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Project idea for your kids this week...
6:00:00 AMGather some materials:
- Cardboard
- Old Newspapers
- Mod Podge (or Elmer's glue)
- Sponge Brush
- Tempera or acrylic paints
- Paint Brushes
- Scissors
- Hair dryer
Prepare your materials before presenting the project to your child.
Cut the cardboard to desired size. In a small cup or jar mix some of the Mod Podge or glue with a small amount of water so that it spreads easier. It should not be watery but just a little thinner.
Invite your child to the activity.
Ask them to rip up the newspapers. Use the prepared glue and sponge brush to apply glue to the cardboard and then cover with bits of the torn paper. Don't worry if the papers go over the edge of the board these can be trimmed later. When the child is finished collaging the board use the hair dryer to dry the board. Trim off any newspaper that hangs off the edge.
Your "Canvas" is now ready to paint!
Invite your child to paint a scene on the prepared board. This could be anything. My group did buildings, but let their imagination go wild!
Tip: For small children offer them a limited selection of colors that mix nicely together. I like to stick with either warm colors (Red, Yellow, Orange) or cool colors (Green, Blue, Purple) Doing this you will avoid a solid brown board, lol.
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Women's March
10:00:00 AMBe the light
Sometimes it is hard to feel inspired to create. Sometimes we just don't feel that creative, but...
So when this happens to me I find that the best way to get going is by drawing some simple lines!
This can be hugely therapeutic as well if you are having a stressful day! There is no need to think to much about your lines. They don't need to be perfect. They don't need to be straight. They can be close together or far apart. They can go off in different directions or they can respond to each other. Just pick a starting point and draw a line. Then draw another line, keep going until you fill up your page!
I recommend using an ink pen for this exercise so that you can not erase. If you have the option to erase you become more focused on getting it "right" The focus here should not be on the perfect line, but instead on the process of making lines. Any paper will do. I like to work in a sketch book/art journal.
Try listening to relaxing music or white noise while you work for added relaxation!
Enjoy the process, notice how your pen glides along the paper. As you draw your lines you might just begin to notice ideas forming in your mind for new drawings. Take a mental note of these ideas as you work and revisit them later, let your creativity unfold!
So when this happens to me I find that the best way to get going is by drawing some simple lines!
This can be hugely therapeutic as well if you are having a stressful day! There is no need to think to much about your lines. They don't need to be perfect. They don't need to be straight. They can be close together or far apart. They can go off in different directions or they can respond to each other. Just pick a starting point and draw a line. Then draw another line, keep going until you fill up your page!
I recommend using an ink pen for this exercise so that you can not erase. If you have the option to erase you become more focused on getting it "right" The focus here should not be on the perfect line, but instead on the process of making lines. Any paper will do. I like to work in a sketch book/art journal.
Try listening to relaxing music or white noise while you work for added relaxation!
Enjoy the process, notice how your pen glides along the paper. As you draw your lines you might just begin to notice ideas forming in your mind for new drawings. Take a mental note of these ideas as you work and revisit them later, let your creativity unfold!
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Visualize Your Year...
12:00:00 PMWhat is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a visual reminder of your personal goals, dreams, and ambitions. Having
a visual reminder that you look at everyday can help you to stay focused on
what it is you truly want out of life. They can be general or focused around a certain theme such as career or
relationships...
Visualization is a powerful tool to help you maintain a clear
vision and attract the things you are focusing on into your life, "The Law of
Attraction."
So what is the Law of Attraction?
The Law of Attraction basically says that whatever you think about is what you attract into your life, good or bad. It is similar to the idea of Karma in that what you put out into the universe is what you get back. However, Karma comes from the Sanskrit word for "action" which focuses on your deeds/actions while the Law of Attraction focuses on your thoughts. Your past actions can influence your thoughts if you choose for them to, but your thoughts are not your actions.
Where as the idea of Karma is more of a reward/punishment idea, the Law of attraction places no judgement on your thoughts. Good or bad your thoughts are where you place your energy. If they are positive in nature your energy is radiating postitivity and thus attracting positivity. The same is true with negativity. The emphasis is placed on the "Now," What are you putting your focus on now?
Positive thinking and Visualization
It is not always easy to think positively. Sometimes it happens that life seems to be kicking you in the rear! I have had this experience a lot over the past several years, but what I began to notice slowly is that when I feel down and out my luck tends to go that way. When I feel positive my luck tends to go that way...
It is not that things will never go wrong if I feel positive, they will from time to time. It is just that I am equipped to handle them, to roll with the punches and to rebound faster than if I let myself bog down.
So I began to ask myself how do I turn this negativity in my life around? I came to the answer that I have to change my thoughts. I discovered the Law of Attraction. I am by no means an expert on this topic, I am a newbie! I am just learning, but I feel empowered. I feel a change coming and I am ready.
I was introduced to the idea of vision boards sometime ago, but I have never made one until this year! As I began thinking about my goals, and dreams for 2017 I began to research vision boards, I became very excited about the idea of a visual reminder of my goals for the year, for my life! I decided to include a vision board project in my new class series Creative Self Care and I included a vision board project in our January Yoga and Art Class. My business partner, Brynn also had the awesome idea to host a vision board class in our studio for First Friday! See what happens when you put your thoughts in a certain direction! ;) you have vision board classes popping out of the wood works, lol.
Carrying your intention forward
So New Year Resolutions are quite popular. It is easy to be inspired by a new year, a new you, but what happens as the days turn into weeks? The weeks into months? Well for me (and many of you too, I imagine), I tend to forget those thoughts, those good intentions. I tend to get wrapped up in the day to day and all of those goals and dreams are pushed out of sight. This is where a Vision Board comes in handy. When you create your vision board and use it, you give yourself a visual reminder every day of those intentions you set for yourself! Hang it somewhere you see it each day. Let it help you stay focused and connected to your dreams and goals. Keep them in you thoughts as you go through each day and attract these things into your life!
Create your Vision Board
Material List
·
Large Board or thick paper
(Poster
board, foam core, or cork board work well)
·
Pictures, words or phrases cut from magazines or
printed out
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Scissors
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Glue (You could also use tacks if using a board)
·
Pens/Markers
If you are local, feel free to come into the studio during any Open Studio Session and create your own vision board!
If you are local, feel free to come into the studio during any Open Studio Session and create your own vision board!
There is no
right way to create a vision board. Simply choose images that you connect with
that represent how you want to feel,
not just items you want to accumulate. (Those can be included as well but to a
lesser degree). Include anything that motivates you! You cannot mess this up so
just dive in and start creating. Remember to hang your vision board in a place
you see it every day so that it can be most beneficial to you.
Tip: When creating any sort of collage I like to lay it out
before I attach the images. This is less important if you are using tack since
the images will be movable.
We used poster board and glue sicks for our boards in the studio, but I have also heard of people using tacks on builtin boards or foam core boards so that they can rearrange or replace goals as the year goes on. There is no wrong way to do this, it is your board just do what works best for you.
The important thing is that you visualize your goals, keep them in your thoughts, and attract them to manifest in your life!
Happy Dreaming!
As always I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject feel free to comment!
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Share a Story
Social Art
5:03:00 PMI believe that creativity is best when it is shared with others. That does not necessarily mean that you have to set up a gallery showing of your work, although you could! There are so many ways to share your creativity with others. Here are my top 5 favorite ways to share my creativity!
Make it a social event!
There are loads of ways to
do this from community events such as wine and painting/crafting evenings
to just having a few friends over for an evening of crafting!
This is a fun game that can be played alone or in a group of any size. All you need is the FREE printable PDF game page I created just for you (Click the Picture above), a die to roll, some drawing paper, and something to draw with! If you have a large group you might consider printing multiple sheets.
I have played this game with all ages, children through adults and it is a ton of fun. Try these ideas out for a fun twist on the game:
- Join a community class. It is always fun to learn with
others.
- Grab a few friends and head out to a gallery or museum.
Many cities have an art walk event each month. Here in Knoxville we have
the First Friday Art Walk It is a ton of fun to explore the area galleries and
shops each hosting a new artist opening. There are usually appetizers and
beverages, sometimes even live shows. These events are a great way to
share creativity with others and support art in your local communities!
- Join a monthly club or meet up group with a creative focus. Many communities offer such groups from knitters circles to art clubs see what your city has to offer! At our studio we offer a monthly Yoga and Art Class and a monthly Zentangle Club. If you can not find a club that meets your needs consider starting your own! There are also some wonderful online communities that offer a virtual social art experience.
- Game night, with an art twist of course! There are some
awesome art games out there that will get you creating and laughing with
your friends, who knows you might even end up with a piece of art! I am
starting a new grownup game night in our studio this month which will hopefully develop
into a monthly event! Here is a blog post about my top favorite art games and
where to get them!
There are so many great way to share
your creativity with your community, friends, and family! I would love to hear
other ideas you have! Feel free to write back and let me know how you share
your creative spirit!
I would like to ask a favor of you today. If you have a friend who you think would benefit from adding a bit more creativity to their life, would you please pass on my information to them. I would love to meet them and share my passion for creativity with them as I have with you! Thanks so much, friend.
Roll a Picasso Game
This is a fun game that can be played alone or in a group of any size. All you need is the FREE printable PDF game page I created just for you (Click the Picture above), a die to roll, some drawing paper, and something to draw with! If you have a large group you might consider printing multiple sheets.
I have played this game with all ages, children through adults and it is a ton of fun. Try these ideas out for a fun twist on the game:
- Allow players to color in the drawings with colored
pencils or crayons.
- Have the players pass their drawing to the next player
after each roll to create a community drawing.
- Give each player a canvas to draw on and then they can
paint the drawing when they are done for a one of a kind work of art to
take home!
*This is not an original idea of
mine, though I did create the game sheet above. The roll a Picasso game has
been played and enjoyed by many people throughout the years. A quick online
search will show many variations on the game such as roll a monster, roll a
creature, roll a landscape... So if you enjoy this game perhaps check out some
other variations or create your own!
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New blog topics for 2017
6:00:00 AMHonor the artist and creative spirit in all individuals.
So this year is the year of Growth for me, as I mentioned in my last post, and part of my growth plan is this blog. In 2017 I hope to streamline the blog a bit, give it a bit more focus, and grow my audience. The mission of the Basement Community Art Studio is to honor the artist and creative spirit in all individuals. It is our belief that all humans are creative and can benefit from cultivating their own creative paths. This blog is dedicated to helping people do just that!It is my goal to post regularly on the following topics:
Around the Studio
This topic will focus on what is going on here in our studio including classes, highlights, news, and art from our various artists of all ages!
Give it a try...
This topic will focus on art and craft inspirations for you to try whether it is an art journal prompt, a project idea, or a tutorial this topic will help to inspire you to create art of your own. It will be geared to artists of all levels.
Inspired by...
This topic will be anything that helps to inspire the creative soul. It might be individual artists, groups, news stories, or interesting products that I come across that inspire me and which I hope will inspire you as well.
Pinwheels for peace image via, My post
Pinwheels for peace image via, My post
Artistic Play- Kids & Art
A large part of what we do in the studio revolves around children. Children are so amazing and creative! In this section I will share projects for kids and by kids. I will also share ideas and stories regarding art education for kids.
As adults we can also learn a lot from how kids create, so feel free to try out these projects on your own as well ;) I know I will!
Cultivating Your Creative Self
This is a topic I am really excited about. As I mentioned before I believe that all people can benefit from cultivating their own creativity. There are so many studies discussing the benefits of art for the individual including lowering stress levels and increasing happiness and contentment. Who would not benefit from more of that! In this section we will look at ways to invite more creativity into our lives and why we should foster that creativity.
A Piece of Me
In this section I will share with you my own creative journey. I will share art I am working on, my personal creative inspirations, and what drives me to grow in my own creative path.
I hope you will join me on this creative adventure. I would love to hear from you along the way. Please feel free to comment on the posts, let me know what you think, ask questions, offer suggestions, or show of some of your own creative work!
You can follow this blog with bloglovin or feel free to sign up for our email list!Bonus, when you sign up for our mailing list, not only will you get our monthly studio updates but you will also get a handful of creative freebies to get you started down you own creative path!
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I hope you will join me on this creative adventure. I would love to hear from you along the way. Please feel free to comment on the posts, let me know what you think, ask questions, offer suggestions, or show of some of your own creative work!
You can follow this blog with bloglovin or feel free to sign up for our email list!Bonus, when you sign up for our mailing list, not only will you get our monthly studio updates but you will also get a handful of creative freebies to get you started down you own creative path!