The Kids (or Adults) Can Get Creative Too!

On Saturday, I had the happy job of teaching a 9-year-old birthday girl and her friends how to paint a panda-themed painting in artists' acrylic on canvas!

Her mom suggested the subject, as pandas are her favorite animal.  In fact, the whole party was panda-themed, with an adorable cake, cupcakes, and decorations.

So I designed a panda painting in sketch form, and brought it along to the party with me, together with photos of a real baby panda and bamboo.  In fact, I bring everything we'll need - table easels, canvases, brushes, paint, water cups, palettes, and aprons.

I set up everything for the kiddos and my own easel and table, and proceeded have them paint the background in their own favorite colors, then go step by step with the shapes.

We had such a great time, and everyone was so into it, the kids and their parents alike!

And everyone got to take a masterpiece home!

I knew I liked teaching, but some of the fun at this particular party came from going beyond the borders of the canvas, and talking about how bamboo grows, how pandas are mostly vegetarian, and how perspective works.  We also discussed the placement of features on faces, and how adult features are located differently from baby and child features.

I left that party feeling just exuberant, knowing everyone had fun, including me.

If you want to know more about canvas painting parties or book one of your own, be sure to contact me!

One of the Ways Acrylic Paints *Should* Be Used.

Which obviously means this isn't about face painting, since you should never allow face painting with acrylic paints.

When the canvas is an inanimate stretched canvas canvas, on the other hand, well, that's another matter entirely.  I was with face painters, though.  On Wednesday night, we took a "class trip" to Brushes & Bisque in Denville for a "Canvas & Cocktails" party.

It was a blast!

I've got a background in fine art, so I'd never done one of these classes before, but it was so much fun, even if the supplies you're given are really limited to what you need specifically for the painting they're teaching that night.

The teacher was very nice, but I don't think she knew what to do with a room full of raucous face painters.  She was good, though, kept her cool and kept us on track.  More or less...

I refused to stay in the box.

You can get an idea from the group photo what we were supposed to paint.

And if you notice, there I am smack in the middle, and my canvas doesn't look quite like the others.  Yeah... I'm kinda the type who doesn't like to stay in the box.

And is also a fan of Salvador Dali.  I did have to touch it up at home, since I wasn't given any paints that could make orange and I'm better with my own brushes.  Eric likes it.  Whatcha think?