If I were a fortune teller I wouldn't read tarot cards or tea leaves, I'd read paint pallets. Make a fortune.
For example, if presented with this...
I'd have to say something about neat freaks and measured, calculated moves, list making and rule following. Where as something like this...
... and I'd reach slowly for the red button under my desk and pray that the nice men in white would HURRY with that straight jacket. Later, after the subject had been forcibly removed from my office, I write in my reflective journal the following points:
- rule breaker
- limit pusher
- hands on/ high energy
- expressive freedom required
- comedian (will people laugh if I do this? What about if I do this? This?)
We were painting to create something I can incorporate into my Christmas wrapping scheme. Yes, I have one this year. The last few years with really young kids I've had NO TIME or creative brain power and so have been buying a large cheap roll of something Christmasy from Big W and simply COVERING the present. No careful wrapping, just covering. Sorry, loved ones and present recipients, but it's true. NO thought whatsoever. This year, I'm thinking brown paper wrapped all over then a strip or two of LOVINGLY and CAREFULLY hand painted paper. Maybe some tinsel, or glittery bling of some kind. We'll see how it all turns out.
I got a few paintings from our first session.
Tom's...
Juliet's...
A plan is forming.... its a work in progress....
We also tried our hand at potato stamping.
A bit Martha Stewartish, I know... but I'd always wanted to try it and I remember it from my childhood. The trouble was that I only had small potatoes so only one of my cutter shapes fitted. (Mental note to self- must buy XL spuds to fit the Christmas tree cutter.)
Once we got the hang of it, it worked ok. The first stamp with the paint loaded spud never worked but after most of the paint had worn off we got a pretty good result.
So its all Christmasy around here. Even visited Santa for a sit on the knee photo (kids, that is... not me) that I'll write about in a future post... stay tuned.
