Creativity for the Littles

When my eldest child (now going on 11) was little, he liked to make things, as most small children do.  But he was my first, and my only, and we did everything together, and I had not yet mastered the art of "benign neglect".  So when my first little guy did crafts, it often involved me saying, "Hey, you could make THIS and here's how you do it."  And then there were cries of "But I can't!  Help me!  You do it!" from his clumsy, little self and I would help.  Maybe too much.  He enjoyed the projects, but perhaps my help did not further the growth of his creative muscles.  Oh well, live and learn.

Firstborn, modeling one of "his" projects.

So now, with more children and less time, I have learned the art of "strewing".  The little kids' "school time" consists more of crafts than of numbers and letters.  The numbers and letters come easily in our daily life, but we must make time for art.  It has become our routine that in the mid morning, while the oldest does his schoolwork, the little ones request a project to occupy them.  I go to the school cabinet (which maybe should be called the "craft cabinet" since that pretty much what it contains) and select a few things for them to work with.  I "strew" the things out on the table, and go about my business.

Paint is the most popular, but we do other things as well.  Some days they cut up drinking straws and thread them onto pipe cleaners.  Other times they stick googley eyes and popsicle sticks on playdough to make funny monsters.  The pattern shapes (which Evan, center, is using in the photo above) are also fun and absorbing.  I have nearly endless permutations of "ingredients": glitter glue and cotton balls and colored paper, leaves and crayons to make rubbings, pretty postcards to cut up and glue onto paper...  For potentially messy projects, I made them little aprons out of scraps of denim from Daddy's worn-out jeans.

The idea is that the kids can just explore the materials and create whatever and however they wish. It keeps them busy for a surprisingly long time some days, and gives me a breather (maybe).

Often a deterrent for this sort of free-form kid craft is the mess.  The materials get everywhere.  One of the best solutions for that problem that I have found is a stack of cafeteria trays.  Each child gets a tray with his or her own materials.  The tray keeps loose things, like beads or pasta or cut-up bits of paper, contained in one spot without getting spread all over the room, and the paint and glue don't end up decorating my table top. Unfortunately my trays are not big enough to contain a sheet of paper and the paints and brushes and water, but that doesn't pose too much of a problem. 

In the photo above, they were playing with the things I strewed out with the directions to make crosses for the contest.  I told them what the colors mean and why we were using limited colors, but then left the details of creation up to them.  I will post their entries later this week.

I thought maybe while they were busy with their crosses, I could work on mine.  But I found that it's kinda hard to get very far with a lump of cuteness sitting right on my project, happily exploring MY materials.

Arven Cross

The CROSS for the prize

It is finished. Hmm, that has a double meaning, I guess. Redemption is certainly finished, but I was referring to the making of the cross for the contest.

If you are going to be making one, you have four days left after today. The prize isn't so much the main thing to strive for as is the reflection on the cross itself as you make one. In fact, what you make might be ever so much "better" in whatever way than the one I offer, but if you win this one it will, at least be different. And one can't have too many crosses.

Arven Wood

This cross is made of Arven wood and has a little history with it.

Arven trees grow on the mountain sides of the Alps in very rugged conditions. They are scented like cedar and keep away bad things (significant for a cross - yes?). The wood is similar to knotty pine, though this cross's wood has no knots. The wood is traditionally used here in Switzerland for room paneling and alp-style furniture.

The particular pieces used for this cross were left over from the interior finishing of Singüeni. The  pieces had been chopped down in size for fire wood, but I rescued them from the flames, because I saw some potential use for them. (Now isn't that significant for a cross?)

The Making

This cross was notched and assembled by Thomas, because he has done that sort of thing with some cabinet makers. It is neither glued nor nailed, but is very tight.

I used woodburning for the decoration, because it fit the story of the wood. I had thought of painting or layered materials and other options, but this fits the piece best. The wood has its nicks and scrapes and wear and all the marks of rugged days - as a cross signifies.

Beginnings

A little more

As little accents (with some advisory input from sons and daughter, who didn't want Mom to put too much stuff on it), it has small glass beads: three red ones for the marks of Christ's wounds, and a purple one in a metal setting representing a crown at the top. Purple signifies both Christ's Passion and His title of King: Rex Judaeorum, as Pilate wrote. The settings are in eight points, the number being significant in the Bible of regeneration and renewal (think of the number of people on the ark, the age of circumcision, and the historical shape of baptismal fonts and so on).

The words on it, in the center, are the Gospel in abbreviated form, implying both the law and its fulfillment in CHRIST.

 The Cross

33 cm long, a little more than a foot.

That was my meditation in the making. I am looking forward to seeing yours.

Scherenschnitte Ideas

Which?

If you had a windfall in your pocket and were looking to buy a Scherenschnitte (traditional papercut in black paper mounted on white) while supporting a good cause, what might you be inclined to chose of these? These drawings following are rough sketches that would be suitable for making into  papercuts.

Or would you prefer a less traditional one and pick something with color?

Remember

Don't forget that the final day for entering the Lenten Cross contest is this Friday. I hope to be able to show you the cross for the prize very soon.

Seuss Inspired

A couple weeks ago I got a call from a former bridal client. She told me that her wedding cake was the best cake she had ever eaten and that she wanted to order the same cake again for her upcoming baby shower.

It is always fun to have brides come back to me when their lives move into the next stage. I have made baby shower cakes as well as cakes to celebrate baptisms and first birthdays. 

This baby shower was not going to be like any others I've done. It was going to be for 100 guests!

                                     

She asked me to make two cakes, the first in her favorite flavor of almond cake with an amaretto buttercream filling and icing.

         

            The second cake was to be red velvet with a cream cheese filling and vanilla buttercream.

It turns out that this former bride is expecting twins and the chosen theme for the baby shower was---

        

                                                  Dr. Suess's Thing 1 and Thing 2!!

(Not something I would choose if I were expecting twin girls but.....everyone has their own style!)

Coloring buttercream can be tricky. I chose the turquoise blue like the above photo but when I delivered the cake and saw the party colors I wished I had gone with a bluer blue. Oh, well.

                                    

                           

                                        

For the writing on the cake I decided to paint with food dye on a circle of fondant (sugar dough) for a more precise control over the results. I wanted to copy the lettering style of the Seuss drawings.

                                       

                                         

I simply placed the painted circle on top of the cake. I chose to make the two cakes in opposite colors instead of the same.

When I delivered the cakes I could see that the baby shower was quite the party. It was held at a big hotel in town, with tables fully decorated and a buffet with a light lunch. People were streaming into the hotel carrying gifts. The clients were very happy with the finished cakes.

It was curious to me how greenish the icing looks in this light (I was intending for the icing color to be like the napkins at left.) As a creative person with perfectionist tendencies, these little things bother me. But the cakes are what they are! I know they tasted delicious.

One other thing- Sarah's Lenten and Easter banner designs inspired me so I bought some fabric. 

          

I have been intending for years and years to make banners for our church. I have even bought a few supplies in the past but none ever actually became banners. The ideas and supplies are one thing, the getting to it, another. Now that I have announced my intention, maybe I will be compelled to follow through. 

Party Colors

From Ruth

Some people like to show their appreciation with exuberance. In Texas they do it up big and bold.

Ruth was part of a group that puts on monthly teacher appreciation lunches, and she sent some pictures of the latest. For those of us still in monochromatic winter, the splash of color was rather astounding, and cheery. So here is dose for you.

Now wouldn't that make you feel appreciated?

This seems to be the library. I'd like one like that.

The theme is self evident. It changes each month.

How could someone stare at a screen or sleep in that setting?

A lot of teachers and staff say this is the highlight of their month.

Color on color

Not sure of the significance of this....

And more color. Well done ladies.

First Cross Entry

From Kat

This very creative entry for the Lenten Cross Contest was sent by Kat. She writes, "I used paint on canvas, braided yarn and silk ribbon for various textures. This was fun! Thank you. I got to learn how to do a four-part braid."

Wonderful work, Kat. And marvelous brush strokes.

Lenten Cross, with purple and black. Very lovely and very creative.

Faces and Figures in Art School

The girls are taking several different kinds of figure drawing classes. The anime class is a Japanese style of cartooning but certainly is useful in its examination of the human form and movement.

               In the more traditional figure drawing class they worked on movement in this way- 

                                  

              In the anime class Leah worked on different ways of drawing hair. So many styles!

        

                                        

           

                              In the portrait class practicing life drawing, Leah drew her sister Sarah-

                                           

                                                                 And Sarah drew Leah-

                                       

                                                      And Leah drew a classmate-

                                        

                                                  This was an exercise that both girls did.

                                         

The students at Masters School of Art are choosing their subjects for their final class projects this week. It will be exciting to see what comes of their work later this spring.

If you haven't checked out this Christian art school yet, please look here- http://www.msoaonline.com It is definitely one of a kind in today's world!

Critique Time

Too Soon

When I mentioned spring and melting snow, it was definitely too early. While it was melted enough to put the horses on grass yesterday, we got six inches of new snow last night and more is coming down now. So everything is capped and cloaked again.

Snow cloaks

Snow caps

No spring allowed yet

As much winter as we had all winter

It tried

Tree protection

And that little purple boot - it's still waiting.

Warm Tones?

So, how about a warm-toned drawing for today?  But it turned out to be troublesome - as smiles often are. One son's comment was to the effect of  "a creepy little elf child about murder someone," or that the expression was more a crying than a laughing one. And the eye on the right...? And another comment on the red tones being sinister....

So, what do you think? Scrap this one?