Now is a great time to invest in creatiivity, and one of the best ways is to start with short exercises that build interest and confidence and most importantly really drive home the message that creativity is NOT about perfection. So if you dream of being an artist, or you think someone else in your family might have what it takes, (I can't believe I'm saying this) stop crafting and start making art! What? Yes indeed my friends, because most crafting is about the result, and lets face it, everyone likes nice results, right? Art on the other hand is generally much more process oriented and therefore generally not about perfection, well at least for most of us, today. Okay, enough blabbing, I think you've got it? Get the family together everyday and do a short creative exercise that might take less than an hour or even just half an hour, and you'll be so happy you did. Two of my kids and I had a nice time with this one, and can't wait to do more!
I saw this paint blob exercise on sketchbook revival, a free 2 week program, so check it out now! This specific exercise was courtesy of Carla Sonheim, who also has her own website full of online art courses as well as some really great little creative exercises (for kids but really for all ages) which are free. Carla has a really lovely and unique style which is totally refreshing and not trend driven, so again take a look, NOW!
If you don't have time to look through all fourteen videos on sketchbook revival, just quickly take a peek and see what interests you. There is a huge variety of content, from lettering to painting, and while I never quite understood the art journal practice, it is finally sinking in, and I can't wait to start an art journal after Passover, using all the new things I've learned. Okay, lets take a look at the results of our first creative exercise!
I just love this butterfly (by son) and this sweet artful giraffe (daughter.)
That very scary snake is by son, the rest are by yours truly.
All the paint blob animals look so wonderful together, and one can certainly string up a wire or line of some kind and hang the results of your art exercise on the line, a great way to dress up the walls and give everyone's art a place on the wall!
If you don't have a chance to watch the video where iI learned this technique, Carla Sonheim has a video on her site called "ink blob people" which is similar. The paint blog exercise however is done by painting a blob using one or two colors and with no intention of creating anything. After the blob is dry, take a look at it and draw around it to include it as part of an animal or in my case a chair and a cactus! Enjoy!