My Artistic Children

A continuous inspiration to me are my kids. I've tried to encourage their artistic interests without pushing too much. I show them some techniques but I mostly let them explore. What they come up with just playing around amazes me. I pretty much find myself saying "Why didn't I think of that?"

 

Some of Caitlyn's work. She's 3 1/2. She loves painting next to me.

 

 

The animal above was a collaborative effort between Caitlyn and me.

Below is my son Evan's work. He'll be 5 in a few weeks. He likes to draw funny characters.

 

 

The above bunnies were also a collaborative effort. Evan did the paint streaks and I thought they looked like two bunnies embracing.

It's so much fun creating with my kids. They aren't critical. They just create and when they are done, they're done. It's wonderful!

 

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Crafting with the Kids

We made butterflies for Nana and Pop Pop's anniversary. The kids painted and I assembled.

 

 

 

 

I managed to convince the kids to not mix their cool and warm colors together. They really liked using the liquid watercolors. I added string to the butterflies so Nana could hang them up in the apartment.

A couple of tips if you want to try this at home. Put watercolor paper under the filters while painting. Any paint that soaks through ends up on the paper and makes a neat pattern. We will use those papers in a later project. And spritz the filters with water before painting. It helps the colors bleed and spread better. I hope you will try this with your kids. It's very fun. Watered down acrylic paint may work in place of liquid watercolors. Acrylic inks (like the Liquitex brand) will definitely work. I'm not sure how well regular watercolors will work. The liquid form is more vibrant.

 

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