Friday, January 25, 2013

Focusing on Life - 4 of 52

For the past few weeks, I have been enjoying Sally Russick's Focusing on Life photo challenge.  I am not alone in this and it seems the numbers grow every week.  I have liked getting to know fellow bloggers a bit better and have loved all the wonderful photos.

This week, for me at least, was the most challenging yet.  Sally's prompt this week was to create art.  

I've never been able to draw, although I have tried from time to time.  I am continually amazed by those who can put a pen or pencil to paper and just create (Lori Plyler comes to mind).  

For a few days, I pondered art and how to create it.  I thought about beading or playing with clay.  I realized I was starting to make myself a bit crazy.  Then, I told myself to stop worrying and just have fun.  Because fun was involved, I asked the kiddo (our resident artist) to join me.

We grabbed her ever growing collection of crayons and markers.



The kiddo wanted to start with this awesome toy Santa brought for Christmas.  Once we started, we couldn't stop.  The two of us had a great afternoon.


We came up with more than a few creations.  This one looks like something I could bead.


While this may not be art in the traditional sense, the kiddo and I had fun with shapes and color.


My favorite, though, was the first one the kiddo made.


Sally, thank you for another fun week.

Please take time to check out Sally's blog to see what the other participants did this week.  All of these ladies are talented and I know you won't be disappointed.

33 comments:

  1. This "toy" reminds me of something I had as a child (we are talking 40 years ago...OMG!). i cannot remember the name of it...but it will come to me! I used to love to babysit my nieces just so I could use their coloring books and color my heart out! Looks like you had a great time, too!

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  2. Art is however you define it! What's best about this is that you got to spend some fun, creative time with the kiddo. And it looks like you both had fun. And those are really neat drawings.

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  3. Those are neat drawings! The main idea is to have fun...and it looks like you both did!

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  4. your kiddo needs to have a chat with my kiddo - she wouldn't share! lol I remeber getting in trouble for using my spirograph with pen on a wood top table with only 1 sheet of paper. Hello permanently embossed wood. Happy to see your exploits didn't cause any lasting damage :)you both had great creations

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  5. Beautiful idea - making art *with* the child. Fun and a lifetime memory for both :)

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  6. Looks like you had a wonderfully creative and fun time. See, you can draw and what I'm finding is that as an adult we "think" we can't draw until we sit down with a child who can teach us this to get back to this basic skill.

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  7. I just read your blog header as "one must be a work in progress" and just laughed and laughed as I realized I need some coffee. Glad you had fun exploring this week.

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  8. Nothing is better than sharing your art with your kiddo! These are fun drawings! Thanks for sharing your process!

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  9. looks like a fancy spirograph to me - a childhood favourite toy of mine 40 years ago...
    making colours and shapes IS art (ask matisse, kandinsky, miro, et al) and sharing the activity with a child is THE perfect pastime :)
    have a great week!
    [no. 19 - i overslept]

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  10. What a fun looking toy. It looks like you and your child had a great time making art.

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  11. What a great activity for you and your child. And, oh, I remember these templates - loved them.

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  12. Art for sure! I love that last picture, too! And yes, this might be a great way of creating beading patterns.

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  13. What a great afternoon that must have been! My girls have always loved to craft, draw and paint. No matter the final piece... it is the journey of creating. We've spent many an afternoon at the craft table - such a lovely post!

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  14. How fun!! It reminds me of spirograph (sp?) I used to love that as a kid!!

    (I'm #41 this week)

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  15. Hi Tanya,
    What a wonderful day spent with the Kido creating art. I can totally see you rocking out a beaded pendant in the design of your drawing, you should go for it. I like the one the Kido did too, it is so Picaso like. I see a lady shopping on a windy day.
    Therese

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  16. Makes me want to head to the dollar store for some colouring books, Tanya... already have 25 years of crayons around here somewhere LOL

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  17. This reminds me of the spirograph things I used to have as a kid and had so much fun creativing with! I love that you shared your experience together w/your little artist - that's always the best feeling!! All of the creations you have are super cool, too!

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  18. Spirograph! I love these and I love that you and your kiddo got time together. That is so important and needed. Remember to put them on the fridge. :)

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  19. Any time you create art it's good for the soul, and even better when your children play along!

    Some of these remind me of the sprographs I played with as a child. They were loads of fun!!

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  20. Such a great toy for bringing out the creativity. I agree that design would make a great eclectic piece of jewelry!

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  21. What an awesome way to spend the day! Love what you both created!!

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  22. Very cool. Isn't it amazing how little inspirations pop up when we are playing with the kids? Crayons are one of my new favorite things these days. I love the crayola FX gels. Faboulous!! Play Dough is close behind:)

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  23. What fun! That reminds me of the old spirograph toy from my childhood, but with more variations and possibilities. Looks like the two of you had a great time just playing.

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  24. That "toy" looks fantastic ... I would love a senior version of it! My favorite thing to do with my kids when they were little was to color -- unfortunately they got bored with it far quicker than I did. =) Beautiful mandalas!

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  25. What cool art you and the kiddo created! I think many of us have fond memories of the spirograph. I am actually thinking it's time to get my granddaughter one for her birthday!

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  26. Oooooooohh, fun!! There is nothing in the world I love more than a big old box of colour, and your daughter sounds just the same. Joy!!

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  27. How wonderful that you got to share art time with your kiddo. I think your pic is art.You are right it does look like something beadable.

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  28. Adore your art project and the quality time you spent with your child. That is an art in and of itself. Kudos.

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  29. I just love what the two of you created! You are right, the first design would make a fantastic bead pattern.

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  30. I love these beautiful works of art! You and the kiddo did a beautiful job! When I was a kid I would constantly be drawing something with my spirograph! I loved that thing!!

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  31. I love what y'all created!

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  32. MY kidlet needs to come for a play date with YOUR kidlet!

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