Experience Art

On Tuesday, I took the day off from work to celebrate my birthday, and my mom, Flannery, and I spent the day together.  We shopped at Ikea a bit, had lunch, and then went to the High Museum of Art.  Flanna was a good sport at the High, even though walking quietly through crowds of quiet adults staring at walls was probably not the most kid-friendly activity ever.  She  kept pulling me here and there to "show" me different exhibits, and seemed to like the large sculptures best.

Flanna being wholly unimpressed by Warhol

us being silly in front of a self portrait of Andy Warhol
(who Flanna kept calling "Andy Warthog")  :)

an amazing mirrored bowl that casts sound waves backwards quite a distance

Flanna's reflection in the giant bowl

studying a cool ocean/constellation piece

our reflection in the "random pieces of glass stacked against the wall" exhibit.
Needless to say, I quickly ushered my 5 year old through this highly breakable exhibit!

The "Marsupial" piece:  a representation of a kangaroo pouch turned on its side

Grainger McKoy's bird sculptures were truly amazing.  I think this was the most interesting exhibit that day.  

Flanna & her grandma with a Picasso

Flanna paying more attention to the duct tape on the floor
 (which she practiced walking on in a straight line) than the Picasso paintings above.  

Flanna was not a fan of Piet Mondrian

Flanna quoting her Olivia book, "I could do that in about 5 minutes."  beside a Jackson Pollock painting

Some of the more quirky pieces we saw included a sculpture made of chewing gum and plastic fake flowers, several animal sculptures by Howard Finster (whose paintings I love, but I didn't realize he did sculpting as well), and a huge canvas of funny looking naked people dancing in a circle (maybe by Matisse?).  Flanna said, "Those people don't have any clothes!"  

It was a busy day, and at one point, I wondered if it was crazy to try to do so much in one day, but in the end, I'm so glad we went.  Art makes me feel happy and calm and connected to the world in a deeper way, which is just what I needed on my birthday.  

What type of art lifts your spirits? Paintings, sewing, music?   I've made a resolution to listen to more music that I love this year, because I think I underestimate just how much music makes a difference in my mood.  

Experience Art

Art stirs within us something creative and common.  Something shared and yet secret.

Experiencing art boosts my happiness.   A new song that is finely crafted, a painting that evokes a memory, a dancer as an expression of music--these things just make me happy.

You can imagine my delight that my daughter also loves art--almost any form of it, really.  I love that she'll listen to beautiful music on repeat, that she'll study a flower or a beautiful painting intently, that she can watch a dancer move and can imitate the steps without thinking about it--she is naturally graceful and just has an eye and ear for beauty, I think.

We took Flannery, along with my sister, niece, and mother-in-law, to see the Nutcracker recently.  (We of course had to bring along our Nutcracker book, and my mother-in-law was kind enough to bring Nutcracker ornaments for the girls, as well.)  I loved watching Flannery and my niece take it all in--the lights, the costumes, the dancing.  Experiencing art seems to make them happy, too.

Perhaps it runs in the family.

How will you experience art this winter?  I'm hoping to take the girls to an art museum if we can find time.  Fingers crossed!


By the way, my favorite Nutcracker story book for children is the one by Susan Jeffers.  It's got just the right amount of text for a 4 or 5 year old child, and the illustrations are beautiful.  The only drawback to the book is that the author changes Clara's name to Marie in the book.  (I always try to change it back to Clara as I read it, though, so Flannery knows the real name of the characters.)

My Life in Pictures

Halloween celebrations were in full swing this weekend.  Flannery had such a fun time!  Here are some of the highlights:

Flannery designed the face on paper first, then drew it on the pumpkin, and I carved her design.
She called her design, "A sad one-tooth-pumpkin."

The original design is in front.  I think it's pretty close.

Old one-tooth lives!

I just had to take a photo of this cute Halloween card Flanna made for our dog, Padme.
She drew a scary house on the left and Padme dressed up as a monster on the right.  She loves the dogs so much!

How do you foster creativity in your kids?

Speechy Sunday: Teaching Art Vocabulary

On Friday, my husband and I took Flanna and my niece to an art show in Atlanta.  Our friend Dana had some paintings in the show, and we had visited the gallery a few times before successfully, which made me brave enough to try it out during an event.  

At the show, I gave each of the girls a notepad and pen so that they could write down the names of their favorite artists of the night. (Flanna just drew a picture of the paintings she liked because she was too short to see the cards with the artists' names on them.)  I was amazed at how having a little task to do during the evening made them really study each painting and take an interest in the types of pieces there.  By the end of the night, they were using words like, "portrait, landscape, abstract, and still life" on their own.  And they wanted to talk about how the artists might have painted each painting--by using a paintbrush (could we see the strokes?) or by using a putty knife, or even fingers!  My niece got pretty good at picking out an oil painting versus acrylic.   It was a really fun way for them to learn.  And it was neat, too, to get a glimpse into their tastes.  

Here are some of our favorite paintings from the show.  

Flannery's favorite, by Dana Johns

my pick, by Sabre Esler

one Robi liked, by Scott Hill

Flanna listing her favorites (she circled the one with the tree as the best)

My niece listing her favorites

My niece with her pick of the night, by Betty Anglin Smith

Who's your favorite artist?  I'd really love to hear.

Why "Gallery" is Now Part of our Everyday Vocabulary

The girls watching Dana at work.

Last weekend, my friend Dana invited us to meet her for lunch in Atlanta while she was in town visiting a gallery where her work is shown.  I was thrilled to take the girls to see some great art, but I didn't realize how much of an impact that quick little visit would have.

Now, it seems that every time Flannery creates a painting, she asks if I can hang it in a gallery, not just on the fridge.  I keep telling her that you have to get invited to hang your work in a gallery, but she just doesn't seem satisfied with that explanation.  I think I may have to break down and call some galleries to see if there are any who host kids' exhibits.  :)

Of course their favorite was the bulldog!  Or should I say bulldawg?

back at home painting some windchimes

What piece of art inspires you most?

Our Little Artist

sketching the princess

For Flanna's 2nd birthday, my friend Dana got us some pretty big canvases and nice paintbrushes for her, and it was such fun to let Flanna paint with such nice materials.  We've continued to use the brushes regularly, but I admit I hadn't given her any big canvases on which to paint since then! 

So, when I saw two canvases on super 75% off sale recently, I just had to buy them.  We painted the blue sky background about a month ago (oy, how time flies!), and just this weekend got around to getting the real art on them.  Flanna drew the sketches out (I helped with the butterflies; she did the princess all on her own) and then told me what colors she needed in her palette.  I can't wait to hang the finished products in her room once they dry!

Nothing like cantaloupe for inspiration.

She said she knows butterflies are symmetrical, but these aren't real.

How have you displayed kid art in your home?

The Princess Collection

It's our family portrait, and I am the only lucky one with a crown AND arms.

Every child has something they just love.  For Flannery, her "favorite" themes have varied over her life so far...from dogs & cats, to Elmo, to Angelina Ballerina, to Ariel, and now to just princesses in general.  She just loves princesses.  And princes.  And castles. And long fancy dresses with "puff sleeves."  And crowns.  And hair up in buns.  And fancy high heels.  And fairy godmothers.  These are everyday topics of conversation in our house, and, come to find out, at school, as well. 

Lately we've been noticing a theme to the artwork she makes during "free choice" at school.  Her puffed sleeves are getting rather detailed.  Her eyelashes are getting pretty realistic.  Her ballgowns are getting more and more embellished with rainbows and flowers.  I really think we should frame these and have "royal" art show soon.  What do you think?

Careful, or I'll hug you with my hip hands. 

Rapunzel.  Her dress is da bomb.

Tinkerbell

The fingernails are painted, no less.

Beauty and the Beast

Princess Tiana from the Princess & the Frog

The princess who started it all.

Flanna drew me and Robi on our wedding day.  (poor Robi even had gray hair back then, apparently!)

 

What was your passion as a child?