and her daughter, Shira, each painted the same still life set up over a series of art lessons in my studio. Although they both painted from

observation, each created her own unique version of the set-up. Inwha chose to paint it in a vertical format, and Shira's was a horizontal, and their color schemes differed as well.

It's a real joy to see the successful expression of individuality in art. It's an affirmation of the multitude of ways art can be done. I couldn't help but notice how Inwha and Shira expressed genuine respect and admiration for each other's abilities and work. "Mom, how did you get that color?" "Shira, I love the color you made for the pitcher."

Brava to Inwha and Shira!

by Shira

by Inwha

Drawing/Painting - Father/Daughter

2011-07-08T20:50:00.013-04:00

Last week, Isabella and her father, Goran, took an art lesson together at my studio. This father/daughter team have bonded over exploring the art process together for many years. While they worked with me in the studio, the respect and love they have for each other was obvious.

Isabella worked on an acrylics still life painting from observation, while Goran did a powerful charcoal drawing based on a childhood memory. They worked independently, but also supported each other's efforts, as they shared a creative moment together.

At the end of the lesson, Goran paid me a high compliment when he said, "Thank you for transporting me to a different place." Art has the potential to take us on wonderful journeys.

Summery Tube Sculptures

2011-06-24T15:19:00.052-04:00

This week I taught a series of art lessons to a small group of Lower Elementary students. Our focus was on cardboard tube sculptures, and we also made colorful sun catchers and collages to welcome summer. The directions for making cardboard tube sculptures are below, and you can see how to make sun catchers in my May 15, 2011 post.

CARDBOARD TUBE SCULPTURES

Materials:

Recycled cardboard tubes from paper towels or toilet tissue

Recycled corrugated cardboard for base

Scissors

White glue

Masking tape

Acrylic gesso & an old paintbrush

Acrylic paints

Paint brushes

Water container

Assorted decorative craft items (felt, buttons, googly eyes, etc.)

Procedure:

1. Think of an invented creature, an animal, a person or a thing you'd like to make using tubes. Decide what is the biggest or main part of what you're making, and begin construction with that part. Decide if your sculpture will need a cardboard base in order to stand on its own. If your sculpture has 4 legs, it will probably stand by itself, and won't need a base.

2. Cut 1/2" long slits about 1/2" apart all around the bottom circumference of a cardboard tube. Bend the slits out to make tabs for gluing. Slits may also be cut in the ends of tubes to fit one inside the other.

3. Apply a dot of glue to each tab and press into place either on the outside of another tube or onto the base. Apply strips of masking tape over all glued tabs; long strips of tape should extend from tubes onto other tubes or onto the base. (All tape needs to stay in place and will not be removed.)

4. The next day, when the glue has set, paint a thin, even coat of white gesso over your entire sculpture, including the base, and allow to dry overnight.

5. On the following day, paint your sculpture with realistic or fantasy colors, and allow to dry again.

6. Glue on any decorative collage or craft items, such as fabric, buttons, feathers or googly eyes to make your sculpture special.

Adam made a fiery, smiley sun.

Abbey made a fantasy flower with a hovering butterfly.

Elli made a sculpture of herself playing soccer.

SUN CATCHERS

by Adam

by Abbey

by Elli

Recycled Beverage Caps: Real Wheels

2011-06-13T21:56:00.010-04:00

Here's a fun way to recycle the small plastic lids (washed and dried) from milk or juice containers.

REAL WHEELS

Materials:

Assorted scrap mat board pieces

Black Sharpie pen

Watercolor paints

Watercolor paintbrush

Water container

Small clean plastic lids from milk or juice containers

Awl or sharp punch tool (to be used only by adults)

Brass fasteners, 1'' long

Procedure:

1. Using a Black Sharpie (permanent) pen, do a line drawing of a scene showing a vehicle that has wheels (car, truck, bus, bicycle, etc.). Don't draw the wheels, but do add other details to make your drawing interesting.

2. Paint your scene with watercolors, using realistic or fantasy colors. Try letting the wet colors run into each other and mix on their own. Your black lines will show through the watercolor paints. Allow to dry.

3. To make each wheel in your picture, use the awl to punch a hole in the middle of a plastic lid. Punch a hole through the mat board where the wheel will be attached. Push a brass fastener through the lid and through the hole in the board. On the back of the board, open the prongs of the fastener and flatten them against the board. Each wheel will be able to turn!

You can use other lids for anything round in your painting, such as the sun, or a clock. You can also use your Sharpie to draw details on the lids themselves. Another possibility is to make an abstract painting of any colors and designs you choose, and add turning wheels anywhere you'd like.

Here Comes the Sun Catcher

2011-05-15T20:10:00.022-04:00

Here's a simple and inexpensive way to make a beautiful sun catcher. Hang it in your window in celebration of Spring and Summer, and the colors will come to life when the sunlight streams in.

SUN CATCHER

Materials:

Thick black permanent marker pen (Sharpie "Fine Point")

Thick permanent marker pens (Sharpies "Fine Point"), assorted colors

Recycled clear hard plastic cover from a food container (yogurt)

Sharp tool (awl or sharp scissors)

Unbent paper clip, pipe cleaner or scrap of yarn or wire

Procedure:

1. Wash and dry a clear hard plastic food container cover.

2. On the outside surface of the cover, use the black pen to draw a design using many lines.

3. On the opposite side (the inside surface) of the cover, fill in the areas between the lines with a variety of colors. Use as many colors and designs as you wish.

4. Using an awl or the blade of scissors (kids should get adult help to do this safely), punch a small hole at the top of the cover.

5. Thread the paper clip, pipe cleaner or yarn through the hole & tie it off. Hang your sun catcher in a sunny window.

You can see more colorful sun catchers in my June 24, 2011 post.

A five year old made this lively sun catcher!

Collage and Chalk

2011-04-07T12:37:00.003-04:00

The word "collage" mean to paste; it's a work of art made by pasting or gluing objects onto a background. It's a good idea to do the pasting on a heavy piece of cardboard, so your art work won't buckle and bend when it dries. The fun part is that you can glue on so many surprisingly different things.

It's fun to experiment with combinations of materials in your art. Try making a drawing of something real or just a design, using colored chalk on dark paper. Press hard as you draw with your chalk, and your lines will really stand out against the dark colored background.

Next you can tear or cut pieces of paper to glue into the spaces between your lines, to "color in" the spaces, trying not to cover up the bold chalk lines you made. Here are some things you can use to glue in the spaces: torn or cut colored or patterned papers, yarn or string, colored tape, cardboard, buttons, old calendar pages, newspaper, wrapping paper, ribbons, magazine pictures, pieces of hand-written letters or envelopes, old movie tickets... Can you think of any other things to glue on?

Try overlapping your glued-on pieces, linking one shape to another, and allowing some colors to peek out. Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque and Kurt Schwitters were artists who made beautiful collages.

It's a good idea to keep a box of collage materials handy at home, and you can keep adding recycled papers and objects to it, as they become available. Artists have always been great "recyclers."

Recycled Tube Sculpture: Say hi to Perry!

2011-04-06T13:11:00.008-04:00

This tube man's name is Perry. I love using recycled objects to make art with kids. Recently, we used various cardboard tubes from paper towel bathroom tissue rolls and oatmeal boxes to make tube sculptures.

We cut slits at about 3/4" intervals around the tops and bottoms of the tubes to fit them onto each other. We constructed the sculpture by gluing and taping the tubes together, applied gesso to the whole sculpture and painted it after it was dry. Adding on decorative papers, buttons and googly eyes made them really special. We glued and taped the sculptures to cardboard bases for sturdy support and stability.

Are you thinking about other things you could recycle to make art? Old CD's, plastic container lids, old jewel cases for CD's, old credit cards, paper grocery bags?

"Robie" Revisited

2011-03-05T18:48:00.006-05:00

Here's the finished version of the robot box sculpture I wrote about in an earlier post. This young sculptor made "Robie" special by adding great details after it was painted. I love the way the eyes pop out because of the light blue painted outline around the googly eyes.

When adding details such as buttons or fabric to your sculpture, it's best to use a craft glue for extra hold. I've had good results with Aleene's Original Tacky Glue. It holds collage items well, and it dries nearly clear. Also, adding line details with paint markers on top of dry painted areas can be very effective.

Recycled Boxes: One Cool Cat

2011-03-02T21:56:00.015-05:00

There's more than one way to sculpt a cat! Here's the way one five year old artist used his imagination plus boxes to build a cat sculpture. At first, when he started construction, he kept joking that he made a "chair-cat," because of the flat back, head and four legs! But by the time he finished, it looked unmistakably cat-like, whiskers and all.

The whimsical colors and patterns make this sculpture unique. When you create art, think of the ways you can make your work look special. Add details and design. Add color, line and texture. Add fabric and buttons. Make your art the way nobody else would do theirs.

Picasso Strikes a Chord at MoMA

2011-02-21T23:14:00.012-05:00

I saw a great exhibit at MoMA today called Picasso: Guitars 1912-1914. It focuses on Pablo Picasso's many paintings, drawings and collages of guitars and violins. My favorite pieces in the show are the cardboard and paper and the sheet metal constructions of the instruments. When he first made them, no one had seen art works made from such humble materials before, and people questioned whether they were sculptures or paintings. Picasso answered, "They're just GUITARS!"

Some of Picasso's constructions and paintings reminded me of a project I did last year with elementary art students. First, I asked the children to draw a violin from careful observation. Then I gave them a wide range of materials (watercolors, oil pastels, cardboard, yarn, wire, colored papers, etc.) to add imaginary or realistic color to their drawings. I named the project, "Various Violins," because, as you can see from the photographs, the variety of interpretations was huge - which was exactly the point of the assignment. It showed kids that although each artist started out drawing the same violin, there were endless ways to interpret it, and each way was valuable.

Think about doing a painting or drawing of a musical instrument, maybe one that you play, and try adding imaginary colors or three-dimensional collage elements (yarn, buttons, cardboard) to make your drawing original. Remember, there are many ways to create a work of art. No matter what age you are, as an artist you must find your own unique way to create. I highly recommend the Picasso exhibition at MoMA as a fun family outing. It will inspire you!

Rocket Science

2011-02-12T14:57:00.009-05:00

BOX SCULPTURE

I love it when kids tell me that after making box sculptures, they look at boxes differently.

Instead of seeing a cereal box at breakfast, they see the possibility of a car, an airplane or a rocket ship. Box sculpture is all about possibility and imagination. This might slow down the breakfast rush a bit, but let's appreciate the creative thought process happening here - the transformation of raw material into something completely new!

Graham's rocket is made of an egg carton, a sugar box, an oatmeal box, a cracker box and a Jello box. There's no "formula" for how to invent a rocket. Each artist will find his or her own way, & that's what makes art so exciting. Someone else could have used the same boxes to make an animal or a car, or even a different rocket.

First, Graham glued and taped the boxes together to make the rocket shape he wanted. Then he applied acrylic gesso to all the surfaces of sculpture and allowed it to dry. Next, he painted his rocket with acrylic paints. Once that was dry, he drew lines with a silver paint pen to add details. He even kept the cover of the egg carton open so he could use it as a secret compartment.

Nice job, Graham!

Brushes painting brushes

2011-02-02T15:59:00.007-05:00

I recently worked with a talented adult student who is beginning to explore watercolor, after having done some beautiful charcoal drawings and a first time acrylic painting. Although watercolor is often described as an "unforgiving" medium, we're both enjoying its transparency and sometimes unpredictability. What better choice of medium is there to depict the transparency of colored glass than transparent watercolor?

It's not necessary to purchase expensive materials to get excellent results with watercolors. Check out the Yarka set of twelve colors. It's a good quality, inexpensive set which is appropriate for both children and adults. Using decent watercolor paper will enhance your results too.

Hurray For Box Sculptures!

2011-02-02T15:24:00.006-05:00

What a celebration of creativity and color!

Winter Resist

2011-01-30T13:16:00.010-05:00

Inwha & Shira a creative mother and daughter duo study art with me. They worked on these delightful oil pastel resists in response to the snowy winter we're experiencing.

First they drew heavily with oil pastels on watercolor paper, and then applied watercolor over the colored lines. The watercolors find their way to any uncolored patches of paper, and allow the oil pastels to pop through the paint.

We added salt to areas of wet paint to achieve the effect of random "snowy" patterns. Another technique we experimented with was spraying clear water into wet paint for additional beautiful patterns.

Outside the Box

2011-01-29T13:40:00.014-05:00

Some of my students are working on box sculptures, one of my (& their) favorite open-ended art projects. First, kids decide what they're going to make and then they join boxes sturdily with masking tape and glue, making sure to tape over any gaps or holes. Choice of subject matter is vast. Consider animals, people, vehicles, fantasy creatures or inanimate objects. One of my students made a garden gnome with a birdbath, and another made an awesome sky diver with a parachute! Some of my students have kept their box sculptures for years, and have even used them as coffee tables!

The next step is to brush artist's gesso onto all surfaces of the sculpture & allow to dry. Then paint the sculpture with tempera or acrylics, using realistic or fantasy colors. When the paint is dry, any collage materials, such as buttons, feathers, fabric or pipe cleaners can be glued on for decoration and detail. The more color and detail, the merrier, so even paint markers can be used to add lines or dots.

Try to save clean, dry boxes and cardboard tubes at home to have available for this project. It's a great way to recycle boxes, and box sculpture is a wonderful creative project for kids to make independently.

Art Party

2011-01-23T11:49:00.017-05:00

I was invited to present an art lesson at the home of former school students. Since everyone was getting a little tired of all the snow we've been having, we began by creating summery beach scenes, using oil pastel & watercolor resist techniques. The fact that there was a variety of ages in the participants made for more variety in the paintings.

Watercolor resist is one of my favorite techniques to introduce to both children and adults. When wax crayon or oil pastel lines are applied heavily to paper, watercolor washes painted on top of the drawing allow those lines to pop through the paint. It's a dramatic and magical process which fascinates young and older artists alike!

Recent Art Exhibit

2011-01-23T00:30:00.003-05:00

I recently had the privilege of planning and executing a first-time art exhibit for Amy, a young woman who is struggling with serious medical issues. She amazingly uses art as a means of coping with multiple surgeries following a blood clot and a coma. Her solo exhibition of mixed media paintings provided a vehicle for her to reach out to friends, family and other guests, and was an inspiring event for all who participated. The three months I spent working on the exhibit was time well spent.

Teaching private art lessons to Amy and others continues to be one of the most satisfying moments in my career as a painter and teacher. I also enjoy teaching art to small groups of children in my studio. I love using the skills I developed as a teacher in a school classroom in my own studio.

Back to School

2009-09-21T21:36:00.006-04:00

The slight chill in the air feels appropriate, as children and teachers are all back in school now. I look forward to another year of creativity, as I present new and exciting projects to my students.

This week, weather permitting, my Elementary art classes will be drawing the landscape of our school campus. We'll be using white pastel chalk & white charcoal pencils on black paper! I'm anticipating some very dramatic interpretations.

It's always fun to draw subjects you're very familiar with. It forces you to observe things carefully, & to see things you never noticed before. Try drawing your house, or your building, including as much detail as you can.

School Art Show

2009-04-29T22:32:00.004-04:00

This is the first year my school has had an Elementary art show, & tonight, we had a reception for the artists. Each young artist stood near one of his/her artworks, and was prepared to speak about the process & ideas in creating the work.

This was a very proud moment for parents, grandparents, classroom teachers and me, their art teacher. For me, the art show, a pretty monumental presentation, was tangible and dramatic evidence of a year's worth of planning, teaching and connecting with wonderful young artists. Parents seemed to realize that although the show featured art, their children are learning so much beyond the paintings and sculptures; they're being gently pushed to take creative risks, and are learning new ways of thinking.

Art & Musical Instruments

2009-04-01T23:03:00.006-04:00

I hung an exhibition of my students' wonderful drawings of an antique tuba today. It was important for the artists to concentrate & keep looking carefully at the tuba to make a convincing drawing of it. Since the tuba has about sixteen feet of bent tubing and three valves, it's a very challenging object to draw. I'm so proud of my students, from first grade through sixth who made excellent drawings.

If you play a musical instrument, or if your family has an old instrument, whether it's guitar, drums, violin or piano, you might be inspired to draw that instrument. It's really fun to draw something you're interested in. With parent's permission, place the instrument on the floor in front of you, and concentrate only on what you see, not what you KNOW is there.

Begin using a pencil and an eraser, and finish your drawing with markers, pastels, colored pencils, watercolors, or any combination of materials. Try looking for darker parts, where there are shadows, lighter parts, and details, such as valves, keys, and strings, which can be shown in your drawing. Are certain parts of the instrument in front of others? Can you draw the closest parts showing that they hide what's behind them?

Have fun enjoying your musical instrument, not only for the beautiful notes it can produce, but also as something great to draw.

Drawing on Vacation

2009-03-25T10:48:00.003-04:00

I've used some of the free time during my school Spring Break to work on some large charcoal still life drawings. Drawing is an ongoing exercise in learning to observe carefully and record what you see. When kids ask me how to become better at drawing, I usually say, "Draw, Draw, Draw!" The more you draw, the better you train your eye to really see.

You can keep a small sketchbook, pencils and an eraser in a backpack, or in the car, and sketch scenes you see, places you visit, or things you imagine. These drawings can be developed in more detail later on, or simply stand as a record of your ideas and experiences.

Sketchbooks keep your work neat and organized, whereas loose papers tend to get lost or discarded. If you don't own a sketchbook, you can make a simple one by stapling together a small stack of recycled white paper. You can even make covers for your book, by using colored papers for the top and bottom of your stapled stack. Keep drawing...

Picasso, a Master

2009-03-09T18:35:00.003-04:00

Just saw a wonderful Picasso exhibit at Yale Art Gallery. It was intimate and manageable, and would be an ideal show for children to see. The exhibit focuses on Picasso's use of words in his work, in collages, paintings and books he illustrated. What a treat to see the fluidity, grace and expression in Picasso's line drawings and etchings. This inventor of Cubism is a real inspiration.

If you're a parent who enjoys taking your child to art museums, you may want to limit the number of galleries you view per visit. Both children and adults can become very weary from visual overload, crowded spaces and tired feet. Often, when a museum features a blockbuster exhibit, its other galleries, showing the permanent collection, may be relatively empty. Take advantage of such an opportunity for a peaceful family meander through less traveled paths to see some inspiring art.

Crayon Etching

2009-03-04T00:53:00.008-05:00

I hope you have a chance to watch the video demonstration of how to make a crayon etching. It's a really easy project to make, and the results can be quite beautiful and magical. Many parents will remember doing this as a kid - you might want to give it a try again, and create a crayon etching as your child also creates one.

Small etchings can be glued to folded colored paper to make greeting cards. They can also be glued to colored paper larger than the etching, and given as a wonderful handmade gift to someone special.

Many thanks to our good friend, Nick Pisarro, who skillfully shot the video in my home studio. Deepest gratitude to our son, Josh, and his wife, Nana, both multi-talented and creative, for editing, writing the music and directing the video. And thanks to my husband, Dick, who designed the lighting, and kept us all on track. They're threatening to make more art project demonstration videos, so please stay tuned.

Thinking Outside the Box

2009-02-12T22:13:00.008-05:00

My students in school are currently making imaginative sculptures out of recycled boxes. Although I rarely repeat art projects from year to year, box sculpture is one I assign every year. In fact, the children in my art program usually make a point of asking to do it, because they enjoy it so much.

The materials needed for this project are simple: recycled cardboard boxes, paper towel or toilet paper cardboard rolls, and cardboard egg cartons. We use masking tape, white glue, scissors and lots of imagination for the first stage of our sculptures. My students have made such diverse constructions as horses, lions, butterflies, trucks, robots and caterpillars... Almost anything is possible, & therein lies the value in this project - amazingly open-ended possibility.

I love the fact that this is a sculpture children beginning at age six can manage mostly by themselves. Older kids can make more complicated pieces. For example, I teach a ten year old who is building a sky diver, and an eight year old who's making a clown spinning a plate on a stick! I'll be posting some of the projects in process soon.

More About Obama Drawings

2009-02-09T20:49:00.011-05:00

When we made Barack Obama drawings in school (see previous post), I taped a sheet of clear acetate over each child's picture. Then we used permanent black Sharpie pens to write short, inspiring quotes from our new president on the acetate, placing the words in a graphically interesting spot over the drawing. Students also used the Sharpie's to outline images, or to add details on the acetate layer. These became magical drawings in two layers: the bottom paper layer in Art Stix colors, and the overlay piece of acetate, with black Sharpie words of Obama's, and drawing additions. Sounds a little more complicated than it really is... They turned out quite well, & I'm thinking of sending some of the finished pieces to President Obama.

Drawing Inauguration Day

2009-01-21T21:17:00.007-05:00

In school this week, my art classes (grades 1-6) are making wonderful drawings of our newly inaugurated President, Barack Obama, and are showing some of the important work our country will undertake under his leadership. The students are including famous quotes by President Obama in their drawings.

You may also want to do some drawings that remind you of our historic Presidential Inauguration Day. Some things you could include are the American flag, the White House, the Obama family, the world globe and people of all colors celebrating.

We used Art Stix and colored pencils to make our drawings, but you could use colored markers, crayons or oil pastels too. Your drawing will be a great reminder of a special day in American history.

101 ideas in the Idea Bank

2009-01-19T22:47:00.007-05:00

"What should I draw"? In my school Art Studio, I often see kids who need help thinking of something to draw. I created a classroom Idea Bank to help kids find inspiring subject matter for their art.

Similarly, I've created an Idea Bank on this blog, filled with lots of fun subjects kids can use to begin a drawing - in fact, there are 101 different ideas to choose from. Each time you click on the idea button, you'll see a new idea pop up. Choose the idea you like best, and make a drawing with lots of beautiful colors and details.

Draw big, and fill the space on your paper. You can draw with any tools you like - crayons, oil pastels, colored pencils, markers... Try to keep all your drawings in a sketch book so they won't get lost. More about sketch books later.

Keep drawing, and do try this at home!

Do try this at home!

2009-01-16T23:00:00.005-05:00

As an Elementary art teacher in an independent school for seven years, and a working artist, I'm very excited about the opportunity to share my ideas about creating art with simple materials. The main idea is that great art depends on imagination...it's not about fancy or expensive materials. I bet you never thought a little tin foil and tape could be used to make action figures. By working on some of my art projects, I hope children and parents can see how easy it is to have fun making wonderful art. These projects offer great opportunities to spend time together as a family.