With the weather warming up, we decided to make plant containers using plastic bottles. It’s a good way to recycle materials you already have lying around the house, plus kiddos really enjoy working with plants and getting their hands dirty. There’s nothing like being given permission to throw around some dirt. Then, I threw in a bonus activity because you’ll already have the materials out […]
Making Art at Home #2: Easter Egg Collages
The holidays are just around the corner and the kiddos (and adults) are getting antsy. Hopefully this project can alleviate some of that extra energy. I know for us, like many others, it’s been lots of nature walks, art projects, and quality family time. If you can’t tell by this week’s video, despite all these activities, things still manage to get chaotic rather quickly. […]
Making Art at Home #1: Coffee Filter Art
Today is the launch of “Spokane Art School – Making Art at Home” where I’ll be providing family-oriented art lessons remotely each week! The aim of this series is to make art more accessible at home, using materials you already have at hand. Each week, I’ll be introducing a new project that you can make with your kiddos and loved ones. This is […]
Schedule Your Creativity
With many of us now working at home, it’s easy to let time slip away. Distractions arise, excuses begin to take form, and slowly the day passes us by. I know for me, it’s been a tough transition. Worlds are colliding and it’s hard to maintain separation. Particularly in the arts, when we have the desire to work when “creativity strikes,” this can be particularly […]
Art you can do at home
Amidst times of canceled events, no school and social distancing, it can be easy to feel cooped up. However, there are plenty of ways to access your creative side and stay entertained at home. Here, I’ve listed a few ideas to get you started. And don’t worry, as exhibited in my pictures below, I went ahead and tested most of them […]
The Relationship between Art, Nature and Mindfulness
I recently went to an artist lecture, and their discussion of mindfulness brought my attention to an old memory. It was when my father and I used to sit outside in silence together. When I was particularly young, I was actually somewhat fascinated by the process. I remember I’d get excited when he’d go out there in the evening, anticipating our time together. Once I […]
How to Share the Creative Process
When it comes to sharing the creative process with others, often times, it can be trickier than one would anticipate. It goes back to what I mentioned in my previous post, which is intimidation. For years, we’re taught “good” art is the kind that accurately represents our surroundings. If this wasn’t your cup of tea, however, you likely had the misfortune of being taught art […]
Process Over Product
Process over product. Kids seem to have it mastered and adults get hung up over it. Ironically, it even managed to stump me when writing this blog post, creating a barrier for me as I fretted over the right things to say. Clearly, I’m still learning to embrace the concept. As a result, it remains work in progress. Yet, as I change, so does my practice. There’s a […]
Opportunity has bad breath.
I am closing in on the end of my residency here at the School and I am amazed by what I have accomplished. Dedicating 4 hours, 5 days a week has helped me grow in technique and ability. I look back on some of the work I was doing at the beginning of the year and I am in awe of what I have done […]
How you finish
I think I am finally embracing my role as a grown up. When we are young, we have so much passion. We burn with a fire that will flare up as we see injustice, cruelty, joy or apathy. We jump on our high horse and race into battle and will rail at windmills if we think the cause is just. As we age, we tend […]
