The Mischievous Mommy: abstract

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Before Eve was born I would say that art was my hobby, but the minute she came into my life she transformed every single aspect of who I am. What used to be an enjoyable past time became a passion, she taught me from the get go what it means to pursue something just by witnessing her day to day passion for life and all it’s little things. Children see such beauty and unbiased viewpoints of our world that inspire their work to be true to who they are. They have been untouched by society's warped views and are in a raw form of artistry, not subject to "rules" or caught up in a particular style or box. They just create, without second guessing or fear of failure. There is such a brief time in our lives where this magic takes place before doubt seeps in and I am thrilled that Eve has held on for so long.

I was browsing through some old photos and decided to compile a timeline of her creativity and how she has grown as an artist. I believe it is incredibly important to allow children unstructured creative time with no one looking over their shoulder. Don't worry about the potential mess just let them have complete freedom, for it is NEVER the end product that will matter but the journey they take to get there. Those are the memories and lessons they will hold onto forever.

She does not second guess or question why she is doing it, she trusts her natural instincts and that is art in it’s truest form. Soon life will catch up to her, as will doubt and fear, but I plan on doing everything I can to keep that door shut for as long as possible.

If that means paint splatters on everything I own then so be it!

YOU do NOT have to be an "artist" to give your child the gift of time to create. All it means is a quick trip to a local art or dollar store and let them figure it out themselves. You don't need to have Pinterest tutorials lined up (although those can be amazing) or know about paints, techniques, nada. Just allow them access to supplies and sit back to watch the magic happen.

As long as the DESIRE to create is there

then you ARE an artist, no matter your age or talent.

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Eye Dropper Painting - Tutorial

March 06, 2016

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Toddler Art Project > Eye Dropper + Watercolors = Creative Masterpiece

March 03, 2016

2015

The Wily Fox - A Collaboration with my Toddler

May 20, 2015

THE WILY FOX

A painting collaboration with my toddler

"The Wily Fox" is one of the largest collaborations that Eve and I have created since we used acrylic on a 2 ft. x 4 ft. canvas. I had an incredible time watching Eve create this piece and I LOVE LOVE LOVE that 80% or more of this painting is all her doing.

The first half was created a few months ago and she decided to add more recently using a bright orange red, once this layer was completed I saw the Wily Fox just shouting at me. Every time I looked at her painting I could see the Fox's eye staring at me over his shoulder, a hat casually placed about to fall off and a bright abstract, colorful coat. Although I know I could have done more with this collaboration, I really wanted to leave as much of Eve's work as possible. The colors, shapes and vibrancy that exudes from her work is so unique and special to me that all I allowed myself to do was carefully add in some facial features, bushiness to the tail and add a bit more shape to the ears and coat.

Once I showed her the final piece she was so excited to see the Fox's eye and wouldn't stop talking about how we both painted it, of course she loves to mention how the tail was made from her adorable fall. (As you can see in the time lapse video)

Here is what the first layer looked like.