Roadside Art

As a child I always liked playing with chalk, other than that drying-out feeling it left on my hands.

Then as an adult, I didn't like the dust that it leaves below any work area.

The ideal place for chalk.......

the road.

Mitchell's Leather Work

Making Journals, wallets, coin cases.

With all the females in our household, Mitchell is the one we buy the used leather purses for!!

He's been doing an awesome job creating these projects.  And has fun, to boot!!

Sweeping Strokes

Danaka's "Window"

Gaelyn's "Sea Animals"

Danaka's "Art of Science"

Mitchell's "Ancient Scripts" (Viking Ruens, Hebrew, & Hieroglyphs)

Anders' "Animal Letters"

Gaelyn's "Animal Letters"

Maret's "Run Away Spunky" book

Spunky the cat in a rain storm

the proud author and painter, Maret

Double One's

Today's Birthday Girl, turned a Double-One

Her idea was to make pancakes herself, and serve it to Mom and Dad in bed!  Yeah, she does the work on her birthday and serves her parents!!  

She's been painting and creating, like Maret always does.  These are just some of the recent pictures

and her hard at work.

One of her Grandma's gave her a book on Drawing and Painting Wildlife, so I'm sure we'll be seeing even more and more of that around here.  Today she's been painting horses.

Happy Birthday, Maret.

(DPP) Artistic

(DPP) Watching Movies

We pull the couches up in front of our biggest computer screen and watch a movie.  

No TV for us, but this works just fine.

And now those with needlework projects like to do it while watching a movie, 

or while Mom reads aloud.

Oh, and welcome to Winter (officially).

(DPP) A Teacher Visits

Miss Mac comes to visit and bring gifts for the children.

Here she marvels over Maret's art work.

(DPP) Big Sis Little Bro

Mix together Big Artistic Sister with 4 year old Little Brother and some colourful nailpolish the other Sisters just got from Santa's Early Elves and you have Happy Faces!

(DPP) Flying

Hollyhock Doll

Last night Toveli and I shared a book "Priscilla and the Hollyhocks" by Anne Broyles, about a young slave girl on a Southern plantation, her forced march along the Trail of Tears, and a chance encounter with a white man she'd previously met who ends up paying $1000 in gold to adopt her so she can get an education and be part of a family with 15 other adopted children.  

From the book, Toveli learned to make a Hollyhock doll from the flower & a bud, and made one from a plant in our backyard.

 Bit blurry, but these were all taken by the Artist Herself.  Including the one she took of herself!

In Flanders Fields

Impromptu Art Show

The doorbell rings.  Who would it be, in the dark, no lights on outside, and we don't really know anybody around here?

It's a travelling door-to-door salesman selling original oil paintings!  With a cute accent.  (I'm a sucker for accents.  This one is Israeli.  I love Israeli accents.)  Everette invites Ille (or something like that) in with his art package.

He rushes in with his big bundle and plops himself confidently in front of the gas fireplace.  He's certainly not shy, not one bit.

The children gather around on the newly arrived couches (Everette just picked them up this afternoon from his sisters.  Ahhh, we are relieved to be off of the floor finally!  Numb-bum has been a constant for 2 weeks now).

Voila!  Our living room is morphed into an impromptu Art Show.

We are told of some of the techniques used with the oils, the rubbing off, the tools (to apply and/or remove).  We feel the texture.  Marvel at the vibrant colours.  Recognize some of the famous painters they are trying to 'copy'.  Van Gogh, Picasso.  We see Jerusalem.  Paris.  Venice.  Tour d'France. Fields of poppies.  Ancient pottery.

All so beautiful.  The depth created by layers and colours.  The play with shadows.

The children loved it.  Up close and centre.  What a treat.

And I snuck some photos.

Most of the children liked the flower pictures

Inspired by Picasso

Field of Poppies was one of Gaelyn's favorites and looked great on our wall at the bottom of the stairwell.

Looks too much like Thomas Kinkade pictures.  Not my favourite artist at all.

A 'Van Gogh' look-alike

My personal favourite.  I was tempted to purchase this one, but chose to buy groceries for the littles instead.  Was a tough decision, though.   

Always a Hit

Face Painting Always Seems Like a Hit

 

I'm not sure where the Farmer Guys came from though....

 

Because Everette and I went away for the day to check out rentals on Salt Spring.  So our day was full of wind blowing in our hair while driving the Jeep,

meditation in the warm morning sun,

and beautiful scenery.

My Shadow

~ Roberts Louis Stevenson

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow --
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,
And sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.

He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close  beside me, he's a coward you can see;
I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning very early, before the sun was up,I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.


                                                                                                     

Pic by Lim Heng Swee

Introducing Laars' Perspective

He likes the camera.

You can just see Tigger peeking out of a tent (applique) at the bottom of Laars' own jean pantleg

He LOVES Mama

What did I tell you?  He Loves Me!!

He loves cars, too.

Maret kept getting lower and lower to try and stay in the field of view!

This one got a little help from Mama, but I think he's getting the hang of it for a 3yo.

(ok, there were alot that got deleted.  Thank God for digitals!)