Lovely Lines

Lots and lots of lines this week at the Contemporary Arts Center. Little lines can be turned into some fantastic art. We painted with super long strings, made twisty sculptures with wire and straws, then created bendy collages with wikki sticks and lanyards. I added a fabulous book, Lines That Wiggle, and concluded the program by going on a hunt for different lines around the room. 

Night Knight

Last week we made some amazing shields. Marketing donated a large amount of foam core board and I immediately knew what we could use it for (the fact that I'd just been to a Renaissance Festival may have been a little inspirational). We quickly cut them up into shield shapes, gave each one a coat of silver paint and added a little handle on the back. I used the ipad to show our little ones examples of real shields and family crests; then read the adorable book, Night Knight. 

Bubblegum

Amazing installation by Merijn Hos and Renee Reijnders with floating balloons on water.

Printed Clutch

Head over heels for these cute little clutches from Falcon Wright! They're all handmade and printed in Toronto so each bag is one of a kind. 

Paper Caves

Striking images from a shop space in Milan. Hundreds of paper cones were attached to the floors and ceilings to create stalagmite and stalactite like cave forms. Tried it with the kiddies using a large table to create our "cave."

Pip & Pop Landscapes

Last week we learned about the artist duo Pip & Pop. They create delicious landscapes with mountains of colorful sugar, intricate origami,  plastic figurines and found objects.

I gathered everything pastel that I could find for the program and gave them polka dot trays as a base to build their fairy landscapes.

Afterwords we did some finger painting with a mixture of cool whip and powdered jello packets. The consistency is super fluffy and the jello makes it almost shimmery (very similar to the mountains in Pip and Pop's landscapes). 

Get the ball rolling...

We've been having a lot of fun with my "Art on the Go" series. Giant paint tarps have become my new best friend and the guys from Ace Hardware see my face way too often. They should seriously sponsor our art programs.

For our latest activity we taped two tarps on the carpet and used pvc pipe around the edges for bumpers. The kids took everything from bouncy to beach balls, dipped them into neon paint and went to town.

Glass Valentines

It was so nice to have Brazee Street come to Art Play at the Contemporary Arts Center last week. We had a full house but everyone had lots of fun making colorful glass valentines. I picked them up from Brazee today and they turned out great!

Just a touch of color

I love these dipped dinner plates from Sydney's Studio. They're a bit out of my price range but I'll put the idea on the back burner until the next time we use the kiln. It's a simple (and fun) project to do with the kiddies. Who wouldn't want their very own special plate at the table?

Nico Kitty

Well Madonna may not like hydrangeas but my little Nico can't get enough. She doesn't eat them (thankfully since they're bad for her tummy). She'll just bury her head in them and stay that way for a good 60 seconds. She's special like that.

Balloon Birthdays Take 2

What a great way to capture the birthday spirit!

Silence/Shapes

Great photographs from Italian artist Filippo Minelli.The colored smoke reminds me of spray paint. Kinda feels like graffiti art in a natural setting. 

Just Glow With It

I first saw Shih Chieh Huang's work at RISD. I let out a little squeal just thinking of how much kids would enjoy it. His pieces are both organic and electronic at the same time. They move and glow in this creepy yet beautiful manner which would draw anyone in (especially small children and Elizabeth). So... we did light art with the kiddies for Art Play last week using Huang's work for inspiration.

Hairy Dance Moves

Stopped by the members preview for the Nick Cave exhibit at CAM. The best part about these brightly colored and hairy soundsuits? Watching them come alive with a fantastic dance performance to kick off the exhibit!

Carsten Holler Experience

Amazing pictures from this great exhibit at the New Museum! I'm pretty much a big kid so a grownup playground is right up my alley. The Tate Modern had a GIANT slide that looked almost scary but the New York version is a bit less heart stopping.