Resolutions

Here's my latest (incomplete) favorite: chubby baby.

Among my many aspirations for 2009 these are included:

• Draw every day. EVERY DAY!
• Make time for daily introspection and meditation (great ideas and clear thinking happen best during this time and I sure could use some of that these days)
• Write weekly journal entries (not blog journaling, pen and paper journaling)
• Cook more international cuisine...or at least TRY to.

What are your goals for the upcoming year? I always love reading what people would like to accomplish. Leave them in the comments section or leave a link to your blog if you've typed it up there and I'll stop over to cheer you on!

Happiest New Year!!

Big & Little Art: Nativity

Perfect for the child that loves scissors and glue sticks (which would pretty much include every toddler on the face of the planet).

This and "team doodling" are a couple of my go-to art projects because they are low on prep and high on interaction. We chose to make a Nativity scene today:

Have child(ren) pick out colored paper

• Draw basic shapes for each part of the scene (add details later to keep the cutting lines simple)
  
• Have child cut out shapes (I cut out the heads)
  
• Arrange shapes in order so your child can see that basic layout idea
• Clear all shapes from background
• Hand shapes back to child one by one so they can piece it together with glue
• Hang up in a prominent location with the rest of the Christmas decor
  

Have a very Merry Christmas!!!

BIg & Little Art: Snow Painting

I remember doing this when I was little to decorate my snow people.

Supplies:

• Clean spray bottles filled with water
  
• Food coloring *I recommend primary colors so a little color science (ie: red+yellow=orange) can be a part of your play.
• SNOW!
• Stencils, shapes are also nice to have

Balloon II and humming

Another take on "balloon".

For this illustration I used a ball point pen and a dried out marker that should have been thrown away a few months ago.
I prefer the lines of my rough sketches and hope to one day transfer that spontaneous feel to my finished pieces.


Original Sketch:


Off Topic:
While washing my hands in a public restroom, a lady at another sink said, "You have a very nice hum. In fact, I don't think I know anyone that hums so well."

If it weren't for the fact that we were the only people in the restroom I would never have realized that she was talking to me. I thanked her and spent the next few minutes wondering if I always hum without thinking.Then I started to realize that, yes, I am in fact a hummer.

I've hummed through two root canals, and the (natural) labor and delivery of my 2nd child. I've hummed through finals weeks, workouts and while doing endless loads of dishes. I've hummed my children to sleep and while working on a variety of craft and art projects. I hum along when the church choir sings and when I'm listening to the radio. So yeah, I'm a hummer...and a hand washer.