Trying out painting :)

When Ben is learning a new skill, I do my best to try it out myself.  He has been enjoying painting lately so I decided to take on painting myself.  It was quite a challenge taking time so draw and paint while juggling 3 kids but I am thankful to have made some progress.  I know these pieces are far from perfect but they were made with lots of love :)

Starting with a basic vase

My attempt at a tribute to Van Gogh's Starry Starry Night

trying out sunflowers

When you can't go to Japan, you try to bring Japan to you, haha

Here are some of the things I realized (some of which are obvious :) )

- Drawing is the foundation of everything.  Sketching is not easy but it helps you control your wrist which is important when you paint

- Mixing colors requires lots of practice. Being able to easily identify the mixture of colors of a certain part of a painting is a skill.

- When you encounter a painting boo-boo, do not panic, just relax and try to adjust your work accordingly.  The color white does wonders if you want to correct mistakes

- You can never have too many brushes, hehe (well, at least brushes of various sizes)

- Acrylic painting entails a lot of layering which is lots of work but has more opportunities for practice

- I have a soft spot for flowers

- chalk and wipes can be your best friends as you paint in the canvass
- painting the sides of the canvass may seem like a simple task but it makes a difference

- painting pegs are just inspirations, and you should not be pressured to copy them

I hope to have more opportunities not only to paint but to help kids (mine and others) enjoy painting as well.  It's a fun way to learn how to focus.  

Mommy and Ben loves Crayola Washable Kids' Paint

Just a short post to share that Ben and I enjoyed painting with Crayola's washable kids' paint last weekend. I bought this a few months ago.  The first time he tried it, he only painted a few strokes and was more interested in other toys.  He recently saw the paint set again and I was glad that he was the one who said he wanted to use them.  I think the art activities at school really helped Ben become more interested in painting.  It lets him learn colors, too :)

What I love about this type of paint is that it's easily washable.  We were so messy but it didn't take much effort to clean up.  I washed his clothes myself and was quite happy that I wasn't so stressed about taking out the stains.  (sorry, no before and after photos of the clothes.  I was busy making sure he didn't use up all the paint, hehe)

Anyway, so if you're looking for an idea what to do with your little one at home, why not try out painting?  You can even get an easel or a sketch book.  Have fun!