Fun with kids and art!

Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. My computer crashed yet again! And, right now I have no access to my files or photos. I have a laptop now so I can still be connected to the rest of the world. And, if I can get around to taking new photos of the things I've been working on then I could post them. I just haven't taken any lately.

I have been busy with art though. I progressed on two commission pieces while on vacation in the Isle of Palms, SC week before last. We stayed with my family in a beautiful home with lots of light and windows and most importantly, lots of clean open space and tables and no other responsibilities.

Since I've been back I taught for a day at a school and had great fun letting 1st through 6th graders paint on a piece of cloth for the day. I brought it home and have added lots to it and I'm in love with it. I told them I'd bring it back to the school but I'm really wanting to keep it now that I've spent so much time on it. I'll have to think about the best arrangement. It's the kind of thing others might think just looks like a lot of scribble but for myself I just love the layers. Anyway, I had great fun while I was there with the children and hopefully got across my main message, that art takes practice, not talent or a "gift". And, to allow themselves to experiment and play and have fun and to create lots of bad art in hopes of some good art (same as practice really, but just emphasizing that it should be fun as well without lots of pressure or hopes for a great outcome).

I also created a small monoprinted piece I'm really liking while on vacation. I'll try to post a photo of that one soon.

I've missed lots of deadlines for shows I was hoping to enter but I also intentionally stepped back this year from pushing myself to meet deadlines if it meant to much time away from my other responsibilities. If I could learn to stop procrastinating I could probably do both well (my art "job" and my "mom/wife" job).

I am still hoping to resume teaching as I am really passionate about it. I'llkeep you posted. In the meantime, I am offering classes in your home, for kids or adults. For parties.For creativity evenings. For adult art "play dates". ETc. I'm working on creating enough space in my home to hopefully teach private or very small groups. And, a couple of other possibilities are percolating. If you own a shop in the Atlanta area (or the South) and are looking for surface design teachers, contact me. :) Or, if you are in a guild and looking for teachers I'd love to help you out! :) I am working on material for longer courses, but I have material for 1 to 2 day courses on felting (dry and wet), stamp carving and other printmaking techniques, watercolor pastels, and monoprinting. The last two are my favorite to teach as they are my favorite techniques and because I feel I have the most knowledge and little "secrets" I can pass along.

Anyway, I suppose that is it for now. I'll post pictures soon. One of these days I'll even update my website with all of my new work. I've got lots of small felted items (bowls, wallets, cell phone holders) I need to post and many other things as well.

Take care and remember to play everyday! What did you do that was creative today? I let my 3 year old help me add to the school piece I mentioned before. Between her ability to totally play and get absorbed in the process and my ability to look at the big picture of the piece and see where it needed more color, line, etc. to bring it to a whole we really can up with something quite amazing (in my humble opinion).

Sleep well. Happy dreams.

Heidi