This week I am working on the Tots N Tunes Preschool Music Program video, which I have edited and set to music twice a year for almost the past ten years. It is a task that comes around far too quickly every time, that I am totally guilty of procrastinating on, but despite various hiccups and technical difficulties, always ends up completed on time.
When Leslie Domingues, owner of Northlake Academy of Music and Tots N Tunes, asked me if I could do it this year, I wondered if I would be able to fit the project's many hours of computer work/editing into my schedule. It's not that it's hard, it's just time consuming. It's a busy early December at The Big Red Barn, and I have a lot of birthday parties, a holiday tea, a parade, a float to build, and my own child's activities to think about. As I've learned over years of piling my plate too high, I knew that it would get done, one way or another, so I said yes. The extra money would come in handy, but I did it for more than money.
In another life, I was a dancer and a dance teacher. This led me to the job as creative movement teacher at Tots N Tunes, a preschool music program that began in the back of Werlein's Music Store, almost 15 years ago. The program was started by Leslie Domingues, who had taught for many years as a piano teacher and who had a special love of working with children. I was there for the first class of Tots N Tunes, and many more to count thereafter. Over the years I witnessed Leslie's brainchild grow from a floating preschool music program to an amazing music studio, Northlake Academy of Music, with over a dozen rooms for private lessons, a separate Tots N Tunes room, a choir room, a violin room, and more. It's really an amazing facility. But I digress.
One of the best things about working for Leslie is/was how well she treats her employees. Leslie always paid fairly, gave Christmas bonuses, bought at Wendy's for the ride across the Causeway on Saturday after Tots N Tunes, and surprised you now and then with a little treat, like coffee from Starbucks. Sure, these things are monetary, and employee praise doesn't necessarily need be linked to money, but when you're a girl in your mid 20's (or mid 30's) with very little money, they certainly are appreciated! Over my years of work at Tots N Tunes/Northlake, I took on other job responsibilities, including flyer/web/graphic design, administrative duties, and (of course) the Tots N Tunes video. When I had my daughter, Lily Grace, and moved from Mandeville to Ponchatoula, I took a break from teaching at Tots N Tunes, but continued to help out with non-teaching things.
One of the things that I am most grateful about is how Leslie provided me with the opportunity to earn money when my options were limited. She let me work from home and allowed me to bring my daughter, Lily Grace, to work at her house. We would sit at her table and work on various things while Lily toddled around, requested anything and everything in Leslie's impressive pantry, played with toys, and watched TV. Leslie was always loving and patient with Lily, now and then surprising her with special treats. She was more than a boss, she was a friend, and I was always happy to spend the hours working together and talking about life. At the time, my home life, marriage, and financial situation were not the stuff dreams are made of. The small, yet more than fair, monthly salary that she gave me was an enormous help, and allowed me to tuck money away for a rainy day (at least when I didn't have to use it to pay the electric bill.) That rainy day turned out to be The Big Red Barn.
The Big Red Barn was originally located in a cottage next door to my old house. The cottage was actually a garage, which was made into an apartment with a bathroom and kitchenette. The structure was sound, but it needed a few renovations. I had dreamed of opening an arts center for children for years, and the space was just sitting there, so it seemed like a great opportunity. I talked to my then-husband about the idea, and though it took a while, things eventually started to happen. My (then) mother-in-law bought a new sink, hot water heater, and lumber to finish the walls. My (then) father-in-law, who lived with us at the time, completed the work in lieu of rent. Family helped with the framework, but it was up to me to fill that framework. I filled it, figuratively, brick by brick, month by month. I scrimped and saved the money I earned from Leslie and used it to buy carpet, wall paint, basic art supplies, and advertising materials/ad space.
I've always been a total diva of bargain shopping, and am in no way above trash-picking or yard sailing, so I knew how to spend as little as possible and get the most bang for my buck. For example, the original chairs at The Big Red Barn were purchased at a Ponchatoula High fundraiser yard sale for 50 CENTS each! They were old rusty school chairs, probably from the 60s or 70s. I spray painted them and they served us well, for years. It didn't take a lot of money to get started, but every little bit helped.
The opportunity that Leslie gave me allowed me to earn enough money to help make my dreams come true. I don't know if it would have happened otherwise, especially since I HATE asking anyone for help, and although my parents probably would have lent me money if I asked for it, I never would have asked. I live my dream every day, and am thankful and amazed at my fun, yet humble, little place. I've made it happen, but I have had help along the way. Most dreams need a little assistance; we just have to know where to find it.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Leggo those Legos!
Uh oh. I'm in trouble again. It's been a while since I was ensnared by a toy obsession, but with the catalyst of Christmas and an awakened interest in Legos, I can feel myself getting tangled up and I'm powerless to stop it.
It started out innocently enough; I was clicking my way through memory lane, looking at some recently scanned slides from our childhood. There was a picture of my sister Susie proudly holding a Lego house creation. Using that picture and many more, I wrote a blog post about our low tech childhood. Briefly I described some of the tv/tablet/internet-free activities we enjoyed, including playing with Legos. I have so many great memories of sitting on the floor with a pile of blocks and remember the satisfaction of fastening them together, creating doors, windows, and furniture.
I thought that Lily would enjoy them, too (and also wanted to relive some of my own childhood) so I searched for some basic lots of blocks that we could play with. As I looked at the various Lego tubs available and read reviews, it seemed like none of them were what I really wanted. I wanted a lot of 2x6 bricks, the kind that we always ran out of. Unfortunately, many of the reviews complained about what was included in the tubs- specifically the limited number of that holy grail size of brick. So, I went to eBay. Surely someone would be selling a big box of old Legos that they didn't want anymore. I saw a listing for a lot of Legos, with Lego Friends pieces. The picture for the listing showed a pile of multicolored blocks, but there were also interesting little doors, windows, and accessories thrown into the mix. Ooooooooh....If only I had had those nifty little pieces when I was little! I (I mean Lily) had to have them. eBay wasn't exactly giving the stuff away, so off to Amazon I went, where I searched Lego Friends.
I had seen the Lego Friends on display at Target before, but when they came out in 2012, it seemed that Lily was still a little too young to manage them. She had noticed the displays, and was attracted to their girly colors and fun aesthetics, but I always shooed her away because I didn't want to deal with all of the pieces and thought they might frustrate her. She seemed to think that the sets came out of the box the way they were displayed, like a Barbie or Little People house, and didn't understand that they needed to be built. Because of that, I didn't pay that much attention to all of the different sets Lego had come out with- but I'm paying attention now!
I'm actually not a big fan of Lego sets that are intended to build one thing; I think that they potentially limit the imagination. Left to my own devices, I'd rather have a big pile of them and make whatever I wanted, play with it a while, then make something else with the pieces. But, when I saw the sets for Lego Friends, I couldn't help but admire the cute detail and architecture of the series. There were so many wonderful little features like furniture, flowers, trees, food, even an espresso machine! I reasoned that they would be a great jumping off point that could foster a love of Legos. If Lily enjoyed building one planned thing, maybe that would pave the way for her making up her own things. And, when that time comes, she would have a lot of neat elements to use in her creations.
I needed to decide which set to get. I wanted a set that had a lot of pieces that could be configured in many different ways, and after looking at the many different options, I ordered the high school and the house. I liked the way that they were separated into modular builds, and the fact that the created modules could be used to create different building configurations. From Amazon, the two sets totaled about $95.00, not bad for 2 nice Christmas presents.
But I couldn't stop there. I'm painfully guilty of wanting to buy EVERYTHING when I get a "toy fever." Past fevers have included old-school Little People (see here), Fisher Price Snap & Style Dolls, new-school Little People, Loving Family Dollhouse people & furniture, play food, etc. As I looked through the pages of different sets available, I thought of the different things that Lily would like her Friends characters to do: go to the cafe, the pool, play in the treehouse... and reasoned that she needed those sets, too. There was also a set cute little makeup table, ballet barre, and a stage! (Squeal!)
Waiting to buy later could have been an option, but then I saw that some of the sets are being retired, and some have already been retired (like the cool Butterfly Salon set that retailed for $25 and now cannot be found for much less than $70 on eBay and Amazon!). There have also been some pretty good sales lately, especially with Christmas coupons. So, as of today, I've spent about $160 on Legos: all for Christmas presents. Now, if only I can keep my hands off of them until December 25th!
I bought:
Do you love Legos, too? Check out these really great blogs with pictures and inspiration for awesome Lego creations.
http://friendsinspiregirlsglobally.blogspot.com/
http://friendsbricks.blogspot.com/
PS...
Lego Friends received a lot of negative feminist backlash when they released this series in 2012. Many websites and blogs were of the opinion that it was sexist to have Legos with beauty shops, girly figures, and bakeries. I read the assertions in several of the articles, and just don't agree.
It started out innocently enough; I was clicking my way through memory lane, looking at some recently scanned slides from our childhood. There was a picture of my sister Susie proudly holding a Lego house creation. Using that picture and many more, I wrote a blog post about our low tech childhood. Briefly I described some of the tv/tablet/internet-free activities we enjoyed, including playing with Legos. I have so many great memories of sitting on the floor with a pile of blocks and remember the satisfaction of fastening them together, creating doors, windows, and furniture.
I thought that Lily would enjoy them, too (and also wanted to relive some of my own childhood) so I searched for some basic lots of blocks that we could play with. As I looked at the various Lego tubs available and read reviews, it seemed like none of them were what I really wanted. I wanted a lot of 2x6 bricks, the kind that we always ran out of. Unfortunately, many of the reviews complained about what was included in the tubs- specifically the limited number of that holy grail size of brick. So, I went to eBay. Surely someone would be selling a big box of old Legos that they didn't want anymore. I saw a listing for a lot of Legos, with Lego Friends pieces. The picture for the listing showed a pile of multicolored blocks, but there were also interesting little doors, windows, and accessories thrown into the mix. Ooooooooh....If only I had had those nifty little pieces when I was little! I (I mean Lily) had to have them. eBay wasn't exactly giving the stuff away, so off to Amazon I went, where I searched Lego Friends.
I had seen the Lego Friends on display at Target before, but when they came out in 2012, it seemed that Lily was still a little too young to manage them. She had noticed the displays, and was attracted to their girly colors and fun aesthetics, but I always shooed her away because I didn't want to deal with all of the pieces and thought they might frustrate her. She seemed to think that the sets came out of the box the way they were displayed, like a Barbie or Little People house, and didn't understand that they needed to be built. Because of that, I didn't pay that much attention to all of the different sets Lego had come out with- but I'm paying attention now!
I'm actually not a big fan of Lego sets that are intended to build one thing; I think that they potentially limit the imagination. Left to my own devices, I'd rather have a big pile of them and make whatever I wanted, play with it a while, then make something else with the pieces. But, when I saw the sets for Lego Friends, I couldn't help but admire the cute detail and architecture of the series. There were so many wonderful little features like furniture, flowers, trees, food, even an espresso machine! I reasoned that they would be a great jumping off point that could foster a love of Legos. If Lily enjoyed building one planned thing, maybe that would pave the way for her making up her own things. And, when that time comes, she would have a lot of neat elements to use in her creations.
 |
| This is not an actual kit... This is a hotel created with stock Legos and kit elements. So cool! |
 |
| Another cool creation, starring Lego Friends! |
I needed to decide which set to get. I wanted a set that had a lot of pieces that could be configured in many different ways, and after looking at the many different options, I ordered the high school and the house. I liked the way that they were separated into modular builds, and the fact that the created modules could be used to create different building configurations. From Amazon, the two sets totaled about $95.00, not bad for 2 nice Christmas presents.
But I couldn't stop there. I'm painfully guilty of wanting to buy EVERYTHING when I get a "toy fever." Past fevers have included old-school Little People (see here), Fisher Price Snap & Style Dolls, new-school Little People, Loving Family Dollhouse people & furniture, play food, etc. As I looked through the pages of different sets available, I thought of the different things that Lily would like her Friends characters to do: go to the cafe, the pool, play in the treehouse... and reasoned that she needed those sets, too. There was also a set cute little makeup table, ballet barre, and a stage! (Squeal!)
Waiting to buy later could have been an option, but then I saw that some of the sets are being retired, and some have already been retired (like the cool Butterfly Salon set that retailed for $25 and now cannot be found for much less than $70 on eBay and Amazon!). There have also been some pretty good sales lately, especially with Christmas coupons. So, as of today, I've spent about $160 on Legos: all for Christmas presents. Now, if only I can keep my hands off of them until December 25th!
Heartlake High $44
Olivia's House $55
Olivia's Treehouse $18
City Park Cafe $25
Rehearsal Stage $18
MUST. STOP. NOW!!!!
... I can't wait to go to Legoland when we go to Kansas City for Thanksgiving. :-)
 |
| So cool! Munchkinland, made out of Legos! |
Do you love Legos, too? Check out these really great blogs with pictures and inspiration for awesome Lego creations.
http://friendsinspiregirlsglobally.blogspot.com/
http://friendsbricks.blogspot.com/
PS...
Lego Friends received a lot of negative feminist backlash when they released this series in 2012. Many websites and blogs were of the opinion that it was sexist to have Legos with beauty shops, girly figures, and bakeries. I read the assertions in several of the articles, and just don't agree.
Monday, October 28, 2013
101 Days til Disney
This morning I logged on to my account at DisneyWorld.com and saw that we have 101 days until we leave for a surprise Disney trip for Lily's 7th birthday. We have made the decision to not tell her about the trip until the day we leave because we know that she will drive is CRAZY asking if and when it's time to go for the next 3 months. A great idea for her (ignorance is bliss) but I'm about to go crazy with excitement and anticipation. So, in an effort to pass the time and count down the days, I have planned up create a Mickey Mouse drawing/painting/mosaic/collage once a day for 101 days. Too ambitious? Maybe- but it will be fun to try. :-)
Stay tuned for a progress report!
11/4/13 Progress Report...
Well, it was a nice idea, but considering that I didn't even start the project the day I said I would, I figured it would be better to go another route.
I took a 12x12 canvas and made a border of 1" all the way around, then I created a grid of 100 1" squares. I drew a Mickey Mouse outline in the center of the canvas, approximately 6" in diameter. Once each square is filled with a different color and a stamped Mickey Mouse, the piece will have 101 Mickeys. The idea is/was to fill in a square a day to count down to the trip. I started it 2 days late, so I filled in the squares I missed, then this weekend I was insanely busy with our art show and an Artsy Afternoon, so I've missed 3 days and need to catch up (again). I can't imagine doing the project as I originally intended- there's just so much other stuff for me to do! Oh well... It will be a neat finished project anyway- even if it isn't completed on a perfectly scheduled schedule. :-)
11/4/13 Progress Report...
Well, it was a nice idea, but considering that I didn't even start the project the day I said I would, I figured it would be better to go another route.
I took a 12x12 canvas and made a border of 1" all the way around, then I created a grid of 100 1" squares. I drew a Mickey Mouse outline in the center of the canvas, approximately 6" in diameter. Once each square is filled with a different color and a stamped Mickey Mouse, the piece will have 101 Mickeys. The idea is/was to fill in a square a day to count down to the trip. I started it 2 days late, so I filled in the squares I missed, then this weekend I was insanely busy with our art show and an Artsy Afternoon, so I've missed 3 days and need to catch up (again). I can't imagine doing the project as I originally intended- there's just so much other stuff for me to do! Oh well... It will be a neat finished project anyway- even if it isn't completed on a perfectly scheduled schedule. :-)
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Low Tech Childhood
Before iPhones, tablets, and even the internet...
Occasionally during lessons, I mention to children that art was a way for people to record events and research. For example, John James Audubon's numerous bird studies captured details of various species for the world to see. I explain that over 100 years ago they didn't have Google or ipads to search anything and everything, and if someone wanted to know what something looked like, they could consult the painting or print (in a book!). When I mention the concept of no internet or ipads, the kids are shocked. I tell them that it wasn't that long ago, and that there was no internet (as we know it) when I was their age.
I may as well tell them that I am from the dark ages (which they can Google if they want to learn about it. We had to pour through the good old Encyclopedia- but I digress).
I suppose it's no different than me not being able to fathom life before TV. Sure we only had 4 channels at home and cartoons just came on Saturday morning, but at least we had TV. I have fond memories of watching Three's Company and The Jeffersons after school, and of 6am-10am cereal fests on Saturday morning (The Smurfs were my favorite- at least until they started doing the weird time travel thing). When we went to Grandma and Papa's house we watched more- because they had cable AND a $800 Beta-max that they used to record cartoons so we could watch them whenever we wanted; a concept that was beyond awesome to our every day animation-starved eyes! We weren't supposed to watch MTV, but sometimes we got away with it. :-)
Although we had our share of screen time, we spent a lot of childhood entertaining ourselves in other ways. Here's what we were up to when we weren't watching TV... "We" consists of myself, my twin sister Susie, and my older sister Jennie, who share the spotlight in the following photos...
Legos
There were never enough Legos- especially the kind with all 8 nubs on top. The short and/or skinny ones had to be combined to make enough bricks to successfully complete a house. If we were very careful with our rationing we'd have enough left over to make a roof. How I'd love to have a HUGE tub of Legos now. I looked at them the other day at Target and the "big" tub felt like it only had about 50 blocks inside. Boo!!!
Just add Water
In warm months, we loved to "go swimming." Of course, going swimming seldom included anything that resembled actual swimming. It may include playing with the hose (the fan spray attachment made it really awesome), running in the sprinkler, or sitting in any vessel that could hold more than a gallon of water.
Games with family
I have solid memories of just lying about whether or not my opponent hit my Battleships. A-17... Miss! What a little cheat I was. The same could be said about my sportsmanship playing Chinese Jump Rope. To play, you needed three people: two to hold the rope (which was actually an elastic band) and one to jump. The jumper was "out" when she stepped on the rope and then had to hold the rope for everyone else. I hated holding the rope, and would beg my sisters to let me jump first. Knowing my track record, they would say no because they knew I'd run off after I jumped without holding the rope for them. But somehow, as grandma always retold the story, they would always fall for it. My powers of persuasion must have been great. Without three people to play, we'd have to use a chair to hold the rope. This worked out okay, but the chair legs were a fixed width apart, and the rope was supposed to go from skinny to wide as the game progressed.
Stunt Work
Climbing the walls, jumping on (and off) furniture, tumbling tricks, and make-shift cheer-leading stunts. To our credit, we never got hurt doing anything that I would probably tell Lily not to do. I'm such a nervous Nelly mom. Last week after I watched her walking the balance beam and tumbling at gymnastics class, I held her hand while we walked down the gym's concrete stairs. Although I knew she was getting too old for me to hold her hand and laughed at my protectiveness, I just couldn't let go. Maybe next time.
Eating
We LOVED to eat junk food at Grandma and Papa's house. There were always cookies, candy (miniature Hershey Bars), Little Debbie snack cakes, Neapolitan ice cream, and other great stuff that we didn't usually have at Mom & Dad's. The bottom drawer of the refrigerator had an impressive array of cold cuts, and one of my favorite things to snack on was a "cold cut plate" with various hand-selected meats and cheeses. But- nothing could ever compare to the delicacy of the bologna curl. I'm not sure if Grandma invented the bologna curl or if she read about it in one of the cookbooks that came with the revolutionary microwave when it came out in the early 80s. To make one, all you have to do is fold a piece of American cheese into 1/4ths and center it in the middle of a piece of bologna. Microwave it for one minute, and the sides of the bologna curl up to create a little bowl for the melted cheese in the center. Yum.
Fun with Nature
There's an old magnolia tree outside of Grandma and Papa's house that was perfect for climbing. The branches started out really low, so you could step from one to another and go as high up as you wanted. I was always pretty chicken (still am) so I only went up less that half-way. My older sister Jennie was much braver and she went all the way to the top. Somewhere, there's a black and white picture of her perched up there.
Grandma and Papa had a really nice yard and garden, so there was usually some dirt to play with: another favorite past time.
I can just hear that conversation with Lily:
"Mom, I'm bored."
"Go play in the dirt."
I'm not sure she'd go for it but, for us, it was always fun to play in the dirt and pretend to plant stuff in random containers, make mud pies with sticks and rocks, and build mountains of earth. One of the best things they ever had in their yard was a huge load of fill. They were planning to spread it out to keep water from standing in low areas of the yard, but for a couple of weeks it was there in a big pile that we happily climbed on and played in.
Wheely Fun
If it had wheels, we rode it. However, we didn't ride on a nice and smooth sidewalk, street, or bike path. Nope, we rode in the grass, we skated on the wooden slatted deck- and we liked it!
Atari!
My favorite games were River Raid and Pitfall Harry. I even won an Activision patch for my high score in Pitfall. I could work one of those Atari joysticks, too. No other controller has ever been the same, and if a
game has more options that left or right, up or down, I get really confused. Oh, how I miss Atari.
Art Time
No explanation necessary.
Creative Thinking
We could turn anything into something to play with. Check out Grandma's old treadmill, which had metal rollers under the belt. A big trash can makes a great drum, especially when your sister is underneath, and a piece of otherwise conventional wire makes a great costume.
... and the best past time of all?
Fighting with and antagonizing siblings. :-)
Occasionally during lessons, I mention to children that art was a way for people to record events and research. For example, John James Audubon's numerous bird studies captured details of various species for the world to see. I explain that over 100 years ago they didn't have Google or ipads to search anything and everything, and if someone wanted to know what something looked like, they could consult the painting or print (in a book!). When I mention the concept of no internet or ipads, the kids are shocked. I tell them that it wasn't that long ago, and that there was no internet (as we know it) when I was their age.
I may as well tell them that I am from the dark ages (which they can Google if they want to learn about it. We had to pour through the good old Encyclopedia- but I digress).
I suppose it's no different than me not being able to fathom life before TV. Sure we only had 4 channels at home and cartoons just came on Saturday morning, but at least we had TV. I have fond memories of watching Three's Company and The Jeffersons after school, and of 6am-10am cereal fests on Saturday morning (The Smurfs were my favorite- at least until they started doing the weird time travel thing). When we went to Grandma and Papa's house we watched more- because they had cable AND a $800 Beta-max that they used to record cartoons so we could watch them whenever we wanted; a concept that was beyond awesome to our every day animation-starved eyes! We weren't supposed to watch MTV, but sometimes we got away with it. :-)
Although we had our share of screen time, we spent a lot of childhood entertaining ourselves in other ways. Here's what we were up to when we weren't watching TV... "We" consists of myself, my twin sister Susie, and my older sister Jennie, who share the spotlight in the following photos...
 |
There were never enough Legos- especially the kind with all 8 nubs on top. The short and/or skinny ones had to be combined to make enough bricks to successfully complete a house. If we were very careful with our rationing we'd have enough left over to make a roof. How I'd love to have a HUGE tub of Legos now. I looked at them the other day at Target and the "big" tub felt like it only had about 50 blocks inside. Boo!!!
Just add Water
In warm months, we loved to "go swimming." Of course, going swimming seldom included anything that resembled actual swimming. It may include playing with the hose (the fan spray attachment made it really awesome), running in the sprinkler, or sitting in any vessel that could hold more than a gallon of water.
Games with family
I have solid memories of just lying about whether or not my opponent hit my Battleships. A-17... Miss! What a little cheat I was. The same could be said about my sportsmanship playing Chinese Jump Rope. To play, you needed three people: two to hold the rope (which was actually an elastic band) and one to jump. The jumper was "out" when she stepped on the rope and then had to hold the rope for everyone else. I hated holding the rope, and would beg my sisters to let me jump first. Knowing my track record, they would say no because they knew I'd run off after I jumped without holding the rope for them. But somehow, as grandma always retold the story, they would always fall for it. My powers of persuasion must have been great. Without three people to play, we'd have to use a chair to hold the rope. This worked out okay, but the chair legs were a fixed width apart, and the rope was supposed to go from skinny to wide as the game progressed.
Stunt Work
Climbing the walls, jumping on (and off) furniture, tumbling tricks, and make-shift cheer-leading stunts. To our credit, we never got hurt doing anything that I would probably tell Lily not to do. I'm such a nervous Nelly mom. Last week after I watched her walking the balance beam and tumbling at gymnastics class, I held her hand while we walked down the gym's concrete stairs. Although I knew she was getting too old for me to hold her hand and laughed at my protectiveness, I just couldn't let go. Maybe next time.
Eating
We LOVED to eat junk food at Grandma and Papa's house. There were always cookies, candy (miniature Hershey Bars), Little Debbie snack cakes, Neapolitan ice cream, and other great stuff that we didn't usually have at Mom & Dad's. The bottom drawer of the refrigerator had an impressive array of cold cuts, and one of my favorite things to snack on was a "cold cut plate" with various hand-selected meats and cheeses. But- nothing could ever compare to the delicacy of the bologna curl. I'm not sure if Grandma invented the bologna curl or if she read about it in one of the cookbooks that came with the revolutionary microwave when it came out in the early 80s. To make one, all you have to do is fold a piece of American cheese into 1/4ths and center it in the middle of a piece of bologna. Microwave it for one minute, and the sides of the bologna curl up to create a little bowl for the melted cheese in the center. Yum.
Fun with Nature
Grandma and Papa had a really nice yard and garden, so there was usually some dirt to play with: another favorite past time.
I can just hear that conversation with Lily:
"Mom, I'm bored."
"Go play in the dirt."
I'm not sure she'd go for it but, for us, it was always fun to play in the dirt and pretend to plant stuff in random containers, make mud pies with sticks and rocks, and build mountains of earth. One of the best things they ever had in their yard was a huge load of fill. They were planning to spread it out to keep water from standing in low areas of the yard, but for a couple of weeks it was there in a big pile that we happily climbed on and played in.
Wheely Fun
If it had wheels, we rode it. However, we didn't ride on a nice and smooth sidewalk, street, or bike path. Nope, we rode in the grass, we skated on the wooden slatted deck- and we liked it!
Atari!
My favorite games were River Raid and Pitfall Harry. I even won an Activision patch for my high score in Pitfall. I could work one of those Atari joysticks, too. No other controller has ever been the same, and if a
game has more options that left or right, up or down, I get really confused. Oh, how I miss Atari.
Art Time
No explanation necessary.
Creative Thinking
We could turn anything into something to play with. Check out Grandma's old treadmill, which had metal rollers under the belt. A big trash can makes a great drum, especially when your sister is underneath, and a piece of otherwise conventional wire makes a great costume.
... and the best past time of all?
Monday, October 7, 2013
The Chaos of Creativity
What I was getting to was how the picture of chaos reflected so many great things that we are doing this fall. Check it out!
1. Air dry clay, spray gloss and micro-fiber cloths. We use these materials at our Mudbugs Clay Play class and create sculptures using the pinch, slab, and coil methods. Because we don't have a kiln (yet!) we use the air dry clay and then use glaze to give our pieces a beautiful shiny finish.
2. Boxes and boxes of ceramic bisque, also on the shelf below. These bisque items are wonderful, and are great for the kids to paint during birthday parties and art camp. We have mermaids, dragons, princesses, fleur de lis, fish, and lots more awesome stuff.
3. 21 canvases painted with Klimt -inspired golden sunbursts. These are all being stored for our Show & Share Kids' Art Fair, which we offer twice a year during Ponchatoula Trade Days.
4. Boxes and boxes of canvases, bought in bulk. Children enrolled in our Art Explorers classes complete 5-6 canvases over the course of the Fall semester. We also use the canvases for parties and art camps.
5. Random projects.
6. Sewing Machines. We are loving our Sew Sweet Sewing Class! These are two of our four machines, which we furnish for our students. Students are also welcome to bring their own machines.
7. Fun Foam crafts
8. Club Create self portraits. Our Club Create class is offered for ages 10 and up and features a variety of projects that are chosen by the class.
9. Jasper Johns inspired alphabet art. Stored for our Show & Share Kids' Art Fair.
10. Wrapping paper and gift bags
Monday, September 30, 2013
Works in Progress
The awkwardness of works in progress...
Sometimes when parents walk in after art class and see what we are working on, I can't help but feel a little apprehensive and wonder if they're thinking "this is what I'm paying money for?"
I totally get it; sometimes the paintings don't look like much. But, one activity is a stepping stone to another, and (believe me) there is method to my madness. :-) It may be hard for parents to visualize the final outcomes of the half-formed works-in-progress they see, but I can see them and they are brilliant. It's hard to fit a completed masterpiece into a one hour a week art class, and not all works in progress can be as beautiful as cookie dough (yum). Moreover, my goal is to provide kids with new ideas and inspiration that they can apply as they learn and grow as artists and little people.
Sometimes our paintings don't turn out as magnificently as we would like; every creation isn't going to be a masterpiece. That's part of the lesson. The important thing is that we try, create, experience, and explore. The tangible painting is only a small part of the equation. It is my hope that children will collect the ideas that our classes offer and they will mix them up in their own way, creating their own jambalaya of artistic style and expression for years to come.
The truth is, it takes a long time for anything to take on its ultimate form. Life, style, art- it all changes over time. We take elements away, add new things, edit color and detail... Sometimes we don't like the way things are going and we just smother the canvas with a fresh coat of paint and start all over again. There is divine freedom in art and in life, if we are lucky enough to harness it, and anything is possible. Things seldom turn out the way we plan them- and you never know what shape your canvas is going to take. :-)
Sometimes when parents walk in after art class and see what we are working on, I can't help but feel a little apprehensive and wonder if they're thinking "this is what I'm paying money for?"
Sometimes our paintings don't turn out as magnificently as we would like; every creation isn't going to be a masterpiece. That's part of the lesson. The important thing is that we try, create, experience, and explore. The tangible painting is only a small part of the equation. It is my hope that children will collect the ideas that our classes offer and they will mix them up in their own way, creating their own jambalaya of artistic style and expression for years to come.
The truth is, it takes a long time for anything to take on its ultimate form. Life, style, art- it all changes over time. We take elements away, add new things, edit color and detail... Sometimes we don't like the way things are going and we just smother the canvas with a fresh coat of paint and start all over again. There is divine freedom in art and in life, if we are lucky enough to harness it, and anything is possible. Things seldom turn out the way we plan them- and you never know what shape your canvas is going to take. :-)
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| Evidence of a work in progress... I hated the yellow because it reminded me of a pig snout or an alien face, so I changed it. The bandana has had several coats of paint and I'm still not sure I like it. The background may be changed to something besides blue. I can take my time and decide what I want to do and paint it to suit my liking. There are endless possibilities! The first try is not always (and seldom ever) the best try. Keep going until you find what you like best! |
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| I didn't like this banana either... And the outlining didn't look right... I painted over the entire thing with light blue and it currently is awaiting its fate. It may take years or it may be finished tomorrow... Who knows! |
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Dabble Dabble Dabble
I've always said that I'm happiest when I have a project, and I've spent most of my life skipping from one obsession to the next, progressively immersing myself in the flavor of the month/year/day/week/moment.
Over the past 38 years, those obsessions have ranged from Madonna (4th grade) to dancing, boys, vintage clothes, sewing, books, crayons, pottery painting, teaching dancing, embroidery, collage, more books, beading, eBay selling, vintage kitchen stuff, treasure hunting, painting, unique graphics, ephemera, gardening, web design, photography, Fisher Price Toys, water soluble oil pastels, decorating, altered art & books, journal writing, and SO MUCH MORE. I've heard the phrase "Jack of all trades but master of none." As much as I'd like to be a master anything, I know that I am not. I am too interested in trying new things than to achieve mastery of just one thing (although, my attempts aren't too shabby, either :-)
I take it back- I am a master... A master dabbler!
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| Dabbling with domino pendants and old illustrations and words from a 1935 children's book... |
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| Once-upon-a-time I loved to go photo hunting and even set up my own dark room in the spare bedroom of my apartment. Pre-digital iphone instant gratification, I loved watching images come to life in the dim red light. |
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| One of thousands of computer files that harness my obsession with old graphics and ephemera. |
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| A combination of my clock collecting fascination and old graphics. |
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| Created for Bryan and mine's wedding using a combination of old graphics and modern-day computer graphics. |
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| Once upon a time, I created picture after picture with crayons (Prang was my favorite), all featuring the human body contorted into a variety of items and/or positions. I was teaching dancing almost every day and very movement-conscious. I think that has something to do with the subject matter. :-) Maybe one day I'll pick up some of these old pieces and re-imagine them in paint or collage. They're waiting for me, whenever I'm ready! |
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| One of my constant dabbles- writing... I have over 60 journals spanning 25 years, all filled with randomness, brilliance, pipe dreams, dreams come true, and pure drivel. There have been pauses in ink, but I always return to the page. |
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| My fascination with writing and desktop publishing started very early. I loved writing poems and stories, and creating newspapers and magazines. Once upon a time I wanted to work in publishing and be a magazine editor. I went to school to try and make that happen, but life had other plans for me. No matter; the skills come into play in other ways. :-) |
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| Dabbling in collage in one of my old journals. I loved collecting pieces and parts of interesting items from magazines, postcards, brochures, etc. and putting everything together in aesthetically appealing ways. |
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| The first page of an altered book I created with an adorable old book I found at Goodwill. From the 30's or so, the book had wonderful golden art nouveau flowers on the front and the title, Gold Dust. I created collages throughout the pages that all had a sort of "magical" golden (fairy dust?) theme. |
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| Yeah, I'll admit it, I even dabbled in Frontierville (aka Computer Crack). A waste of time? You bet, but look at how beautifully arranged all of the elements are! There's never a good excuse for bad design. :-) |
This master dabbler title is especially well-suited for my work (aka: play) at The Big Red Barn. At The Barn, there are always opportunities to create fresh ideas and to explore different things. The possibilities are limitless, and I get to dream up activities and themes, research, create lessons, steal ideas (teachers steal all the time :-), and create my own. One idea builds upon another, and there is always something new to learn. I am free to skip happily from one thing to the next- with paint, glitter, fabric scraps, and happy children in my wake. What an incredible gift!
It's fun to think about how all of these dabbles and interests have built upon one another, and how they continue to recur in unexpected ways. It's true that nothing is ever lost. All of our experiences are valuable, and even though one may no longer write, skydive, dance in pointe shoes, play sports, or remember anything from college algebra, you never know when one of your old selves is going to reemerge and meet your present self in seek of new experiences and adventures. There are always surprises around the bend- I love that!
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