Terra Studios

LadyBug's kindergarten class went to Terra Studios today. Since it happened to be Daddy's day off, he got to go with us, while I drove the bus. They class all seemed to enjoy the grounds a lot. They did excellently in the pinch pot class and watching the glass blowers making blue birds. LadyBug has decided she wants a pink bird, so she's saving up her money now. 

Here's her tea party with Daddy near the Terran Village:

Determined

Primary wing broken. Still insisting on drawing. Even if she can barely reach the white board. 

Not a bad tree, Princess, and sun for her left hand. 

Balance

Little Frog has been learning about balance at First Tee. As much as possible, I apply that to other areas of her life. 

Today, she was taking her typical 100 bad pictures of the same thing. So I gave her a lesson in light balance. I pulled up Charlie Hoover's Geek Scape of the Day collection and showed her how the pictures were balanced between light and dark so that you could still see lots of details in both the bright and shadowed areas. I had her take some more pictures, just focusing on light balance. 

This is her picture of Noche before the lesson:

Here is her picture of Noche after the lesson:

Here are some of the other great shots she took after we talked:

(That one reminds me of H.N. James' portraits.)

(I cropped that one to make the tile with junk go away.)

(I pointed out how shadow can show texture, when the light is at the right angle. She really liked that and took several more pictures of pillows and blankets, but this was the best.)

(Next, we'll be talking about focus.)

Summer must be here

Let the unsupervised art exploration begin.

On Color Wonder Products:

Little Frog: Mommy, this is like dusting. Not Dusty the plane, but dusting dinosaur bones.

A: Yep.

Gollum

Frog: Mom!! Did you get new colors?

A: Yes.

Frog: They're so pointy!

A: Yes, but they're for church on Sunday mornings. Please put them back in the activity bag.

Frog: My prrreeeeeeecccccccciiiioooooouuuuuuuuussssss!!!!!!!

A: *dies laughing**

Family portrait

Little Bug consulted with me on what colors everyone's eyes and hair are, but this is completely her art. Monkey, Frog, Daddy, Mommy, Bug.

Look what I just picked up from the framer's!

Karen Wiggins originals. :-D

Ball

Little Monkey's favorite thing in the world is balls. He talks about them constantly. Everything that is vaguely circle shaped is called a ball. Today, he got ahold of some chalk and drew a "ball" on the chalkboard, over the Trail Blazers' troop leader list. For a first attempt at art, I'm pretty impressed.

Update, a few hours later:

David loves balls so much that his favorite foods are the ones that are ball shaped.

Yes, he has an olive on each of his index fingers.

Oh! The joys of phonics!

Laura asked me how to spell "monster." This is what she came up with.

Zina told her it was right. 

Somebody graffitied her aunt's wall and closet doors

Laura made Rapunzel out of the letter R.

And that's Cinderella with a sun on her chest.

6! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! I think they out-number me.

This is why I have TWO multi-station art easels. So that five kids can color at once.

Then we went to Murphy Park. They built "secret agent hideouts" in the sand. According to them, Caed's is a dungeon. Laura's is a pyramid. Ollie's is a tunnel. Karen's is a castle. 

Here is David playing in the sand for the first time: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOb_iokYDS8

Don't be-got me!

L: Why you going on another trip?

A: I'm going to the women's conference with all the other women in the church.

L: When will I see you again?

A: Tomorrow. I'll be home by lunch.

L: Can I draw you a picture before you leave and you put it in your bag so you don't begot me?

A: Heh. I won't forget you. I'll be gone less than twenty-four hours. But, sure, I'd love a picture.

"Movie time"

I don't know why I bother putting movies on. The girls spend the whole thing doing something else. 

Ignore the mess; I'm reorganizing David's stuff.

I'm going to have to set a 2 paintings/day limit and get a clothes line and pins; they paint faster than it dries.

Creativity Abounds

The best part about marrying into a family full of creative, artistic educators (other than the fact that I fit in) is that they give my kids the best gifts. Today, we "played" with a bunch of their Christmas gifts. It was all highly educational too.

Top Left: the art easel from Bibi, Babu, and Uncle John was set up and colored on.
Top and Bottom Right: The "Tickle Me Plants" from Uncle Chris and Aunt Brenda were planted in their pots. We talked extensively about Mimosas and looked up pictures of them on the computer and in Mommy's new Pictorial Webster's.
Bottom Left: The Make Your Own Monsters from Uncle Chris and Aunt Brenda were stuffed, sewn, and adorned today. Laura's is on the left with its cape draped above it; Karen's is on the right in its cute skirt.

Those circles are L's drawing of "da docta." She says he has 2 eyes and 2 nose.

To avoid confusion, the ones that look like a bunch are Adriel's bananas. The ones that look like smeared yellow paste are Laura's bananas. L isn't a sculpting virtuoso.

Bananas!!