The Mischievous Mommy

A Collaboration with my Toddler

by Eve & Ruth Oosterman



If every one of our pieces could end up with this sort of collaborative balance then I would be over the moon. I was able to maintain all of Eve's paint strokes, involve the story that motivated this art piece and collaborate in a way that allows both of our creativity to shine.

As a queen of procrastinating I am happy to have finally sewn the time lapse footage together. I hope you enjoy watching our process and make sure to stay tuned for more Collaborations with my Toddler!

Now that Eve has turned 4 she has entered an entirely new artistic stage and I never realized just how much she was taking in, until this piece.

As you may have noticed, lately I have been slightly obsessed with painting night skies and landscapes. Eve must have been taking it all in and decided to create her own piece filled with stars, trees and a vibrant night sky.

It's easy to forget that children are always watching and learning. The most important lesson I can teach her will not be an art technique but to show firsthand the importance of pursuing one's passion. Whether her passion will be art or becomes something else it is crucial she finds an outlet that provides confidence and sense of fulfillment.

This is something that cannot be "taught" but rather mirrored by example. One of the best things you can do as a role model is to share your passions so they can learn the importance of discovering their own.

Live PASSIONATELY.

I know saying it is so much easier than living it, but use the little footsteps that follow as motivation. You only have everything to gain and nothing to lose. The greatest regrets you will have in life are not what you did but what you DIDN'T do. 

 Collaborations with my Toddler

Two years later

"The Red Boat" was the very first, and somewhat accidental, collaboration with my then two year old toddler, Eve. The last two years we have embarked on an artistic journey (more like adventure really) to discover how many ways we can collaborate. These collaborations have bonded us not only as mother and daughter, but as artistic peers. Intertwining our personalities and passions more than I could have ever imagined, pushing both of us out of our comfort zones.

 Collaborations with my Toddler

When Eve and I first began collaborating with each other I never even imagined that our creations would attract world wide attention. Ever since our first collaborations went viral we have enjoyed finding many new ways to create together, whether through visual arts, music and even baking! The main reason we share our journey with social media is to hopefully inspire and show other families how easy and beneficial collaborating can be.

Collaborating on an artistic front can be quite intimidating for someone who considers themselves as "not an artist," which is why this collaborative project will be perfect for you and absolutely anyone else! Collaborating with a child is so incredibly important, not just for them but you as well. If art isn't your thing than I guarantee you will find your own unique way of sharing your passions and interests with the little ones in  your life.

If you are a pro in the kitchen then go ahead and make that cake and fondant from scratch, but if you are like me then don't hesitate to take the shortcut and use the boxed cake mix. The best part is that your child can help you from the first step to the last, whether mixing, cracking eggs or frosting, there is very little that they won't be able to do.

You will need:

Cake mix + Ingredients
White Fondant
Edible Food Writers
Frosting
Cake pans
Rolling pin

I used 9 inch, circle cake pans and two boxes of cake mix to create a four layered cake. After letting each layer cool I leveled off the top in order to create a solid, even cake. Once my four cakes were layered to create one taller cake, I covered it completely with frosting so that the fondant would stick well. Smoothing out any bubbles and cutting off the excess it was then ready for Eve to begin decorating!



 This cake was actually for Eve's 4th birthday party and I wanted to make sure that she was a part of the entire process. I remember being a little girl and my mom always allowed me to decorate my own birthday cakes, it was a memory that has stuck with me to this day. Of course, I wanted nothing more than to pass those memories down to my daughter and what made this collaborative project even more lovely was that my mother helped too! (Talk about a three generational collaborative project)

Eve went to town with drawing and when she was all done we added edible butterflies using our leftover frosting. Eve had seen a wedding cake with rainbow butterflies and insisted that her birthday cake this year have them as well.

This would be a great project to do for all occasions and something absolutely anyone of any age can do together. If you are feeling extra artsy you could dilute food coloring or buy edible food paint and actually paint your "cake canvas."

If you try this out we would love to see what you come up with, feel free to share your creations with us!

  

TUTORIAL

To WATCH the full TUTORIAL click below!

A Collaboration with my Toddler

by Eve & Ruth Oosterman