The Mischievous Mommy: watercolor

2018

Never Give Up.

February 04, 2018

2018

"Be Home For Dinner" - A Collaboration with my Toddler

January 25, 2018

2017

"Fierce Friends" - A Collaboration with my Toddler

November 20, 2017

2017

Firefly - A Collaboration with my Toddler

July 18, 2017

A Collaboration with my Toddler

"Firefly"

by Theodore & Ruth Oosterman

The boy always wished that one day he would have a dog and on the night he saw his first shooting star he whispered this dream out loud. His faith was so strong he threw his favourite red ball as far as he could and told his mother he would not leave that spot until the ball returned with his wish.
The stars heard his earnest call and whispered to the fireflies for them to use their magic to bring the young boy's dream to life. The fireflies gathered together under the moonlit sky where the ball had landed among a pile of white rocks.
As the fireflies circled the shining rocks began to float and dance together melding into the form of a small puppy.
The boy sat for hours, begging his mother for just one more minute for he knew the stars would not let him down. He understood the power of faith under a night's sky and the magic held within the dusky hours that follow a sunset.
A small sound coming from the bushes in the direction the ball had flown caused the boy to catch his breath. Before he even knew what was happening a small ball of white fur came crashing down on him smothering him with wet kisses.
In joyous wonder he realised that sitting in front of him was his new best friend, his wish come true. It had to be the whitest dog he had ever seen, in fact, it almost seemed to the boy as if the wiggling creature in front of him was glowing like a firefly.
And so he named him, Firefly. (Make sure to scroll down to watch the time-lapse video)

I read the story to Eve to get her opinion and she insisted on making a collaboration between her and I about the story. Without seeing the finished collaboration between Theo and I, she created this piece over top of a background I painted. I love how she used perspective by making the house smaller and included the shadow of a little boy in the window waiting. She even added a shooting star, ball and fireflies!

Check out the Timelapse video of the collaboration down below.

At the very end, I added a clip of Eve showing the finished collaboration to Theodore and his reaction was downright adorable.

Make sure to subscribe on Youtube to catch the latest collaboration!

2017

June 20, 2017

Bitterness

The Silent Killer

As a child, I recall my first interaction with the stereotypical grumpy old man and the feeling of absolute bewilderment that quickly followed. Good manners and kindness are character traits that are usually drilled into a child's mind, mine being no exception, so why on earth was an adult acting in a manner that would have rewarded me with a time out? As a 5-year-old, life appeared to be teeming with adventures with the seniors having lived them all. I could not wrap my mind around the concept of them being anything but joyful, these humans who had conquered life with tales to tell. Why were so many of them spending their remaining time being mean to those that loved them?

I simply could not understand.

As a teenager, I witnessed more and more seniors turn dark and the generation a decade or two younger begin mimicking a similar resentment towards life.It was as if bitterness was a disease that had begun trickling down the generations and no one could hold on to their happiness.

As I entered my twenties the paranoia began. Were you infected overnight? I was now witnessing those a decade older than I become darkened by bitterness and resentment, their joy and spark for life had been snuffed out. It was as if they too dreaded the next sunrise and would rather remain hidden amongst the darkness of the night where vices were well hidden. The dark only mirrored their heart in contrast to the daylight which portrayed the true toxicity and progression of the disease raging inside.

Bitterness. Resentment.

Would it happen to me? Would it happen over night?

Somewhere in my late twenties, wedged in between a few hardships life threw at me, raising young children and putting my passions on hold, it happened.

Seemingly overnight, but not actually if I am to be honest.

I had become what I feared, what I loathed. I was resentful and bitter with those who loved me the most despite my flaws. I became impatient, yelling at my children over spilt milk whereas a few years prior I would have simply made a joke and found joy in their little smiles of relief. I was furious with my partner because he left his wet towel on the bed and tied a knot in the bread bag for what seemed the thousandth time, didn't he know the pressure I was under? Little things had become mountains for no valid reason yet somehow I seemed to find numerous other reasons to justify my anger.

How on earth did I get this way?

Why was I allowing such trivial things to become stumbling blocks for the love I had towards my family, friends and my own life? All of a sudden I was that hypocritical human criticising another's mistakes and wagging my finger at the news saying, “What is happening to this world?” as if it had all changed overnight.

Only the world hadn’t, I had.

I had forgotten to make the choice. I forgot one morning and chalked it up to just a bad day, then a week went by and soon enough the choice was just too hard to make. I felt entitled to be angry and upset because the cards life had been dealing me were unfair and overwhelming. I needed a break from making the choice.

The choice to choose happiness.
To choose joy and positivity.

Bitterness exists in each and every single one of us, just waiting, biding it’s time for the moment we stop making the choice. When we weaken our resolve it seizes control of our hearts, souls and minds, beginning to control us like a puppet and before too long we are no longer in control. We become our own worst enemy as our negativity pushes love out of our lives, distances our children from us and causes them to push back. Let us not forget how it also sets fire to our ambitions and goals while whispering in our ear how incompetent and disappointing we are.

As it all spirals out of control we place the blame on everything and everyone but ourselves because the blindfold over our eyes has tricked us into thinking we are the only ones in pain. That we are entitled to happiness and are the last to blame when really, we are solely to blame.

Take heed, please, I beg of you. Keep your eyes on those around you and remind yourself that bitterness is a disease that no one is immune to, not even the most joyful and passionate. You are not entitled to happiness, I am sorry to break it to you, but you are not. Happiness is earned every day by making the choice to be positive and when you succeed it banishes bitterness to the darkest corners of your soul where one glorious day it will be expunged forever.

Until then, fight the good battle and do not give up, I beg you. It happens overnight and ever so quickly before you know it the fight to gain your old life back will be a thousand times more daunting than it was to just make the daily choice to be happy.

I am still struggling greatly with the choice as I get caught up in my head about what I deserve and am entitled to when really, my happiness is no one's responsibility but my own and therefore my bitterness is to be blamed on no one else but myself. If you are unhappy, make changes for without a course of action you will only spiral further into the darkness. The simple act of taking control of your life by CHOOSING positivity will only lead to happiness and strengthen your willpower to stay joyful. Surround yourself with positive people who strive for similar things and if it is family that is toxic, love them regardless but encourage them from a distance.

Choosing happiness does not banish depression or sadness but it does infuse your life with positivity as you make the conscious choice to look for the good in life. Depression, anger and sadness are all valid emotions that each of us experience in order to fully appreciate the joy in life, however, bitterness does not fall into that category as it is a disease that will ruin your life.

No one is immune.

But you DO have a choice.

"Bitterness"

Watercolor by Ruth Oosterman

This painting was inspired by the blogpost up above. It features a young woman being strangled and puppeteered by the bitterness that has ravaged her heart. Her soul fighting the darkness is partially portrayed by the unfinished and uncomplicated lines contrasting the darkness rising from below, half of the painting in conflict with the other.

2017

The Fierceness of Fragility

May 24, 2017

2017

"A Land of Untold Stories" - A Collaboration with my Toddler

March 13, 2017

art

The Stages of Creating - Seeing Mistakes as Opportunities

January 25, 2017

art

Contest Entries - Collaborating with one-year-old Theodore

January 17, 2017

15 month old

"Best Friends" - A Collaboration with my Toddler

December 23, 2016

A Collaboration with my Toddler

"Best Friends"

by Theodore & Ruth Oosterman

My little man, Theodore, is now 15 months old and quite the rambunctious ball of energy. He is sweet and shy but man does he fly across the room, climbing anything and everything he possibly can. While Eve and Theo are similar in many ways they definitely differ in this area with her being more calm and focused, perhaps it is just the age difference.

One of the few moments he is quiet and calm is when he paints. Eve has taught me so much over the last 2 and a half years and one of the most important lessons is that no one is ever "too young" to paint (or too old!) Theo started painting at 13 months with brushes and watercolors, earlier than Eve did, his fine motor skills are already allowing him to hold onto even the smallest of brushes. This has opened the door to a whole new world and it is incredibly exciting to watch his developing passion for creating and experiencing the paint. This passion and raw need to feel the textures and paint slide across the surface is such an inspiration for me and I am so blessed to witness both Eve and Theo create. I don't have just one muse, but two now.

Of course, this also means being able to collaborate with him at an earlier age and watch his artistic skills develop in their own way. I think he has created at least 100 paintings by now with no signs of stopping.

This collaborative piece titled, "Best Friends," was inspired by Theo's deep love for dogs and what I think he will look like in a few years. The minute Theo sees or hears a dog, whether in person, a video or picture, he literally drops everything and comes running at full speed. He even says,"Awww," and begins to pet the air even if there is no dog around, it melts my heart every time.

Above you can see Theo's original painting and the collaborative piece inspired by him. Through trial and error, I continue to discover what works best when creating collaboration. If you take it too far and collaborate unevenly then your work takes over and their magic disappears. To avoid this, I try to work quickly as a reflection of their spirit and make sure to step back every few minutes and reassess. I know I could have used some of his paint marks to create a butterfly and flowers and add more to the dog's back and arm, but then I risk losing his original lines. What makes these collaborations special is ensuring that the fine balance to each of our contributions remains and their portion continues to shine!

I hope you enjoy this piece and make sure to check out the time lapse video down below!

art

Wanderlust - Finger painting with Watercolor Crayons

June 20, 2016

2016

FOUR YEARS OF CREATIVITY

May 25, 2016

FOUR YEARS

OF CREATIVITY

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.

2016

Princess and the Pea - A Collaboration with my Toddler

May 19, 2016

A Collaboration with my Toddler

"Princess and the Pea"

by Eve & Ruth Oosterman

This is by far one of my most favorite collaborations with Eve and not just because it is fairy tale related. Collaborating with anyone, especially a child, can be incredibly difficult when it comes to maintaining the perfect balance of mutual input. Eve and I had been talking about the fairy tale, "Princess and the Pea" earlier in the day and by the time we got to painting she had decided to paint the rainbow bed.

For those not familiar with the story I'll do my best to sum it up. Stereotypical prince is looking for a princess and can't seem to find one that is perfect for him so his mother decides to step in, still no luck. Then one miserable, stormy night a knock is heard on the castle door. When the mother answers it she finds a beautiful young woman, drenched from head to toe, claiming that she is a princess and in need of a warm bed. The mother not believing she is a princess decides to test her, considering the prince is now quite interested in the new guest. The most logical thing to apparently do is place a single pea under a stack of mattresses so high that it reaches the ceiling. A true princess would be able to recognize the slightest discomfort and they would have their answer on if she was telling the truth. The next morning the mother asks the princess how her sleep was and the princess replies that it was absolutely terrible due to a lump in the bed. Yadda yadda yadda prince and princess fall in love and a royal wedding is had. (My story telling might be a bit off but I think you get the jist of it)

So Eve created her watercolor rainbow bed and I sat staring at it, truly stumped. I could make out the bed but had no idea how I could incorporate that particular story with what she had painted. So I carefully stored the piece and left it... for a few months. I would come back to it and every time Eve saw me staring at it she would ask what I was going to add and I could never give an answer. Finally, after staring for what felt like forever, I could see it. I could see a blue haired girl throwing a pillow as she carefully balanced on a ladder. I could see the headboard Eve had drawn in pencil and so I began. It wasn't until weeks later when I started working on the video footage that the blue and purple paint strokes jumped out at me with great potential for another character, meaning I went back into creative mode.

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!

abstract

Eye Dropper Painting - Tutorial

March 06, 2016

abstract

Toddler Art Project > Eye Dropper + Watercolors = Creative Masterpiece

March 03, 2016

chaos

Embrace the Chaos - A Collaboration with my Toddler

February 02, 2016

A Collaboration with my Toddler

"Embrace the Chaos"

by Eve & Ruth Oosterman

2015 was quite the year. As life usually goes, it was a roller coaster full of ups and downs, with the latter being more prevalent. With this came many lessons to learn and wisdom to reap.

Mistakes only become regrets if you do not learn from them, so learn from them I did.

Everyone has their own story, some seem cursed with tragedy while others seem to have life perfected. I have to come to know this to be an illusion, we all have difficulties and burdens to bear, each unique as our stories. I understand that no burden is worse than another's, for even though they appear to be made up of different weights, they all weigh the same. It is important to acknowledge that others may have it worse, but in the same breath, remember not to belittle your own struggles. For they are just as heavy to you even though they may appear lighter to others.

Eve has been crucial to these epiphanies. She has shown me more than ever the importance of slowing down and listening to children, witnessing their passion for life. They see life in a way that has yet to be biased and warped by life's painful lessons, they see it purely as it is. Eve has taught me time and time again, one of the most important lessons of all.

EMBRACE THE CHAOS

The chaos will never disappear. To get through tough times we often think that what ever is over the hill will be better, easier. Most often it isn't, which only discourages us further, because to get through what we just went through we were holding out for better. What we really needed to do was to, "Embrace the Chaos." Embrace your trials and tribulations for what they are, they are the badges of a life lived. We can either bury the wounds created in a place where they will continue to fester and slowly blacken our minds and souls with negativity and self pity. The other option is to experience and accept what has happened so scars may grow from the healing process. Each scar is a badge of beauty, a story line of our soul that shows an acceptance of our trials and tribulations. These scars will serve as a reminder not only to ourselves, but those around us, that every day we have a choice.

The choice to CHOOSE chaos. To CHOOSE happiness.

Happiness is a choice. Some of the happiest people I know are those who have gone through the most. The difference between them and everyone else, is that they refuse to be the victim. They refuse to let life's tragedies pull them under, they have embraced the chaos and have become it's master.

Chaos is a thing of beauty. It is truly a shame to hide from it. You may look crazy and eccentric but strive to be the one who steps out into the storm. Embrace what comes at you and DANCE in the rain, learn from those mistakes and you will never regret a thing again.

Happiness is a choice.

But let me be frank. It will not be the easier choice to choose happiness, but an ongoing battle, however the long term pay out will be o so much higher. It will be a daily battle to fight everything in you that would rather just throw your hands up and walk away, hiding from the chaos. It will require bravery, willpower and the ability to be empathetic to others in order to acknowledge when you interpret yourself as life's solo "victim". Do not live your life to end as a victim but be a survivor, a survivor who embraces the beauty in troubled times.

In other words, be that crazy squirrel dancing in the rain. Witness and copycat the way children let go all things negative, they learn a lesson and move forward in search of what comes next. I am so thankful for Eve, just by being true to herself she has taught me more than I could ever hope to teach her.

A few days ago I saw her playing with this misshapen bottle, she was getting frustrated because it wouldn't stand up. There was no flat edge, no way to keep it balanced so it just kept on rolling. I realized then that I would rather allow life's events to mold me, even if it caused me to lose my balance and be deemed misshapen. Without being consumed by my attempts to maintain a "flat edge" I could finally wear my scars with pride.

Now I have found peace in being misshapen, never at a stand still. Now I am forced to move, pushing my boundaries and always be growing. Just like children, just like Eve.

I am now able to be a master of chaos.

ABOUT THE COLLABORATION

The piece featured in the time lapse video Eve and I did together after she saw my version (see above photo) and wanted to do one together. I found it fascinating how much more free flowing the one I created with her is. Sometimes we get so caught up in getting things accurate or "clean," but with children nearby they constantly remind us to just let go. Yes, life without kids would be much neater, quieter and organized, but there is just something so healthy that comes with their chaos. They are our gentle reminder to slow down and embrace whatever comes at us with joy and acceptance.

adrift

"Adrift" - A Collaboration with my Toddler

November 19, 2015

artist

"Mr.Hare" - A Collaboration with my Toddler

November 11, 2015

A Collaboration with my Toddler

"Mr. Hare"

by Eve & Ruth Oosterman

It has been quite some time since I have been able to update this blog with a new collaboration, between adjusting to a new baby, a month of our entire household being sick to a number of other life events, it has been one busy year for us. That being said I am super excited for a quiet (fingers crossed) winter, filled with painting and creative experiences with Eve and maybe even our new little one, Theo.

Despite all the craziness these last few months, Eve and I have continued to create and paint with one another. We have roughly 10 collaborations on the go that I am slowly wrapping up, this being the latest one we have finished.

I was sketching out a hare when Eve decided she wanted to help me paint it. Since she has always been excited for me to collaborate with her work I understand the importance of letting her do the same to mine. Although I am her parent and she is my child, when it comes to creating I see us as equals and treat her as such. I hope by treating her as my artistic equal, to build up her concept of teamwork, sharing and to ensure her artistic confidence is never shaken and only increases.

Being an artist and remaining true to your personal style is incredibly difficult when you can be met with criticism, which inevitably every artist will face. I truly hope that through collaborating with Eve and fostering her artistic style it only enhances her strength and confidence in her uniqueness. To find beauty in everything she does, for as long as she remains true to herself, then no other opinion should matter.

Eve and I painted in the hare as we sat across from each other, turns out painting upside down is not nearly as easy as it looks! With all of our watercolor paintings, Eve determines our color palette and I use a wet brush to spread out the colors she has already applied. This way her contribution to the collaboration becomes the foundation for the entire piece and the beautiful, magical world of her young mind becomes the inspiration and direction.

Once Eve decided she was finished painting, I let it try and returned to it later with white acrylic and black watercolor paints. Using those shades I added depth and definition, then I used a wet paintbrush to manipulate the dried watercolor paint to achieve the final piece.

I hope you enjoy "Mr.Hare." Eve and I talk about Mr. Blueberry Giraffe's adventures all the time so when she saw the finished painting she laughed and said Mr. Hare ate too many raspberries! Don't you just love a child's mind...

Stay tuned for our next collaborations and don't forget to watch the time lapse video for this piece.

2015

"Edge of the Earth" - A Collaboration with my Toddler

August 06, 2015

A Collaboration with my Toddler

"Edge of the Earth"

by Eve and Ruth Oosterman

It is has been quite some time since Eve and I collaborated using one of her Black Pen drawings so I thought I would give it try. These collaborations can be a little tricky since the pen marks immediately begin to bleed when water touches them. While it can allow for beautiful and spontaneous effects, it also creates a fine line between collaborating with her drawing and the ink bleeding into invisibility. It's a line I am still learning the dance to, I love collaborating with her and always want to make sure her work is represented, which is one of the reasons we began searching for new ways to collaborate.

This drawing had an amusing start seeing how Eve actually drew it with her toes!! My mom stayed with us for a week and she is notorious for her strangely talented toes... yes, I said toes. She pretty much has four hands, that is how capable she is at using them to do a variety of activities one would not normally do with their feet. Drawing and writing are two of said activities, which of course, absolutely fascinated Eve. It will come at no surprise that since my mom's visit, Eve has been trying to use her toes to do pretty much everything, including drawing this piece of art.

The longer I stared at this drawing the more I saw a ship begin to form. Something about it reminded me of a broken ship headed to the edge of a waterfall, perhaps even the edge of the earth.

Growing up one of my absolute favorite books to read was the Narnia series, I couldn't get enough of them. I had flashbacks to the adventures of Prince Caspian out at sea searching for the seven lost lords of Narnia in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." This adventure filled quest came to an end when their final task required them to sail to the edge of the earth and leave one crew member behind. They sailed through all sorts of enchantments and trickery in order to reach the edge where the water became so shallow the ship could go no further, and dear Reepicheep, the mouse, continued on alone.

That beloved story became the inspiration for this piece as I imagined Prince Caspian's mangled ship sailing out of a cloud of enchantment only to find themselves literally at the edge of the earth.

Don't forget to check out the Video Time Lapse down below to see how Eve used her toes!
http://youtu.be/2cUeCJbQTik

Buy a print: https://www.etsy.com/listing/243188595/edge-of-the-earth-toddler-collaboration?ref=shop_home_active_1

STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT HOW TO WIN A SIGNED PRINT OF THIS PIECE AS WELL AS AN ORIGINAL PAINTING BY EVE!

I'll be hosting a contest shortly where you can win the above and the way to enter will be to collaborate with a copy of Eve's original sketch!! I am so excited to see what unique pieces come to exist through the beauty of each individual's imagination matched with Eve's!!

"Be Home For Dinner"

"Fierce Friends"

"Firefly"

"A Land of Untold Stories"

"Best Friends"

"Princess and the Pea"

EYE DROPPER PAINTING

"Embrace the Chaos"

"Adrift"

"Mr. Hare"

"Edge of the Earth"

Ruth, Eve and Theodore

About the Author

Blog Archive

Art Prints

Popular Posts

Press

Labels

Follow

Contact Form

POPULAR POSTS

Art Supplies We Use

ABOUT AUTHOR