sketchbook project

last summer i started keeping a sketchbook and learning to draw. the two younger kids have embraced it too. we are all a little more creative with our spare time without cable tv.

for christmas a couple of years ago my mom gave me some art supplies, a sketchbook, and an illustrated life by danny gregory. it was so inspiring and led me some of his other books such as The Creative License, Everyday Matters, and An Illustrated Journey. and so i started just drawing without worrying about how badly i drew. i find it very relaxing to draw some ordinary object while watching movies on the computer.

my little guy (who is 5) draws a lot of robots and battle scenes and does so every day. but today he sat down and drew ordinary objects in our kitchen (see the lower right-hand picture). 1. Vitamix blender. 2. Ice cream maker. 3. Dehydrator. it was so gratifying to see him enjoying doing what i do. i couldn't be more proud of him.

just a small list of the drawing books i can recommend from personal experience (in addition to the links to the danny gregory books above):

• Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards
• Drawing with Children, by Mona Brookes
• Artist's Journal Workshop, by Cathy Johnson
• The Art of Urban Sketching, by Gabriel Campanario
• The Complete Decorated Journal, by Gwen Diehn

anybody can learn to draw - it just takes doing it.

 







start where you are.

use what you have.

do what you can.

           - arthur ashe



fresh sketchbooks

a new school year means new school supplies. my kids' school supplies are included in their tuition which is convenient and means that all the students have the same supplies. however, i do love shopping for new art supplies and we ran out of sketchbooks some time ago. it's too easy for the kids to grab my printer paper and the sketchbooks are a great way to see their progress as artists over time.

the plan for these sketchbooks is that they will be used for 'family drawing time'. the idea is from amanda soule's book 'the creative family' though we've been doing our own version for years. we always remember to take paper and a pen when we go out to eat with the kids and pass the paper around the table while waiting for our food to arrive. everyone gets a chance to spontaneously draw with elaborate and often hilarious results. each of us will have our own book and sit down together to draw the same object at our own dining room table. (cancelling the cable tv last year has been great for doing creative things together).

this is the first time i've seen sketchbooks with such colourful binding. de serres is having a sale - five books and a tube of winsor & newton white gouache was about $50 - if you're in canada.

let the drawing begin!

happy anniversary

nine years ago we were enjoying hot, sunny weather and getting ready to be married. it really was a perfect day surrounded by our families and friends.

true love

last weekend was spent celebrating the wedding of my mom and bob. they are just so happy together and we couldn't be more thrilled for them. (and, finally, my lifelong wish to be a bridesmaid was fulfilled).

Lightning McQueen

the little brother turns 5 soon and he is having a joint birthday party with two of his girl friends in his class. like many little boys his age he is obsessed with 'cars', 'cars 2', lego and transformers but lightning mcqueen remains in the a-1 top seeded position around our house. his race car driving grandfather is pretty thrilled to have a fellow car enthusiast in the family after having two daughters (though i do know how to change a tire and my dream car is an aston martin).

there will be about 100 people at the party tomorrow - bouncy castles, pizza, cake and general mayhem. in lieu of presents, we've asked the guests to bring a donation for the vancouver food bank. for loot bags this year we decided to hand out cookies of our boy's favourite character instead of a bag of cheap plastic junk. i can't take any credit for the amazing cookies - my dear friend is a fantastic baker and she did an amazing job! the boy is so thrilled and sends a big sticky hug and kiss out to mrs. c.

R.I.P. Maurice Sendak



from wikipedia

from gwarlingo

sad to wake up to the news that maurice sendak has passed away. his books were read over and over and over to me when i was a kid and it's been my great pleasure to read them over and over and over to my own children. thank you for the wonderful stories and illustrations.

happy birthday gill

happy 40th birthday gill. may you always look 21 (as you do now)! hope you have a fantastic day - we all wish we were there to celebrate with you. keep an eye peeled for the postman because he should be delivering these to you soon - i made one for each decade. love you to the moon and stars and back - so glad you are my sister and aunt to my kids.

happy birthday mom

vintage by alex keller on etsy

happy birthday mom! it was great to talk with you tonight. i am so happy to hear you so happy. thank you for all you've taught me and done for me. i love you to the moon and stars and back. xo K

lucky number 7

happy birthday to my best girl. you are sweet, clever, kind, funny, and so creative. may you always be as happy and carefree as you are right now. i feel so lucky to be your mom.

happy father's day

happy father's day to the father of our three. please grow the fu again this summer - you're the brave man who can! i'm so lucky!
and a happy father's day to my dad - you taught me how to tie a tie, check the fluids on my car, and to put things back where they belong. wish you weren't moving so far away.

birthday party prep

been busy prepping for my best girl's birthday party tomorrow. can you tell the theme is "rainbow carnival"?

lady date

my best girl and i haven't had a lot of time together these days. she has been very ill for the last few weeks. but spring break has started and we are healthy and having fun. we made sweet sushi the other day. a little messy but oh so good.

Sweet sushi recipe

- 1" slices of poundcake, cut into 1 1/2" rounds with a cookie cutter
- white icing
- sweetened coconut
- fruit leather (the thinner the better)
- assorted candy: swedish fish, jellies etc.

Ice the tops of the cake rounds and wrap fruit leather around the outside using a dab of icing to hold it in place. (we used real fruit leather and it was so thick that we had to use toothpicks).
Top with coconut. place a "fish" or cut up candy on top. Enjoy.

best girl and i finally had our lady date on saturday - and she entirely decided what we would do. we took the skytrain to the vancouver art gallery and saw the ken lum exhibition - fantastic.



ken lum

 and the WE: Vancouver Manifesto which included the work of Natalie Purschwitz who made all her clothes for a year. even shoes!

once we saw everything (and I mean everything) at the VAG we went for sushi on robson street, then some shopping at h&m, holt renfrew, and sephora. so all in all, a great time. a very girly time. i wondered what would inspire her - the next day she made a maze for her little brother's cars out of all manner of found objects, organized some of her clothes into 'outfits', and helped her dad make dinner. so she must have been inspired and really, what could be better than that?

japan

some treasures from japan

what terrible news from Japan today. i am really thinking about everyone there and their friends and family. my husband's aunt is from Sendai and i'm sure that she is very worried about her family there. and this just weeks after the Christchurch quake. a former colleague from my teaching days in japan was escorting a group of 22 japanese students - he is safe but half of their group was not found alive - so sad and shocking.

i was living in japan when the kobe earthquake struck - there were friends we never heard from again. but japanese people are nothing if not cooperative and resourceful. they will work together to rescue each other and rebuild their communities. our family will be doing what it can by contributing to the Red Cross.

i heart art

for my best girl's 6th birthday (waaay back when it was warm and sunny) we had an art party at Collage Collage for a few of her friends. i made the bag, pencil roll, and pencil case. the apron and art supplies were bought at the local dollar store. it's a real sign of how unorganized i have let things get - i just found the extra goodie bag when i did the 'big craft closet clean out of 2011' the other week!

saturday sewing

one benefit of the rainy saturday was some making time. i made this bag for my sister's birthday present. the pattern is from Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross. i followed it almost exactly but added a zippered pocket and a magnetic snap closure. it was very straightforward and easier to sew leather than i expected - just need a special needle.
the entire project cost under $20 so i covered three of my 2011 sewing intentions:

1. make birthday presents (and cards, too)
2. sew a leather bag
3. stick to a budget - be more thoughtful of how i spend my money

obviously, the intention to take better photos is a work in progress...                                    

year of the rabbit

from: dosankodebbie

2011 will be the year of the rabbit. i lived in japan from 1989 until 1996 and the way that new year's is celebrated is something i really miss here in canada. it really is the equivalent to our hannukah or christmas or solstice (depending on what one celebrates). everyone sends out a ton of nengajo - new year's post cards - to friends and family. isn't this bunny post card cute?

everyone cleans their house in order to not bring old dirt into the new year. and i mean clean - like wash the curtains clean. so there will be some cleaning and organizing between now and december 31st. and on the first day of 2011 maybe some eating of soba noodles and mochi and sushi. definitely some sake drinking and relaxing with family.

2010 was pretty good to my family and i have lots of plans for 2011. happy new year and all the best in 2011.

happy holidays

we are looking forward to celebrating christmas - the baking and making is done, the shopping and wrapping is done, the cleaning and packing are done. now to relax, eat some great meals and spend time with family. and i am really going to enjoy the last days of 2010. and looking forward to a fantastic 2011.

advent

i had every intention, as i do every year, of making a permanent advent calendar for the kids. and once again, we opted for the playmobil version, a big improvement over the cheap chocolate filled advent calendars at the grocery store. i really think that one of the fancy chocolate companies should market an advent calendar for adults. leave the toys for kids.

the end of an era

this is the well used back yard of our old place in 2006. we moved in on january 1st, 2001 and left on january 15, 2010. we started our time there with one kid and left with three. about the only redeeming feature of the whole place was that tree and the man-shed. (but we miss the neighbors and the neighborhood!). i drove by it yesterday and nothing remains but a pile of rubble - not even the beautiful old plum tree. i felt a little sad.

but...it is now snowing and i am so happy for insulation and double-paned windows. not to mention the view, the new neighborhood and friendly neighbors, huge garden, an office/studio, and finally, just enough room for us all.

flopping on the floor

maybe it's all the years i lived in japan but i do prefer to flop on the floor. and now, thanks to pillow challenge week, we finally have nice covers for the two 40" square feather filled floor cushions. erin has a great tutorial on inserting zippers.
the boy got first flop.