PERFECT DAY

Today's another perfect spring day.... no time to blog. This painting was created maybe ten years ago of a creek near us called Muddy Creek. The creek's small, and the painting's small and was quickly painted. Enjoy your world today and be creative!

"GLORIOUS DAY" Transparent Watercolor on 140# Arches 6 x 9" COLLECTED

YOUNG ARTISTS

Most of yesterday included building great memories and hopefully encouraging and inspiring about 70 young artists to enjoy art. Last week, I'd rigged up homemade palettes from styrofoam meat trays (THANK YOU, Krogers,) then filled each with American Journey watercolors purchased from Cheap Joes.

Along with the palettes, I'd packed brushes, lots of Fabriano Artistico paper cut into fourths, water containers, small sponges, some salt, and a half a credit card for each child to use. My destination was an elementary school in northern Indiana, four hours from my studio.

Earlier this year, one of our grangdaughters, Paige, explained to her kindergarten teacher that her grandma was a 'real' artist, so her teacher had asked if I could come to class and show them what I did. Paige was so excited, and her painting (shown here) is a beautiful portrait in progress - of me!

In the second grade class, a couple of the boys said they'd rather continue painting than have to stop and go to gym class. I figure that's about the best possible endorsement for the joy that art can bring to a child's life. The day was priceless to me.

The creativeness was awesome in each room with the finished paintings so varied and expressive. That good looking boy (I'm not biased even though we're related) running toward me and my camera was returning supplies that were left in his room earlier and was one of my great helpers yesterday. It was so worth doing, and I hope we get to do this again next year.