sheesh, i haven’t posted in forever and a half. this time of year is always utterly insane with thanksgiving, no school days, mum’s birthday (have to attempt make her something sweet every year!), school parties and stuff, winter solstice and gift making, more no school days, christmas and more present making. and baking (i invented the BEST gluten free apple berry pie and gluten free pumpkin tarts though). plus the two businesses go through bouts of time-consuming insanity which i attribute to holiday shopping and “let’s make sure we get this done on this year’s taxes” — last-minute website update stuff.  i’m so glad i postponed the zine — i hardly have time to breathe!

this is what i am most excited about and proud of this week. i have to say that i get giddy with pride and arty-bliss every time i look at this. it’s called (if i can remember correctly) “two birds pondering each other while sitting on a crooked fence under a crazy moon at the edge of a city”. it was a collaborative piece i did with my amazingly talented son (who, by the way, picked the name of the piece). he’s six. and since he came out of my body, i’m allowed to say he’s “amazingly talented” and get away with it (he thinks he’s non-artistic, hmmph!). i love his birds and i’m having him make me several of them to get tattooed around my leg, maybe wing in wing.  their beaks are so fantastically geometric and… just perfect.    he’s so cute — he wants to make art cards out of them and try to sell them on etsy (so he can buy more legos!).

long post this weekend with super good news and 6+ new pieces of art IF i can find the time to photograph them.

Your faithful Blog Mistress apologizes; she’s been managing various mini-crises, including the collapse of her trusty old Mac G5, which is about to be replaced by a shiny new Imac.  Thus the blog is overdue for an update…so many things are going on!  The Holiday Show has been a smashing success, so visit the Pictures page to see new images of the artwork. Year End Awards were given during the Reception; congratulations to the recipients!

The Mary Wilson Award for Outstanding Landscape or Still Life of the Year: Mandara Calderon
The Leilani Claire Award for Outstanding Photograph of the Year: John Kleinhans

The Sally Jacobs / Phoebe Towbin Award was given this year to Pat Horner. The Towbin Award recognizes an artist who has consistently exhibited works of high artistic merit. It was established by Phoebe Towbin in honor of her mother Sally Jacobs. The WAAM Towbin Museum Wing, built in 1992, was funded by Phoebe and Belmont Towbin.  As specified by the donor, the award winner is selected by the three previous winners; in this case:  Bobby Blitzer, Yale Epstein, and Franz Heigemeir.

The Kuniyoshi Fund Award was given to Polly M. Law. The Kuniyoshi Fund was established in 1968 to honor an artist in the Woodstock art community for outstanding achievement in his or her genre.  The annual award memorializes Japanese-American artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1889-1953), a long-time Woodstock resident, known worldwide for his paintings and prints, as well as his activism on behalf of artists through Artists Equity Association and other organizations.  The award winner is selected by a member of the one-time Kuniyoshi Fund Committee and members of the WAAM Award Committee.

This coming Friday, December 4, party with us during the 28th Annual Woodstock Holiday Open House from noon till 9 PM.  The gift shop and galleries will be open, with a 20% discount on selected WAAM publications. Exhibitions on view:  Holiday Show, plus Small Works with many works priced in the $100-200 range.  Also: Craig Wood, Agnes Tomaselli, 11Pick2:  33 Artists from Today’s WAAM, and works from Onteora High School.  We’ll have fun art activities for kids from 5:00 – 8:00; from 6:00 – 7:00 Jesse James and Holiday Harmonies will entertain us with live music, and from 7:00 – 8:00 sing along with Bar Scott and Friends.

Esopus Musicalia performed again last Friday evening to an enthusiastic audience.  This wonderful group will return for another concert on December 18; there will be a detailed announcement closer to that date.

That’s all for now; do check the various Pages for updates!

Perhaps it’s hereditary.  My kid is drawing things that swim, too.  Hers are mammals, but I call this close enough for jazz.

I’m not sure if she wants to own a dolphin or be a dolphin.  Maybe both.

Here he is! Doctor Octo is finally in color! I did some cross-hatching in Illustrator (which was much more time consuming that pen and ink!) with some interesting results.  I would love to know if you prefer the original drawing in black and white or this one.  As I’m sure you can see from the work I’ve been doing lately, I’ve been doing a lot of experimentation.  I’m still trying to nail down the look and feel that I want my work to have.

This time of year there is always excitement in the air. There are parties to attend, charity events to organize and always the quest to find the perfect gift.

The Art League of Bonita combines all three of these goals during Off the Walls, their annual fundraiser to benefit the Art League’s children’s education scholarships.

"Still Life with Fruit" by Mark H. Brown part of Off the Walls December 2009. Vlaue $275

For those who have never attended, here’s how it works. Tickets are purchased for $150 for the event which begins at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4. Guests arrive, mingle, enjoy catered hors d’oeuvres, wine and punch and at 6:30 ticket numbers begin being called. When a guest’s number is called, they select a piece of artwork to take home. The artwork is valued from $275 to $6000. So everyone goes home with a piece of artwork worth far more than their ticket price. The evening finished with the very popular coffee and dessert bar.

"Day Dreaming" by Ludmila Curilova part of Off the Walls December 2009. Value with Frame $1009.85

While the evening ends at 8:30pm, Off the Walls actually continues throughout the year. All of the money raised goes to scholarships for students in the children’s education program at the Art League.

In 2008 the Art League of Bonita Springs awarded $36,000 in scholarships. In 2009 the Art League has already awarded $49,000.

“Twice as many parents requested financial aid for their children this summer and fall,” said Susan Bridges, Executive Director of the Art League. “Some lost their jobs or took pay cuts to keep their jobs. The point is they wanted to provide their children with our wonderful programs, and needed our help.”

More than 60 percent of students enrolled in Art League classes receive some type of scholarship. All classes in the Children’s Education program are available to scholarship students. Classes include painting, pottery, clay animation, drama, movie making, photography, dance and more. Pricing for a 5-week semester ranges from $45 to $112  (dance semesters are 19 weeks and range from $158.50 to $201 for the semester). Part, or all, of the tuition can be covered by a scholarship. Most students are eligible for some type of scholarship.

“Studies show children who participate in arts are more likely to succeed as adults,” Bridges said. “We work closely with each family, carefully crafting every scholarship. This year we chose not to turn anyone in need away.”

Untitled by David E. Gordon part of Off the Walls December 2009. Value $600

Attendees of Off the Walls are giving a life-long gift of art to a child, while also taking home a beautiful and entirely unique piece of art for themselves, or a cherished friend.

For a complete listing of Art League programming and events call 495-8989; visit the Center for the Arts at 26100 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs; follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Artleague; or visit on-line at www.artcenterbonita.org.

Members of the Kellyn Celtic Arts Dance Academy perform traditional Celtic dances at the Saturday, Nov. 21 Arts Worldwide event presented by the Art League of Bonita Springs. Jason Easterly

Artists from four continents and a dozen countries filled the Promenade at Bonita Bay with dance, music and visual art on Saturday, Nov. 21 at Arts Worldwide.

Arts Worldwide is arranged by the Art League of Bonita Springs each year as a day of art by performance and visual artists of all cultures.

Members of the Delou Africa Dance Ensemble perform at traditional African music and dance at the 10th annual Arts Worldwide event at the Promenade at Bonita Bay on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Jason Easterly

The family event had live performances on stage throughout the day, visual artists giving demonstrations and creation stations for children and adults to create artwork of their own.

At the watercolor creation station adults and children sat down together to create paintings.

“That is the great thing about stations like watercolor,” said Jordan Smith, Director of Children’s Education at the Art League. “An adult or a child can sit down and create a simple or complex painting. It can be whatever you make of it.”

Art League instructor Patty Kane volunteered to run the adult watercolor station where she gave artists the choice of painting a pre-sketched piece of watercolor paper, or a blank page.

“Look at that beautiful color you have created,” Kane said, holding one artist’s painting up so they could see if from a different perspective. “Now is the time to step away and let it dry, then come back to it later. That is the thing about watercolor.”

Maya Senecharles, 7, of Miami works at sculpting a snowman from clay at the Arts Worldwide event sponsored by The Art League of Bonita Springs held at The Promenade on Saturday. Jason Easterly

Similar lessons in art were being conducted at stations in clay, printmaking, jewelry and other mediums.

On stage the Delou Africa Dancers brought tribal histories alive through music and dance. Audience members even got a lesson in dance as they were pulled up on stage during the final performance.

Other attendees were delighted by the art of Masaji Terasawa as he roamed about the Promenade performing his traditional Japanese arts. He created creatures out of rice syrup toffee, with a technique similar to glass blowing, and kept people laughing with his unique brand of humor. But above all, he says his message is “about peace.”

Dancers of the Alpha Omega Performance Troupe perform traditional Greek dance in costume at the Saturday, Nov. 21 Arts Worldwide event. Meghan Easterly

This is the 10^th year that Arts Worldwide has been held. Traditionally it is held on the Center for the Arts Campus of the Art League of Bonita Springs. This year the venue was moved to the Promenade.

The Art League of Bonita Springs and the Promenade have been working together to bring several art events, including Arts Worldwide, to the people of Bonita Springs.

The Artist Studios at the promenade have visual artists creating and selling artwork Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Each month an Art Walk is held for the public to walk through the 10 studios on the last Thursday of each month. There will not be an Art Walk on Thanksgiving and the December Art Walk will be held early, on Dec. 17 due to the Christmas holiday.

The Art League also has a live performance space at the Promenade where musical, dance and theatrical productions are held several times each month.

Members of the Angela Hicks & Bohemian Geisha Belly Dance Troupe perform on stage at the Art League of Bonita Springs Saturday, Nov. 21 Arts Worldwide event held at The Promenade at Bonita Bay. Jason Easterly

All of the spaces are donated by the Promenade at Bonita Bay.

A full listing of Art League of Bonita Springs events is available on line at www.artcenterbonita.org or by calling 239.895.8989.

Dancers of the Alpha Omega Performance Troupe perform traditional Greek dance in costume at the Saturday, Nov. 21 Arts Worldwide event. Meghan Easterly

A dancer with the Delou Africa Dance Ensemble plays a traditional African percussion instrument while chanting and dancing at Arts Worldwide on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Meghan Easterly

A member of the Delou Africa Dance Ensemble plays a traditional African percussion instrument at the cultural event Arts Worldwide on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Jason Easterly

Angela Hicks performs with the Bohemian Geisha Belly Dance Troupe at Arts Worldwide on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009. Jason Easterly

Kids Art

When it comes to stimulating your child’s creativity I am shocked at how many parents confuse this with dictation. Just last week I helped out at at another kid’s art class of 28 five and six year olds and I was appauled at what I saw. There were approx. seven other moms attending and the majority of those were in no way, shape or form stimulating their children. They were dictating!!! To a point where two of them started pleading and crying at their mothers to please leave them alone. My heart sank!!

I had noticed it before: the majority of arts and crafts that the children had to complete at home came back to the classroom ‘perfectionated’. What is wrong with those parents? Do they need an artistic outlet? Don’t they trust in their child’s creative abilities? Or are they just plain control freaks? Nobody is expecting those children to be ‘perfect’. These are fun exercises to get their creative juices flowing and the result is ‘perfect’ no matter what it looks like as long as they enjoyed doing it. But I don’t think that any of those children enjoy either their homework assignement or their art classes in school with their parents being present.

So, please be honest with yourself: do you stimulate or dictate? While you ponder this question I will tell you a little bit about stimuli and children.

Stimulation arises out of what your child does. It arises out of what he experiences and out of what he finds. This is actually true whatever the art is – painting, poetry, drama,… etc.- and it is true whether the artist is a child or an adult. Stimulus, inspiration arises out of experiences through all his senses, all the time.

During the first two years at school, stimulation should actually not even be necessary. While he experiences with all kinds of mediums – pencils, crayons, brushes and paint – he experiments continually and each experiment produces more experiences. All of those are triggers for more creative activity. At this age they are full of new ideas and impressions. They come tumbeling out while they put them on drawings and paintings. So interfering, over-insistence on formal pattern making, dictation are all inappropriate stimulus that can have disastrous results.

Children get confused and frustrated to a point where they are too anxious to be creative. Trying to please their teachers and parents they abandon their own natural mode of expression and attempt to carry out sterile procedures and instructions that they are given. This corrupts their own spontaneity and it gives them nothing in return except frustration, tears and incomprehension. The result: they stop painting, drawing,…etc. all together.

In my last post I already spoke of the fine line between intervention and non-intervention. Particulary when it comes to creative expression when drawing and painting, it takes so little to deflect or disillusion a child of five.

The most obvious stimulus of all is often overlooked. A stimulus no young child can resist: an easel with a clean piece of paper clipped on it, pots of paint with a brush in each, all ready for use. There is no need for external parent-administered stimuli to start the child painting or drawing. This is an irresistible invitation for children at this age. Full of excitement all of their personal social experiences will come pouring out all over the paper. It is a joy to watch!! They possess their own built-in stimuli. The mere sight of a brush in a pot of paint, crayons, the feel of clay on their hands, or fingerpaints all over their hands all act as creative experiences which in turn act as new stimulus. This is also the stage when children begin to create and use their own simple symbols for ‘mom’, ‘dad’, ‘dog’, ‘train’,…etc.. These symbols start the child’s fantasy working and fantasy is probably the strongest stimulus of all.

Next time: Stimulus and the older child!!

As I am still here (TOKYO),thought I would have a search and see what is available for kids. I found three new things

1. the Tokyo Culture Creation “think tank”? have things for kids
see here

2. the Museum of Contemporary Art have a great Education program
see here

There is an exhibion of Childrens Art on in Yokohama at the Sogo Museum (finishes very soon…)
See here for details

Kids Art - Child Painting

Children communicate involuntarily by means of their drawings and paintings.

Four and five-year-olds are rapidly developing human beings. All day, every day, every kind of event presses in upon their consciousness. All of those experiences are ‘on tap’ ready to be expressed and communicated. Give your child a pencil and a notebook and you will see he/she is never without something to express. It will be a graphic autobiography. It will be a reflection of what is most important to him/her at that time. Drawing and painting are a pictograph language which provides a channel of expression for the child and probably most importantly a channel for the child to communicate with himself, his teacher, parents and friends.

Try it: stay close by but try to make yourself inconspicuous while your child is painting or drawing and you will almost certainly hear him talking to his drawing or to himself about his drawing. He may even impersonate the characters he is portraying in his drawing and speak for them. This is a normal fantasy situation which in reality is a part of the pattern of play practised by young children. Fantastic imagery is woven around the simplest smudges and the child knows exactly what everything means.

But don’t be surprised! Talk to your child once he has completed his drawing or painting and has emerged from his fantasy. Invite him to talk about what he has produced. Now, he may tell you a totally different story from the one he had told himself earlier while he was working on his drawing. This is not unusual! Each new look at his work starts new fantasies - some connected to the last time he looked at it and some not. He may very likely have forgotten the previous fantasies, just as we cannot recall dreams when we awake.

To encourage a child to talk about his work opens up valuable communication between children and their teachers, or parents. It gives great inside into the child’s mind. It is the beginning of verbalisation. It is a conversation that entails descriptive language.

Once the teacher or parent writes on the picture the child’s title for his picture, then the child is introduced to the idea of associating the appearance of written words with spoken words and both of those with the content of their art.

Communication through and about graphic expression is a beginning of academic learning. Repetition of this procedure encourages growth of awareness of spoken and written forms and their relationship to your child’s imagery, and eventually to the development of skills in reading and writing.

What I find most fascinating is that the paintings which our children produce can give us valuable insight into what the child is thinking, feeling and experiencing. Young children really are direct and unsubtel: even if they can’t express their emotions verbally yet, they will comment pictorially on any and every aspect of their lives. This insight can have a great impact on the kind of relationship a parent can have with his child.

This two-way communication is a great opportunity – a careful balance between intervention and skilled non-intervention – which if discreetly and delicately used will help us to get to know something of what is happening within our child’s mind.

I have not forgotten about the blog (well, actually I did). I just moved to a new place (loving it) and am completely consumed by it. I may be overdoing it with my obsession with Christopher Lowell (texture meets color meets space) and every other design/home show I can get my hands on (magazines included). You know how that goes. The move is not the only thing keeping me from writing … I also have a new manager and the industry is picking up, up, up. So, if I am not teaching art in the mornings, I’m auditioning or booked on a job. I’ve also been putting together my art studio (yes, a place where I can spill paint and not care that I ruined the floor). Lots of art goodness coming up. Working on a show … And did I mention my son is in football (he killed it this season), golf, chess club, and takes guitar lessons? And did you know that 4th grade work today is kinda what I remember being considered 10th grade work?

With so much going on (everywhere) homes need to be our sanctuaries (hence, my recent consumption in all that is home design). I love a homey feel (we all do) but the approach must must must be minimalistic – for me.

Apartmenttherapy.com has been such a huge inspiration (pics from their site. Check them out).

I love interesting objects, sculptural pieces, art work, fabrics (clutter free). I’m also over, over, over (was never really into it anyway) mass made ‘anything’. Estate sales, antique shops, and local artists are the best (so many options in LA).

I love this alternative to hanging up my son’s art work. Next idea …

Well, friends, I am almost done unpacking … and now off to an audition!

Do you have any favorite sites with ideas?

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Now in its 10^th year, Arts Worldwide has a new venue this year at the Promenade at Bonita Bay. Presented by the Art League of Bonita Springs, Arts Worldwide gives performance and visual artists from many cultures a platform to share their art with the public. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21. Admission is free, with an optional $2 donation to benefit Art League community projects.

Children can create clay sculptures at one of 15 art Creation Stations.

Those in attendance will have the chance to observe, and create art. While in the past the event has been geared specifically for children, this year adults will find an abundance of visual and performing arts for them as well and will have the chance to create art.

“The event has grown each year right along with its popularity,” said Susan Bridges, Executive Director of the Art League of Bonita Springs. “In this modern age, we can access information from around the world with a click of a button, but there’s still something really exciting about meeting an artist personally, exploring the arts of another culture yourself, or actually trying to create the art form.”

Performers from cultures throughout the world — Japan, Africa, China, Greece and more — will take the stage continuously to perform traditional dances, music and theater from their countries.

Masaji's infuses puppets, humor and traditional Japanese arts into his one-of-a-kind act.

In the past, one of the most popular performers has been Masaji Terasawa, also known as the Candy Man.

Terasawa has been performing at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park for more than a decade. Terasawa’s art resembles glass blowing.

Masaji Terasawa creates fantastical creatures out of a ball of rice syrup toffee. The traditional Japanese art is similar to glass blowing.

He begins with a simple piece of rice syrup toffee, and magically transforms it into winged dragons, dolphins and other creatures. He has adapted this tradition Japanese art into a humorous, theatrical show that dazzles those watching. Terasawa will be on stage at 11 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. He will be strolling the Promenade throughout the day performing his art.

Other live performances will take place continuously throughout the day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Delou African Dance Ensemble from Africa will convey stories of arid plains, and tribal histories through the rhythm of dance.

Delou Africa Dance Ensemble

Kellyn Celtic Arts Dance Academy will bring the traditions of centuries of Irish and Scottish social dancing. ShiMei, a performer from China, will play the Guzheng, an ancient 21-string instrument.

In other parts of the Promenade, visual artists will be creating arts of all mediums, and with influences from all cultures and time periods. Live demonstrations will take place throughout the day, and pieces will be on display and for sale throughout the Promenade in the Art League’s Artists Studios and outdoors.

For those wishing to try their own hand at art, creation stations for both children and adults will be set up throughout the Promenade. The art projects are suitable for all ages, and adults will find projects geared especially for them. All skill levels are welcome to create.

Others may enjoy getting a free caricature, having their face painted by an Art League artist or watching Magician John Roberts create sleight of hand illusions.

Lunch will be available at the refreshment stands, or one of the restaurants at the Promenade. The event is free (optional $2 donation).

“You just can’t beat the personal experience of live dance, painting, drawing and sculpture — we all want to try it; we all want to be there to experience it,” Bridges said. “It’s fun and a great experience to share with a friend or family member. The arts are perfect tools with which to build great memories and experiences.”

For more information on performers, artists, art projects or for high resolution photos, please contact the Art League of Bonita Springs.

Thank you so much to everyone who commented about the Three Little Pigs character sketches earlier this week.  I think I am going to sketch out and ink a few pages before I start doing any coloring.  I need some practice creating clear color palettes for my work, so I think coloring them all at once will help me keep everything harmonious.  The medium is still up in the air, but with the line drawing put together and saved in Photoshop, I now have some freedom to play around the with colors and to try out various paitning techniques to see what I like best.  I’m really hoping that these will turn into some strong portfolio pieces and help to give me some clarity in terms of the kind of work I want to be doing.

Hard to believe women were required to wear such uncomfortable contraptions! Doesn’t stop me from wanting one.

I had this illustration and when I saw that the topic was skinny I thought of this…skinny frog

]]> http://typokumaphy.com/2009/10/29/illustration-friday-fast/ Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:53:38 +0000 shiokuma http://typokumaphy.com/2009/10/29/illustration-friday-fast/

Run, run, run faster! You can catch it!!

I ran out time for now. So here is the line art version. I will post the color version when it’s done. Anyways, I am happy about how these Victorian buildings and the car (my all-time favorite car, Fiat 500) turned out. It took all day to draw but it’s worth it. It’s my dream living in one of those buildings and drive a Fiat 500 in SF.

This is the color version.

Finally I finished coloring.

i always wanted a bike like this.

Love the color.

Saturday Art Time - children's art workshops on Saturday mornings

The National Gallery of Jamaica offers a range of educational programmes, for adults and children, including guided tours, lectures, seminars, panel discussions, film screenings, workshops and outreach programmes to schools and community organizations. By far the most popular of these are the guided tours, which are tailored to the needs of specific groups. The Education Department also has a library with a unique collection of material on Jamaican art, including out-of-print publications such as the book Modern Jamaican Art (1998), and a collection of documentation on a wide range of Jamaican artists and related topics, along with supporting photocopy and printing services.

At present, the NGJ has two major children’s art programmes: Art on the Waterfront, a month-long summer school that is staged each July in association with the MultiCare Foundation, and Saturday Art Time, our Saturday morning workshop. Art on the Waterfront was started in the late 1980s by art teacher Normadelle Whittle as a gallery-based children’s art workshop. The programme quickly became very successful but was interrupted for a few years when Mrs. Whittle migrated to Atlanta. It was in 1995 revived with the assistance of the MultiCare Foundation visual arts programme, which provided most of the funding and staffing. (The MultiCare Foundation is a local NGO dedicated to inner-city development and was initially funded by the ICD Group of Companies, Cable and Wireless Jamaica and the Cement Company of Jamaica.) Art on the Waterfront has been held annually since then, as a collaboration between MultiCare and the NGJ, and has grown to the extent where the studio component of the programme can no longer be accommodated at the NGJ, because  of the space constraints in the current building. In recent years, this part of the programme has been held off-site, at various nearby locations, but continues to make use of the NGJ as the point of departure for key activities. MultiCare selects and sponsors most of the participants but a small number of other participants are accommodated through the NGJ and pay only a nominal fee.

Saturday Art Time at work in the galleries, October 24, 2009

Saturday Art Time is our new Saturday morning programme and the current one-year pilot is funded by American Friends of Jamaica, Inc. While smaller in scale and located entirely at the NGJ, the Saturday art class builds on the programme content of Art on the Waterfront. Two age groups are accommodated, 8 to 12 years and 13 to 15, and these groups meet on alternate weeks. Participation in this exciting programme is free but space is limited. Registration is on a first come, first served basis.

The NGJ continues to develop its programmes and services for children and schools and will roll out new projects in the months to come. These programmes, we believe, make an important, if admittedly still underutilized contribution to Jamaican education and help to build a local museum-going culture by targeting the young. We are particularly committed to combining education and entertainment in fun and innovative ways and to making sure that all our visitors feel at home and have a good time at the NGJ.

For more information on these and other NGJ programmes, contact the Education Department at: 1.876.922-1561/4 (Lime fixed line); 1.876.618-0654/5 (Digicel fixed line); e-mail: natgal-edu@cwjamaica.com.

"National Gallery to di worl": students from the Rollington Town Summer School visit the new Edna Manley Galleries on October 24

Guest artist, Alexander Raphael Toromoreno’s, “Noah’s banana boat for alphabet animals” … see how many letters and animals you can find.  Here’s a hint, there’s a cow and a pig, sinking in the ocean.

Copyright © henry toromoreno, 2009. All rights reserved

“Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” -Pablo Picasso

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” – Elizabeth Lawrence

These words flew up at me from magazine pages this week.  I realized again how fortunate I am to spend time with 3 year olds on a regular basis.  Yes, spending time with 3 year olds on a regular basis is tiring, and sometimes I feel “crazy,” as one mother told me I was for doing so, but it is honestly one of the most lovely jobs in the world.  Their moment to moment encounters with the world remind me to keep perspective, and to never let a moment go to waste.

Take this picture for example.  (I cropped out her face for privacy:) This energetic young girl walked over to me, holding this crayon creation proudly, and asked (declared??) “This is the most beautiful picture you have ever seen, right?”  I, of course, answered a resounding YES, but was left to wonder when we lose that sense of confidence in art- when do we decide things have to be perfect?  Many of us completely give up creating such things- and when we do so, we lose an essential part of our innate joy.

So go out there.  Get a brand new 64 box of crayons.  Open them. Smell them…and create!  And declare your picture to be “the most beautiful picture you have ever seen.”

Frozen Friends.

I really really want the winter to be here. Sledding and snowmen! I love Fall, but winter activities are the best! Call me crazy, but i love driving in the snow.

This is one of my latest works . After seeing the Tricia Middleton work “Dark Souls” I reflected upon her concepts of if how many items we use with in our lifetime will out last us by thousands of years. It made me think about the items I consume and how much waste I actually create. For months I have wondered how to properly dispose of painting material rags, excess paint, brushes, my easel, as I looked at these items,Things which I use and which I have compiled because I was unsure of  how to properly, I released that many of these items would out last my life by Thousands of years . Some of these items had actuality become art as I had made art with them. An Example of this is Kids T-Shirt above.

To begin with Kids T-shirt is not a kids t-shirt it one of the mid riffs I wore through out my thirty’s, a Lucky Brand T-shirt,when I first picked it up I thought it was one of my daughter’s shirts as now she is so big and I can still pull of some pretty tight cloths. I wore this shirt every where for at least a couple of years.  At some point though it became a painting rag. For some reason I never cut either. Now it has become a piece of art, it is reflective of the work I have been doing as of late as it is a tool I used to clean up brushes, wipe my hands, clean  mistake, so on and so forth. As I looked at this work I saw that colors and composition make this work aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Here is a detail of the work. It comes framed and authenticated for an investment of 15000$ +tax. We can discuss frame ascetics.

This work is a bi product of my other work and will be created as a way to minimize the harmful effects of my practice.  It will involve turning the objects I use to create into art after I am finished creating with them.

Contact me at rossettoink @gmail.com for inquires, if you would like to talk about art or art creation  contact me at rossetta99 @gmail. If you would like to read my musing on art click here http://www.artandculture.com/users/2959-richard-rossetto.  More of these works will be released over the next week.

I finally feel like we’ve had something of an artful day. Woohoo! They’ve been scarce around here. But we’ve been slowly adding things back into our life since Daphne’s birth and I decided to start by trying to set out art materials or an art activity for Maia every day. Just something simple for now, and probably often something she can work on primarily by herself. She has a writing/art table and an easel in the living room as well as free access to many of our studio art materials, but I haven’t changed things around in a while (something to add to the never ending to-do list!). Just setting out a new combination of art materials is usually inspiring.

This time it was oil pastels, watercolors, and a couple of our pumpkins for observational drawing. Maia drew and painted several pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, including the one below on her easel (next to a person she drew).

We read some of our Halloween stories next, many of which I found recommended by Sarah on her blog In Need of Chocolate, where she writes about children’s books and homeschooling.

Pumpkin Jack is my favorite, about a jack-o-lantern named Jack by the boy who carves him. The boy is sad when Jack starts to decay but puts him out in the garden. Next spring, new pumpkin vines sprout from Jack’s seeds and the boy has many pumpkins to share with his friends at Halloween.

After an afternoon of stories and drawing, we rounded out the day with some cookie baking by Harry and the girls — molasses spice cookies from The Best Recipe. Yum!

Am I flying or falling?

Drawing airplane is hard! I used Hayao Miyazaki’s airplane drawing as a reference. He is great.