Monday, November 30, 2009

First Art Group!

With family in town for Thanksgiving, I decided to initiate the studio with our first art group. I separated the kids into two groups based on age and playmates. The older kids began working on a watercolor tissue collage, but soon found more interesting materials to work with!


The younger kids started off finger painting, then moved on to texture painting with various objects.

Naomi decided to stay in the studio and "help" the younger kids

Texture painting with trucks!
At the end of the day the studio was covered in paint and glue- What a success!

Studio Transformation

Here is the beginning of the transformation- from a blank canvas to a workshop where imagination and creativity flow.


I'm slowing adding materials to the shelving- and discovering what I can put at toddler-height!



Karuna and Austin painting their first watercolor resists on oil pastel drawings.
Exploring new materials

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Blank Canvas

This is the studio- a blank canvas waiting for it's true potential to be revealed. I can't wait to get started!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

The Hundred Languages of Children

Here is an excerpt from the beautiful poem by Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education- along with photos of kids exploring their "100 languages" (from my previous work as a studio teacher). It helps to constantly remind me of the intrinsic creativity in everyone!



The Hundred Languages of Children

The child
is made of one hundred.
The child has
a hundred languages
a hundred hands
a hundred thoughts
a hundred ways of thinking
of playing, of speaking.
A hundred always a hundred
ways of listening
of marveling of loving
a hundred joys
for singing and understanding
a hundred worlds
to discover
a hundred worlds
to dream.
The child has
a hundred languages
(and a hundred hundred hundred more)

– excerpt from poem by Loris Malaguzzi

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Inspiration


What has inspired me most of all to start a children's art studio...
my daughter, Karuna, exploring the texture, colors, smell (and taste!) of paint.