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Willie Wardrobe

2/28/2018

While my kids are having fun in their art classes over in the dining room, I've been working on some clothes for my little Willie, the House Elf. The doll is so small, and all her appendages keep spinning round, so it's been quite the challenge to draw up patterns, and fit clothes on her..

I was trying to make a smaller version of my Prudwyn Fantasy Gnome character, but this little doll is a lot smaller, so I have to make some changes. However, I am slowly getting somewhere...

I made a wig this morning, but it's just too bulky. So now I'm trying to figure out a hat with some wispy bangs and back braid sewn right in. And then she'll need some shoes too. Maybe she'll be ready for a photo tomorrow.

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Cleaning Up

2/28/2018

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Everyone was finished their finger-painting, and it was time to clean up....

First a wipe with some paper towels....

The last sheets were hung up to dry....

Then everyone needed a good hand washing. Unfortunately there was no sink in the studio, so Narae had set up a big tub of soapy water for everyone to wash their hands.....

All the wet newspapers and paper-towels had to go in the garbage....

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Finger Painting

2/27/2018

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Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was already time for their next art class.

Narae had found some art smocks, which would offer quite a bit more protection than the aprons. Three of the girls quickly put them on.

What would they be doing today? All the chairs were missing, and the table surfaces were covered with newspapers. "I think something very messy!"

"Today we are going to do some finger-painting. Each of you will do two sheets in your favourite colours. Then, when they are dry, we will be doing something fun with them."

Ringo wasn't too sure he was going to like this....and reluctantly spread a bit of paint on his paper

The others got into it right away, and each time they finished a sheet, they brought it over to Narae to hang up so it could dry....

"We have to make TWO???"

Nyssa loved it, and was soon working on her second sheet....

Ringo relaxed and decided it was maybe 'fun' after all....

Chloe did a second sheet....

Nyssa's second sheet was finished too....

And Bonnie was finished hers as well....

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the First Project

2/26/2018

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"I'd like to welcome you all here today! This is Paige....she's going to be helping us out, so if you have a question, or need something, and I'm busy, just talk to Paige, and she will help you..."

""We are going to have a lot of fun, and as long as you just listen carefully to the instructions at the beginning, I think you'll all be quite happy with everything we do here...."

Efreet seemed totally distracted by all the nice coloured pencils..

"Paige is handing everyone a sheet of paper.
I'd like you to place your pencil right in the middle, and draw some lines out towards the edges.."

"Then draw a wavy, squiggly line all over your page wherever you want.
Then colour in each space with whatever colours you would like...."

So they all got to work...

And when they were done, Narae let them choose a coloured background to mount their art on...

And Paige hung them up on the wall....

While Efreet cleaned up all the pencil crayons....

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the Children Arrive

2/25/2018

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Narae had decided to limit the number of students to six per class, and she'd signed on Paige to help her manage the kids and keep things running smoothly. All her still life projects had been put away, and she set up a child-friendly environment, with tables and chairs their size.

The first six students arrived, all excited to begin....but first everyone needed an apron....

Paige helped tie their aprons....

Chloe had never been in an art studio before....

Actually, no one had....and they were all very curious....

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Another Still Life

2/25/2018

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Never being content with having just one thing on the go, Narae decided to continue with another still life that she'd started before her move. She figured it was a good way to help pass the time while she was waiting for the art class registrations to come in.

This still life had more of an old 'fashioned' feel to it, and she had to carefully put everything back where it had originally been, back when she had started it...

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How to Make a Flyer

2/23/2018

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Because Dorothy couldn't imagine how I could make such nice small flyers, I thought I'd share how I did it, if for no other reason than to show how easy it is to make something like that.

I needed some Art Lesson flyers, and at first thought just some simple wording, with text in black and white. But i had no idea how to sell an art class for kids, so decided to google "Children's Art Class Flyers". And of course there were dozens and dozens of examples, and all in nice vibrant colours.

I liked the idea of incorporating children's hand-prints, and I was once again going to use my little cardboard hand cutouts (because there's no way I'm risking staining my doll's actual hands).

I cut out a rectangle of watercolour paper 8.5 x 11 cm, the same proportions as regular printer paper. I dropped splotches of colour around the bottom, and added the hand prints. Then I lined up my tiny 'pencil crayons' across the top....to take the initial photo....

Cropped it back down to 8.5 x 11....

Added the text in Photoshop....

Then dropped, and shrank it, into IPages - duplicating it eight more times.
Then turned it into a pdf. (the image below is just a jpg of the pdf)

Then a quick run through the colour printer, and they just needed cutting out. Super easy!!

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Advertising

2/23/2018

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Narae realized that with her art shows still a ways off, she was going to need to supplement her income to help pay for her new studio space. She was passionate about sharing her art, and had always loved kids, so why not offer art lessons for children?

So she made up a flyer, printed out a huge pile, and packed them into her backpack....

She started hanging up her flyers throughout her neighbourhood...

She also handed out flyers to any interested kids passing by....

"This looks really great! I want to come!!"

Narae was feeling very encouraged by the positive responses so far....

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Starting the Painting

2/22/2018

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She starts with the background, from the top down....

Mixing just the right colour....

Narae is using a brush, even though the actual painting is being done with a palette knife. But I don't have a miniature one of those, nor did I know how to make one. So, a brush it is....

"Okay, I think that's enough for today..."

Time to let the paint dry...

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Underpainting

2/21/2018

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Before starting any painting, Narae underpants it with a solid, contrasting colour - usually orange...

Moving the easel into position...

Ready to start...

Well, my artist story isn't going anywhere in any hurry. After looking after Jan all last week as he was really sick with the flu (and coughing up the whole house) I've come down with it now too - which is pretty much what I expected would happen. So now we are both sick. I just hope it doesn't go on too long.

Thankfully, I took a lot of photos on the weekend before I got ill. Maybe I'll feel up to taking new ones by the time those weekend shots get used up.

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