I found a youtube video that I want to share with you...

Check out this link... it's pretty amazing!!! I've watched it several times! : )

We studied VanGogh back in January! I wish I had known about this little video then!!!

The kids will love it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHl4iDsF4po&feature=related

See you in April!

Artfully Me and the Month of March

We have been busy at the *Artfully Me* studio this month with Classes for the Masses! Adults...Couples...Tweens...and Kids... have all had fun being creative!!!

It has been a real treat to teach the kiddos about Monet and his garden at Giverny. I think the "Creative Kids" and I are ready to buy our tickets to France to see Monet's garden for ourselves!!!
We recreated the lily pond with the Japanese foot bridge painting that Monet painted many times himself. We used watercolor paint, salt, pastels and tempera paint all in this 1 painting and used brushes, sponges and q-tips to create the different effects. Our study about Monet and his garden was largely based on reflection. We created a "mirror" water lily pond to show the kids how everything around the mirror pond reflected in it... trees, sky, the bridge, flowers...

To finish our study on relection we worked on drawing what we saw when we looked into a hand mirror! *OURSELVES* The kids worked hard and one class even managed to find a little time at the end of class to make *April Fools* glasses.

Tween class worked on a "Favorite Song Collage". We had a lot of fun putting these together. This group of girls even helped me decorate a stool I use in the studio. We have big plans for other ways we can spruce up the studio!

Adults have been painting scenes from Italy most of the month... Sunflowers... A Tuscan Castle... Fields of Gold... and an Italian village scene! We are going to be taking 2 weeks off for spring break and starting back up on April 5th!

Couples Class went right along with the Italian theme... We started with dinner ~ lasagna, salad and bread. We painted an abstract wine bottle painting with vivid colors. This was a fun painting! The couples worked together on their paintings and got really creative when it came to painting the labels on the bottles. It was a great night of creativity! Good Stuff!!!

I'm working on the April schedule. I will post dates and pictures of projects soon! Thanks for visiting!

The Piasa Bird ~ A Local Legend From The Town Where I Was Born! I recently discovered a pic of the Piasa Bird in a book about dragons and thought I would share it with the dragon loving "Creative Kids"

The Piasa Bird (pronounced Pie-a-saw), is a local legend in the Alton area. Its foundings go back to 1673 when Father Jacques Marquette, in recording his famous journey down the Mississippi River with Louis Joliet, described the "Piasa" as a birdlike monster painted high on the bluffs along the Mississippi River, where the city of Alton, Illinois now stands.
According to the diary, the Piasa "was as large as a calf with horns like a deer, red eyes, a beard like a tiger's, a face like a man, the body covered with green, red and black scales and a tail so long it passed around the body, over the head and between the legs."

The creature was given its name by the Illini Indians, "The Piasa", meaning a bird that devours men.

There are many legends regarding its origin.
One of the more popular accounts goes like this ...

Many moons ago, there existed a birdlike creature of such great size, he could easily carry off a full grown deer in his talons. His taste, however, was for human flesh. Hundreds of warriors attempted to destroy the Piasa, but failed. Whole villages were destroyed and fear spread throughout the Illini tribe. Ouatoga, a chief whose fame extended even beyond the Great Lakes, separated himself from his tribe, fasted in solitude for the space of a whole moon, and prayed to the Great Spirit to protect his people from the Piasa.
On the last night of his fast, the Great Spirit appeared to Ouatoga in a dream and directed him to select 20 warriors, arm them each with a bow and poisoned arrow, and conceal them in a designated spot. Another warrior was to stand in an open view, as a victim for the Piasa.
When the chief awoke in the morning, he told the tribe of his dream. The warriors were quickly selected and placed in ambush. Ouatoga offered himself as the victim. Placing himself in open view, he soon saw the Piasa perched on the bluff eyeing his prey. Ouatoga began to chant the death song of a warrior. The Piasa took to the air and swooped down upon the chief. The Piasa had just reached his victim when every bow was sprung and every arrow sent sailing into the body of the beast. The Piasa uttered a fearful scream that echoed down the river, and died. Ouatoga was safe, and the tribe saved.

The Piasa Bird now rules over the River Bend once again. Through the efforts of local citizens , government and business advocates, the painting on the bluff has been restored.

A Great Week Of Classes

This was a busy week for Artfully Me...

Tuesday evening in adult class we painted sunflowers.

Friday evening in "Creative Kids" we drew dragons and painted clone troopers.

Saturday evening in T.L.C. (try, learn, create) we did collage art... our theme was "Friendship Is A Sheltering Tree"... Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Thanks for visiting!

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

In the Creative Kids Friday evening class the girls were excited to be drawing and painting teddy bears. The girls also broke in the new chalk wall in the studio. What FUN! We learned about how the teddy bear came to be and talked about Norman Rockwell... ~The Storyteller With A Brush~

In Pint-Sized Picasso's we talked about Symmetry and Primary Colors. The kids were entertained by the story ~Bernard the Butterfly~ We had a smushy good time with our symmetry experiment and then the kids painted beautiful butterflies.

I hope all these great little artists had fun this weekend! I can tell you that I'm already looking forward to next time!

To view the art from these classes, please see below!

Thanks for visiting!

Creative Kids and Pint-Sized Picasso's This Weekend

I'm looking forward to my *KIDDO* classes this weekend!

I picked up the reference materials for my classes from the library today... I can't wait to show the kids all the amazing books I found on the topics we will be discussing this month!

I had another great painting session in my Tuesday adult evening class! Thanks to Denise for joining me to paint!

I'll never have enough time to paint all the pictures I'd like to.
Norman Rockwell

Check out this web site... http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/zone.htm
The kids will LOVE it and you will too!

The snow isn't stopping me from thinking of SPRING!

In my adult class this week we painted a forest path... with blue bells in full bloom! I can't wait for a spring hike in the mountains, but until then... it was fun to paint this scene and dream of that day! We had the 80's music going and wine flowing! A special thanks to Vineet for bringing wine to share! It was a fun and relaxing evening for everyone.

I have a *Mommy and Me* class scheduled for this weekend! If you are looking for an artfully FUN way to spend some time with your kiddo... come check it out! Home is where the heart is ~ will be our theme! We are going to get creative with collage! Come build the collage home of your dreams!

My "Creative Kids" classes are filling up. Just a reminder... the boys and girls are split up this month for special projects.

The girls are up first (Friday the 18th) we will first draw and then paint teddy bears.

The boys are up next (on the 25th) with a dragon drawing and a star wars painting.
The artist we will be talking about in both classes this month is Norman Rockwell.

If you want to reserve a spot for your kiddo give me a call or email me. Please RSVP by February 14th for the boys class and Feb. 21st for the girls class.

I have openings for Pint Sized Picasso's... (5-6 yrs) February 19th 10-12 We will also do a Valentine themed paintings in this class.
Girlies: We are going to draw a heart shaped butterfly and then paint it with all kinds of fabulous colors. We will also give our butterfly some Fancy-Schmancy embellishments.
Boyos: We will be working on a Hoppy Valentine Frog. We will have fun bringing this hopper to life with spots, stripes and a nice long froggie tongue! It's going to be FUN FUN FUN

Have a GREAT day and thanks for visiting!

February Fun!!!

January was a Fun ART-FILLED month! Thank you to all of you who either came to a class or brought their kiddo to class. I enjoyed every minute of my teaching time and I'm looking forward to my February classes! I think the kiddos... and the adults... are learning and having fun at the same time.

February's schedule has a couple Valentine theme class opportunities! I've had requests to add a younger kiddo class (ages 5-6). So, I've added a date in February to paint with those Pint-Sized Picasso's.

*For a full list of February classes please check out the schedule below!*

By the way, I'm still trying to figure out how to do all the fun stuff with this blog! I tried to post a slideshow of all the kids' work but I couldn't get it to post! Stay tuned... I'll get it all figured out!

Thank you for visiting!

Painting is Fun

We have had a great time in our "Creative Kids" classes!  I plan on posting a couple pictures of their art work.  I think you will really enjoy looking at it!
In December the kiddos drew mugs of hot chocolate.  After drawing and then drinking the hot chocolaty goodness the kids were ready to paint.  Their paintings were fun and festive for the Christmas season.  We studied Henri Matisse and afterward the kids had a go at creating their very own Matisse masterpiece. 
For January, the kids each drew a collage of things they are looking forward to in 2011.  We studied Vincent Van Gogh's starry night paintings and then the kids painted their neighborhood under starry skies.   They produced such beautiful drawings and paintings.
February will be another exciting month for "Creative Kids"!  Our theme is "Things I LOVE"...for Valentines Day, of course!  A Star Wars theme for the boys and a Teddy Bear theme for the girls is on our agenda!  The artist we are going to talk about is Norman Rockwell. 
If you're interested in seeing what classes are available in February.... check out my schedule below.  Thanks for visiting!