Inspiring My Grandchildren

While I was raising my own children, I didn't have the luxury of a studio or the extra time to do a lot of artwork. Yes, I did sketch a little and paint the odd thing but I didn't produce much in the way of finished pieces. I felt I was still learning and so I did take some courses during that time. I do think my kids are very creative and so I thought when I have grandchildren, I'm going to encourage them to do art.

My grandchildren love to be in my studio and I love that they want to be there. But I don't want them to think that the only time they can do art is when they are with me. So when the oldest ones were 3, I gave the 3 oldest some small sketch books. I told them they could do anything they wanted in them. I looked through one of them and can really see progress in their art ability.

The first thing they had to do was print their names in their books.

Then I have them pictures and fabric they could cut up and glue into their books.

Starting with paint.

 Pressed flowers from the garden.

Using multiple colours, line, shape and a page spread.

More colour.

Now people are starting to appear.

And now that they are in school, they're using letters.

I was also pretty impressed with these tree drawings.

Here is a landscape in colour.

I love to see them growing in their creativity and hope as they grow older they never lose that love for paint, pencils, scissors, glue, sparkles, stickers, beads,