My Amazing Artists

Stella, the real version. She was at our house on a play date with her human brothers, who are also Penelope and Violets good friends. She was only about 9 weeks old in this picture. Her ears stick up like the painted Stella that pen made now.

Making a rainbow with water colors.

Painting Stella's portrait on canvas with acrylics (or "real grown up paint", as Pen calls it).

Making the background for her button heart painting.

Working on the painted frame.

The beginning of Violet's masterpiece.

Using a rope brush.

Using a sea sponge.

Using her hands.

And finally abandoning the painting all together and using her body as the canvas.

This brings back memories of Penelope as a toddler when she painted.

Working on the frame for her button heart painting.

I knew my button collection would be of use one day!

Violet's masterpiece.

She was kind of sad to leave it there the day we helped with the hanging, but when we went back for the opening she was so proud of her painting on the wall.

Pen and Steve looking at it all.

Pen surrounded by many of her own works.

Portrait of Stella - by Penelope

Button Heart - by Penelope

Tempera Paint Rainbow  - by Penelope

Mixed Media Snowgirl - by Penelope

Watercolor Rainbow - by Penelope

Vegetable Prints - by Violet

The little kids were supposed to sit in the front, but Violet would not step away from her painting, and Penelope would not leave her sister's side.

Coloring mandalas.

My little artists had their first art exhibit this week. It was through our wonderful homeschool group. Penelope and Violet both chose some work from earlier in the year and then each did something special just for the show. Penelope put in two rainbow paintings, a wonderful snowgirl piece, and two paintings on canvas. Violet chose a vegetable print painting and she did a painting on canvas too.

We went to help hang the art before the reception, and Violet wasn't too keen on leaving her precious art work there, but when we went back in a couple days she couldn't have been prouder to be part of the whole big deal.

Our homeschool group is huge, and there was only a small fraction of the group's kids participating in the art show, but my girls know almost all of these guys. They have taken classes with some of them, gone on field trips with some of them, and gone to homeschool gym with some of them. The age range was pretty big. Violet was the youngest, and Jasper and Gideon are 14, I believe, and all ages in between.

Steve skipped school to be at his girls art reception, and that made Penelope so happy. The kids were all so cute. The works will be hanging at the Warwick Library for the rest of the month. I am already excited for next year's show!

The story of the painting called Stella is this. Penelope was trying to paint a picture of a cat and had planned to paint two kittens as well. Sort of a cat family portrait. But the cat didn't come out as she intended, and being Penelope she felt for a while that it might be the end of the world. I said it reminded me a lot of our friend's puppy Stella and she said "oh, Mama! You are right! It looks exactly like Stella!" Stella is one of Penelope's favorite beings, so she got excited about her painting again and I told her about "happy accidents" in art. Where you do something unintended and realize it is pretty great and then just go with it. I love it so much and I asked her if I could hang it in the living room after it comes home again. She said yes, at first. Then Steve said something to her about someone buying it. It had never occurred to her that someone might actually want to buy her art. Then, on the day we were hanging the art someone said it was their favorite and that they might like to buy it. On the way home she said "Sorry Mom, I'm not too sure you'll get to keep that painting. I might be considering selling it. But don't worry, if it means that much to you I can always just paint you another one. I'm a pretty good artist, after all." And of course she is. And if it comes down to it I'll out bid anyone's offer to keep that painting. I love it that much. And, of course, the artist that made it. I just might be her biggest fan.