ART LESSON: FISH

This is a step by step introduction to HOW TO PAINT A FISH

You will need:

Watercolor Paper / Mixed Media Paper
Watercolor Crayons / Crayons / Water Paints
A Small Paper Plate (to use as a template)


Step ONE...  Using the Small Paper Plate.  Trace around and create several Circles that Overlap.  I usually do about 10 on the paper.
Some go off the page, and they certainly overlap.


With a Second Crayon / or Different Color...  Go Fishing.
This is where we "Find Fish" in the overlapping circles.
I've demonstrated this with a RED FISH and two BLUE FISHES


Adding color to the fish... then define the bubbles and water around the fish.  Section by section.

Add Water / Watercolor as you go.

To see the full video, please visit my FB Art School Page /
@SuzanneGibsonArtist or e-mail me and ask for the Art Lesson: Fish!

March 18th - Play with your Food!

We are home again, or home still... and it's time to think about what we are doing in the kitchen to keep our family interested, and it's only the 3rd or 4th day?  We could be in this for a while.

So... What's on your Plate?  When the kids were a little younger, I was docent in their classrooms for a Food and Nutrition program.  This was the introduction of "healthy plates" in comparison to the old "Food Pyramid" which I grew up learning about...

With Nutrition Labels and Balanced Plate Education... It makes us question what is on our plates.


Here are a few coloring pages to help you get the kids, and yourselves, thinking about what you could do for dinner. Balancing the fast with fresh. Being aware of how much good, bad and ugly is in our processed food.  How much salt, sugar, and preservatives or chemicals are  in packaging too....

Happy St. Patrick's Day - Home-Bound-Edition!

Good Morning to all you Little Leprechaun's....  it seems like the world has been upturned in search of the elusive Leprechaun's... but I don't think the craftiest of the bunch would have set this Coronavirus thing up like this... 

On this St. Patrick's Day I find myself surrounded by 5 teens/tweens who really are not ready for school at home,... but they are up and working. 

But what about activities for the creatives?  Here you go....  Some of these Coloring Pages might be good for your little ones... and fun "Journal" prompts for the older ones.

And we woke up to a Rainy Day too... and as I looked out my window, I was greeted by this lovely rainbow!

I looked on line to find some other interesting things to inspire me... and then share with you... I was not disappointed!  So here are a few ideas for you!

 This last one is neat... It's an "I am Lucky" craft.  If you look at the link up close you can see a dotted line indicating where to glue the Shamrock Petals.  But it's a series of hearts.... Under each one is a place to write what you are lucky and grateful for! 

Have a fun day! (at home)...

And If you are wearing green, sharing green, eating green... share that with us too!

Post in the Comments Below!  I'd love to hear from you!

"Attack of the Quaranteenagers!"

What on Earth? Coronavirus?  Well yes, this is our current reality.  
I'm not making light of this situation, but rather will take a moment to encourage a little creativity.
Write it all down, draw a picture, illustrate your feelings.  What do we encourage our children to do in this moment?  Social Media only perpetuates the fear... but what if we grab the fear and knock it down a notch...  
There was a funny comment made, and so it made me think of the old "B" movie posters.  This one was "THE ATTACK OF THE QUARANTEENAGERS".... 
so... here's the thought and challenge.

Ask your kids (middle school and up in age) to draw / illustrate what the movie poster would look like?  Here are some fun examples that I found with a quick search this morning:

If you have little ones, Monsters vs. Aliens is a fun distraction for you.. Here are some of the movie posters from that... who doesn't like "Bob"?

and let's not ignore "Suuuuuuusan".


So go ahead, let's see some fun illustrations and get creative.  Come up with your own title...


Mine will be the
"Attack of the Quaranteenagers" 

Journals

Due to our unexpected situation... Known as the Coronavirus.... Life is a bit out of the ordinary.
Life as we know it has changed. It is important to take note, write it down, draw a picture, and adapt, learn, but do it, write it down.

What are you feeling? Who are you with? What have you planned for the next two weeks? What plans changed, what have you adapted?  What about your friends and family? 

Artistic Journaling is important.  So create a handwritten Newspaper Headline... What might it look like. You are the feature... What is the entertainment? Sports? News!!!

Have fun!!!

Murals! March 15, 2020

It's Almost St. Patrick's Day, and today's inspiration is from the Murals at the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago (Thank you Ms. Erin for taking me there with Fiona a few years ago... and Thank you Lisa for sharing this article with me today.)....

It's amazing what Art is around us... and if we pay attention, what ART is, and why IS IT THERE?



Here's a lovely article to read about the Murals, and the Artist, Edward Cox, featured in the Chicago Sun Times.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/murals-mosaics/2020/3/13/21172240/murals-chicago-celtic-irish-american-heritage-center-edward-cox?fbclid=IwAR2k6nqCHvVWBkDnWvelat6_avhKzHoVP-yYlP5Cr3_nmuoOVP42BnW_VHg

Artist Challenge for March 15th... If you could create a MURAL inspired by your own heritage... a favorite story, poem, or written bit of inspiration, what would it be?  Draw it, Paint it, and Share with us!.....

Share your artwork here!  email me here!

COLOR - A FEW VIDEOS that discuss the chemeistry of color and the history of paint.

With the current world health issue...  Coronavirus (COVID-19)…  Let's talk about art, color and painting...  Art lessons and help keep ourselves appreciating what we can be in control of.

So for the next few weeks, cuz my kids are going to be off school for a few weeks, we will be exploring artists, art, paint, color, and so much more.  I might even try to master the "on-line-video" lesson!  Yah, let's get to that later.


Before I go into my own art lesson though, I thought you might want to take some time and learn a little bit about color, and see where and how colors were made and developed through history.

Here's a link to a great Video on the CHEMISTRY OF COLOR!

Here's a great video created by two students, Maggie & Sophia, for a school project.  It is very well done and discusses the HISTORY OF PAINT.