Kindergarten Art - Create a Cute Watercolor Owl

Hoot. Hoot.

You and your kids can create the sweetest owls!

Watercolor Owl. Artist: age 6

 We have all heard how valuable experience with art is for growing minds but most of us feel unsure how we can give creative experience to our children. Probably our own inner artist's were not nurtured when we were young. Time to remedy that! It turns out it's easy to make space in family life for creative expression (for everyone! parents included!) if you take it step by step.Watch as my kindergarten class jumps in. 

You'll need:
2 pieces white paper to do some warm up drawing
1 piece thick white paper
(preferable watercolor paper, size 8.5" x 11" is perfect)

Sharpened pencil
Permanent marker
Watercolor
Paintbrush
Water in a cup!

Step 1: Practice your shapes!

Warm up drawing.

If you can draw these shapes you are on your way to making a super sweet owl. A note to parents: although tempting to encourage, perfection is NOT important with children's art. Encouraging your child simply to draw is the best way to improve their confidence and skills.

In fact, in class I often draw with my left (non-dominant) hand when creating examples for the children. This puts me about on a level talent-wise with the kindergarteners. They love to see that I make mistakes and that my work isn't perfect either!
Use the examples here to create a warm up sheet for your kids. Encourage them to repeat shapes until they feel confident with them. The more they practice the better they will feel about their work!

Step 2: Draw your owl! Grab your pencil, watercolor paper and go!

You (and your child) will be drawing on watercolor paper with a pencil to start.

1. Begin with the owl's body, an upside-down "U".

2. Add a line across the middle to separate head and body. Now you have a rounded "A".

3. Zig-zag across the bottom of the "A" for feathers.

4. Add circles for eyes - nice and large.

5. Smaller circles are added inside for pupils.

6.*Encourage your child to keep going - not to stop and perfect the picture too much.

7. Between and below the eyes add a diamond beak.

8-9. Add a triangle for the ears.

10-11. Add half circle wings.

12-13. Add 2 lines for each leg.

14-15 .Add 3 lines for each toe.

16. Looking great!

17. Optional: You may add a branch for your owl to sit on/

18. Add branches or leaves.

Watercolor Owl - beautiful color mixing!

Step 3 : Tracing

Look at the amazing expression on this owl!

Use your permanent marker to carefully trace all the lines you have drawn.

Step 4: Watercolor!
Before you begin, please remember (and remind your child) that watercolor is a very fluid and changeable material. Happy accidents occur all the time. There are no mistakes in art! As you go, listen to your child. They often tell stories about their art as they create it. And they love to know what you think about your art!

 1. Prep your watercolors by adding a drop or two of water to each circle of dry paint. Mix each drop of water in and then rinse the brush. This is the first key to successful water color use -- make sure you and your child are using enough water!

2. Encourage your child to stop a moment and really appreciate and observe the owl they have created. As you can see from my kindergarten class, each one really has it's own personality.

3. Now comes the creative expression, invite your child to paint each different part of his/her owl with a different color. Make sure to rinse and wet the brush each time you return for more paint.

4. What about the sky - is it morning? Evening? Is it night? Encourage your child to decide.

5. Name your owls and when they are dry display them. Share them!

 As you can see from the amazing owls posted here -- variety is the spice of life! There is no "right" or "wrong" way to do a project like this. Techniques can be improved with practice. But as parents and teachers, our practice has to be encouraging our children to be true to their own inner voices -- and supporting them with whatever emerges onto the paper.

One happy owl (with glasses!)

Owl with a perfect (accidental!) pink feather on her head

Sleepy Owl with wild, confident painting!

Little Owl on a branch

Today's Bankie Baby Blankets -- Twins!

Well, my website Bankie Baby has finally and officially been moved over the Square Space!

Organic Personalized Baby Blanket Gift Sets

And just today my first sale of the new site came through! It was such a pleasure to get to make these special organic baby blankets for a brand new set of twins!

I love the way Madison's set came out. I think that the organic lavender baby blanket gift set with (free!) personalization is the perfect combination. The name is vibrant and the trim is soft.

Harper's organic rose pink baby blanket gift set is even softer and more subtle with her name added in pale pink. Warm and pretty. The perfect compliment to her sister's set!

Making pink and purple blanket sets for twin girls -- what a lovely way to spend a March morning. Come visit and let me know what you think of my brand new site  www.Bankiebaby.com let me know what I can make for the newest, sweetest baby in your life!

Ice Garden - Another Day Another Ice Storm

I'm anxious for spring to arrive but when the garden is this beautiful I can wait a little longer.

Red stems in the garden encased in ice.

Dwarf Japanese Maple coated with ice.

Melting ice has an internal light

Is that melting? Is spring coming?

Monster Fun at a 6-year-old Boy's Birthday Party

Monster Mash --  a DIY mix-it-up, silly birthday game.

Guess who is turning six? My boy.

And guess who had the brilliant idea to invite a bunch of his friends over to the house to celebrate. Me.

I had this brilliant idea back in October. I was sitting on the porch, a cool wind was rustling yellow leaves in the trees. Just then everything seemed possible. Ideas popped into my mind : we'll have a treasure hunt, we'll play soccer, we'll make paper airplanes, we'll roast marshmallows in the backyard. Sounds awesome right? Oh wait, now it is December, it is 36F and rainy and I'm realizing that I need a plan to handle having all these boys in my house.

Yikes! 8 sweet little monsters (read: boys) in the house!
There is alot on the schedule. And we will keep them busy every minute.

Now my favorite activity for a boys birthday is a game I just invented. (Did I really?!)
It's a twisted version of pin the tail on the donkey.
A game that is funnier, wilder and in the end (let's just say it) better because everyone wins.

Let's call it "Monster Mash Up".
We've got the monster body on a poster.
One by one the kids will get to add all the crazy monster parts.
Together as a group they have create their own monsters.
We laugh at them, point at them, name them. No winners, no prizes-- just crazy fun.

 Take a look at the pictures and see what happened -- then make your own!

To create this awesome game for your kids party you will need:

2 pieces of poster board (white is best)

Black marker (permanent)
Markers or acrylic paint
Sticky Tack

1. Sketch your monster's body in pencil on the poster board. (Best to make it large and fairly blob like so that anywhere they "pieces" land they will hit a part of the monster.)
2. When you have a shape you like, trace over with permanent marker.
3. Add stripes, pocka-dots, or scales to give the body character.
4. Paint/color the body


5. On the second poster board, draw all the monster parts: eyes, horns, hands , claws, big feet, tiny feet, wings, toothy grins, kissy lips, wild hair, flaming hair, googly eyes, big nose, pointy nose, hairy ears. Do as many variations as you can think of. The more

the better! Color them wild and bright. I employed the kids (6 and 8 years old) to color. Then cut them out.
6. At party time have some tape prepped to stick on the backs of the pieces.
7. Kids can reach in to a box "blind" and pick parts or choose what they like.
8. Blindfold them and send them in the direction of the monster.
9. Watch and see what happens!

Kindergarten Art - Draw a Fox

Drawing a Sweet Fox

A Cute Red Fox by Izzy (age 6)

If you can draw shapes, you can draw a fox!

Ever wish you were more artistic? Ever wonder how to encourage your kids to explore art when nobody ever taught you how? Turns out it's easy if you take it step by step.Watch as my kindergarten class jumps in.


You'll need:
2 pieces white paper to do some warm up drawing
Black construction paper
White or yellow colored pencil
A pencil
Oil pastels




Step 1: Practice your shapes!
Warm up drawing.

If your child can draw a triangle, oval, circle, zig-zag and moon, they can draw a fox!




Use the examples here to create a warm up sheet for your kids. Encourage them to repeat shapes until they feel confident with them. The more they practice the more confident they will be!




Step 2: Draw your fox! Grab your white colored pencil and go!

You (and your child) will be drawing on black construction paper with a white colored pencil. I have drawn on white paper here so that you can see each step clearly.

1. Begin with the head, add an upside down triangle at the top of your page, about an inch down. Draw an upside down triangle. Now you have your fox's head.

2. Add 2 small right side up triangles on the top corners of the head (ears!) 

3. Add a smaller triangle inside each of the ears.

4. At the bottom tip of the triangle add a circle for the nose.

5. Half way down the head add two small circles for eyes.

6. Around the eyes draw two larger circles.

7. Add a large oval body below the head (the fatter, the cuter!)

8. At the bottom of the belly add a circle

9. Add 4 small half circles for feet

10. Add a half moon/crescent tail

11. Add zig-zag tail tip.

12.Add a ground line behind your fox.

Step 3 : Color!

Begin by coloring the sky (light blue  or light purple will work best)
Color the ground green. Add a darker green beneath your fox as a shadow if you like (the second piece you see above is a great example of this).

Now grab your white pastel.
Color the small inner triangles of the ears.
Color the larger circles of the eyes.
Color the belly (small circle) and tip of the tail white.

With your black pastel color the inner circles of the eyes and the tip of the nose.

Color the rest of your fox red!

One final note on making mistakes:

Sometimes a child (or anyone) makes a "mistake" and may want to give up. A child in class colored "too much" of his fox's belly white and was nearly in tears because he felt he had ruined his work.

Instead we talked about looking at his fox in a new way. It didn't take long for the class to realize that this child had created a "snow fox". After that the child worked with enthusiasm to create his own very special fox.

Now he has a beautiful snow fox sitting on top of a mountain in a snow storm. This fox is definitely the star of the show.

Remind your kids: there are no mistakes! Only happy accidents. Make the most of them!

Mother's Day Gift Making and Breast Cancer Awareness

 

Mother's Day Gift Making and Breast Cancer Awareness

An unlikely combination? No way!

For those of you who don't know, I have a small home business making organic baby blankets.
Today, while sitting and sewing this Blue Panda Baby Blanket my mind wandered to Mother's Day and inspirations struck!

I wanted to make a gift for my mother (and mother-in-law) that would be meaningful to them. I want them both to feel pampered and loved everyday - not just on Mother's Day. I also know that the gift that would mean the most to them would be one that would give back to the larger community. So, I decided to make a Breast Cancer Awareness Organic Washcloth Gift Set! I have a beautiful, plush, organic terrycloth fabric that I have been holding onto - waiting for a special project. This is perfect!

Not only am I going to make a set of these organic washcloths for my mom and mom-in-law, I am going to add them to my offerings on my Etsy and Artfire Stores so that others can do the same!

I will be donating 20% of the purchase price ($18) to "Susan G. Komen for the Cure". Each purchase will contribute to research to help find a cure for breast cancer! It feels like a nice way to celebrate my moms and give back at the same time!

Interested in seeing more?
You can check out my work at:
bankiebaby.etsy.com
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/bankiebaby
bankiebaby.com

Bankie Baby Organic Blanket Giveway

Welcome Wednesday with Bankie Baby and a Giveaway

Please welcome Katey and her Etsy shop Bankie Baby

We love the babies and children in our lives so deeply. Katey creates unique gifts the baby in your life will love for years and years to come. Perfect for baby shower gifts or for your own little one.

Katey has offered a wonderful giveaway from her shop Bankie Baby...details are at the end of her interview.

Now let's discover Bankie Baby!

What is the first creative memory you have?

My first creative memory is intimately tied to the first family garden that my mother planted. I was 4 or 5 and we'd just moved to a new house and finally had a little yard. I remember sitting out in the sun with her, popping little white bean seeds into the cool spring soil. I remember how novel it felt to see my mom getting her hands dirty and how amazing it was when the beans finally popped up. Later in the summer it was incredible it was to eat those first sweet, green beans. It felt like a revelation to experience being connected to nature like that. And that feeling has inspired my personal creations ever since.

What or whom began your creative journey on Etsy?

I was introduced to etsy by my friend (and now sister-in-law!) Liz Dickey. She makes amazing clocks made from recycled bicycle gears. Her store is: 1.by.liz. When Liz told me about etsy, I had been making and selling organic baby blankets wholesale for many years. She inspired me to create an etsy store as a way to get some of my more creative and personal baby blankets out in the world.

How did you come up with your shop name?

My shop name comes from my family name, Behnke (pronounced Bankie). My mother began the Bankie Baby journey more than 25 years ago when she started making polyester fleece baby blankets under the name "Bankie by Behnke". When I took over the business in 2006, switched to 100% organic cotton fleece and I changed the name to "Bankie Baby" to make it cuter, and easier to remember (and spell!).

Describe what creations you have in your shop

I make personalized, super-soft organic baby blankets! Each one has a unique, colorful, applique design, usually featuring a parent and baby animal combination. They are bright, cute and sweet and can be personalized with baby's name to make an unforgettable one-of-a-kind gift.

What insprires you?

I am inspired by the love that people have for the new babies in their lives. I have witnessed this love both personally and professionally and it is something that I strive to give expression to in every one of my blankets. My feeling is that each baby comes into this world unique and beautiful and I hope that my blankets offer a way to express that love.

What do you listen to or watch while creating?

I listen to music and sometimes books on tape. Right now I am in the middle of listening to the Lord of the Ring Trilogy. I'm also embarrassed to admit that I like to keep up on General Hospital and all sorts of other "bad tv" while making my blankets.

Please share a favorite recipe

Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake (based on a Bon Appetit recipe, 2002)
Makes 10-12 servings

Ingredients:
I C (2 sticks) butter
8 ounces of chocolate (semi sweet or dark depending on your preference)
1 C sugar
1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
6 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter 10" springform pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper. Gently melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Stir to prevent burning. Remove from heat. Mix sugar and cocoa in a large bowl. Add eggs, whisk to mix. Slowly whisk in chocolate/butter mixture. Pour batter into your cake pan. Bake for about 45 min, or until a tester inserted int he center comes out clean. Cool cake completely on a rack. Run a knife around the sides of the pan, release the spring. Cover and refrigerate. Keeps well for a week inthe fridge.

Serve cool, or slice and rewarm in the oven.

This cake is super chocolatey and rich. Delicious by itself or with a chocolate butter cream frosting!

Where else can we find you?

My business website is: www.bankiebaby.com
Facebook

Now to see what one lucky winner will win!

Set of Two Organic Lovie Baby Blankets -- Personalized Free for Your Hip Eco Baby

*****Katey will personalize them with one name on each blanket.
*****Ships free in the USA.

The blankets measures 16"x 16", the perfect size for little hands and arms to hold and snuggle. The topside of these adorable lovies are made with 100% certified organic cotton fleece and sport a darling poppy heart. The backside is made in the mirror image with poppy fabric and a sweet organic white heart.

Katey carefully designs, cuts and sews every blanket.
Machine Washable.
Handmade. 100% Made in the USA.