BAM!

I love this picture my daughter drew a while back. I finally had a chance to work on it, and I was happy to have Sam help me with the colors. There were some things I needed clarifying too. I thought the dots were fireworks. When it was time to color them, she decided on white. That reminded me more of stars. But then, she told me it was confetti or the lights from a disco ball (no, we do not have a disco ball in our dining room, but what a great idea!). 

I also wasn't sure what the tall pillars were. I asked if they were candles or drinks. She said drinks and then she asked what color wine was. So, I gave us each a glass of red wine (why is his glass bigger than mine?).

Kids' art can be interpreted differently depending on the viewer, but it's always nice to hear what things are from the artists themselves.

Oh, and I'm planning on listing this one on etsy as well, so please check out my shop when you have a chance: 

Art Imitates Art

Emily is a talented artist in my "Under the Influence of Art" class. When we learned about Vincent Van Gogh, each child went home with a piece inspired by "Starry Night". Emily's mom then asked me to create a Raspberry picture based on Emily's "Starry Night." So, Van Gogh's work inspired Emily's work which then inspired my work. Art Imitates Art!

Something to Sing About

I recently finished this picture, and I had to share it. The original picture was done by a girl named Abby. Her friend's mom, Sherryl, ordered it as a surprise for her birthday party this weekend. I don't know if the girls in it are singing, but that's what it looks like to me. Their mouths are my favorite part. They just look so happy and joyful. Besides raising up the mouths a bit, the skirts and the hair accessories/crowns are also raised, making them pop ever so slightly.

Speaking of hair accessories, Sherryl is the owner of Skylar's Candy Clips, a great shop with adorable accessories for little girls. She also runs a great blog. Check them out now, and be sure to check back next week to learn more about Sherryl and her candy clips....on Oct. 6 she will be interviewed for my Talk to Me Tuesday feature.

And the Winner Is....

Michele P. 

Congratulations! This morning my son picked her name out of a hat (well actually a kleenex box, as you can see by the picture. We're in the middle of paper macheing---how would you spell that?---it to make a mini mailbox). Anyways, I didn't take a picture of the actual drawing of the name, so I had my kids recreate it, quite the actors.

Above is the picture that Michele P. submitted, drawn by her 7-year-old daughter. I had a few questions for Michele. This picture will work well as a 5x7 or an 8x10 piece, so she can choose either size. Also, I wanted to know if she would like to keep the colors the same, or maybe add a few more (I'm already planning on making a blue sky to green grass fade in the background). Michele said she will wait until her daughter comes home from school to ask her opinion, which I think is great. She's keeping her daughter involved in the whole process. When I do my kids' pictures, many times they will sit at the computer with me and help pick out the colors. Kids are usually really good at that!

Another option I gave Michele was to send me a jpeg of her daughter's name in her own handwriting, and I can incorporate it somehow into the finished piece. This adds a nice personal touch. Once we work out the details, I will e-mail her a proof. Once she approves that, I will print it (with raised bits and all, to give it that unique Raspberry look) and send it out.

I'm looking forward to working on this piece and posting it here as soon as it's done!

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. I am planning on having another giveaway next month, so keep checking back!