Art Exploration -- Foil Sculptures

I recently checked out of the library a book titled, The Usborne Art Treasury. The kids and I are having fun reading about all different kinds of art forms. The book is presented beautifully with information about the artist, an example of their work and then a project to try using simple materials to make your own interpretation of that type of art.



The first one we decided to work with was Alberto Giacometti born in Switzerland in 1901. He produced stick figures which became famous. People admired them for the way they seemed to capture the pain and uncertainty of modern life.


He made his sculptures of bronze, but we used pipe cleaners and aluminum foil for our sculptures.
Wynston decided to try to make a tall man like one of the examples in the book. His other figure is above and started out to be a giraffe, but we ended up deciding that it looks more like a dinosaur. He might be adding a tail onto his creature soon.



Savannah made this cute dog sculpture.

Happel Art -- Mid-Summer Ramblings

The days seem to fly by so quickly. Savannah got to go on a 4 hour float trip recently and then the next day she and Avery got to go on a two hour float trip on the Missouri River. They both had a very fun time and I am sure will want to go again in the future.





Avery got creative again late the other night and presented his version of Spiderman to adorn our refrigerator. He applied tape heavily so it won't fall off. Unfortunately, Spidey is getting water logged from people getting ice for their cups while in the freezer and it melting.



Wynston was playing on the computer the other day and started dabbling with a small piece of paper. Here is his happy looking fellow he presented to me. I gave him compliments and Wynston's smile was as bright as his drawing's smile.



Savannah has been using the light box and tracing one of my embroidery patterns I found on the computer as well as a troll from a recent drawing book I got for the kids from Michael's.




Fred has been doing something he loves recently which is refinishing a small table. The original finish on it was very thin and wearing badly. He thought I was going to donate the table to charity, but I suggested he refinish it and play moving a few pieces of furniture around. I like the end result.




I have been busy stitching some hand towels and have had the bright idea to maybe make a few into quilted table runners/centers. I love finding vintage transfer patterns and flickr.com has a wonderful group with more being added almost daily -- more than I could ever stitch!

Dear Aunt Trish

Aunt Trish: I scanned in Avery's note to you. He wrote this late the other night.

"Dear Aunt Trish,

I am happy that you are coming. Here is a drawing for you. I am missing you."

He then was trying to make hearts across the page but they didn't turn out right to him so he "XXX" them out. I told him "XOXOXO" meant hugs and kisses. He liked that.

He then put the picture on the back of the note. -- I love his train!

Alice

(Notice how he is learning to add "ing" on his words in his note to you.)

Drawing What You See

Avery and I talked about a couple of pictures I sat and drew the other day just for fun. One is of Tinkerbell (off of Savannah's backpack) and the other is from a ceramic sculpture of an angel I have on the table sitting next to the chair I was in.


He then decided that he would try this new idea instead of drawing characters he has in his video games. (Here is one he drew that has a new story to tell -- something about a professor creating a robot and asking what does "ambition" mean in a talk with me yesterday.)

Update: Avery tells me this drawing is from "a character in Teen Titans. His name is Slade. He is wearing a mask because the character does not want anyone to see his face. Slade makes robots or minions that look similar to him. Teen Titan Robin (from Batman and Robin) does not like him very much. Slade is a bad guy."




He decided to draw the table and lamp that is next to the same chair I sat in earlier.


Then he followed it up by drawing my Red DX fitness chair I am using for a sewing chair in our living room. I have included his drawing and a picture of the chair. I think he has done a very good job with proportions. That is something I always have to play with especially in trying to draw people or figures.




To conclude, Savannah also gave me the bright idea of using some of my drawing as embroidery patterns. I think that is very smart thinking on her part and creative also.

GFAA Gibson Park Paint Out 6/3/09

All three of the kids and I enjoyed a late afternoon / early evening out at Gibson Park here in Great Falls, MT with some of the members of the Great Falls Arts Association. We met at the Flower Garden and Arch. The weather was beautiful and the mosquitos were plentiful, so much so, Wynston and I drove back home for the bug spray to help keep everyone free from being the bug's feast.

Savannah, Wynston, and I drew pictures from the Arch as pictured here. Avery drew a picture of his new DVD, the 1st season of Teen Titans. (I will have to find his picture and add it here soon.)





Avery did have fun playing with his brother and sister in the park and also taking some digital pictures which I have included here.

Wooden Puzzle Art -- Wynston's World

Wynston has become fascinated with 3-D wooden puzzle art. He loves to put them together and now has added acrylic paints to them to enhance their look.

I helped him with the final touches on the wolf. Wunston is very proud of him.



He was disappointed on a recent trip to Michael's Hobby and Crafts here in Great Falls as they do not have a very good selection of these puzzles. I will have to do some online searching and get him some. He has shown an interest in maybe selling his finished painted ones. I think they would sell so he could afford some more.

I love his tiger. He did this one by himself.



The bears are not finished yet. I think he will be adding some other color or perhaps black lines to add some texture look to them.





Some of the puzzles, Wynston just thinks and I agree are wonderful plain, without acrylics added to them. He has chosen to keep the eagle puzzle natural.

Temple of the Twilight Sword Drawing

This drawing has been made several times by Avery. He loves the pillars! Something about the layout of the picture also makes him happy. I am sure it is inspired by one of the video games he likes to play.



He has sent an original of this picture to each of his aunts. I like how he is proud and wants to share his art.

Avery -- "Mr. Big Man"

Avery got a new set of twisty crayons from his mom the other day and broke them in by creating "Mr. Big Man".

Avery introduced his new character to his dad with much delight.

Avery's Dragon Drawing

I don't have the young man in front of me to give some insight as to where the inspiration came for this drawing, but I was there (again up late one night) when he finished it.

Avery felt very happy with the drawing completed that he went immediately into adding colors which are vibrant with expression.

Coloring has been something Avery has not enjoyed (almosted hated) since he was small. Most pre-school activities involve using coloring to help with recognition, he would get angry and rebellious when instructed to do so.

So with age comes maturity -- even though some might consider it later than most -- Avery is not like most. He is unique!

Make Your Own Mask

I wanted to share with you a mask one of the kids made with their Aunt Trish who was visiting from Chicago a year or so ago.


They used a pizza box and some papier mache' techniques in preparing this creation.

Avery Zefram -- Hotel Drawing

Avery Zefram is 9 years old. He is a special boy with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). He is very smart, warm, and creative.

His father has been away (in Dallas) for over a week now on some job training. Avery could not sleep one night and made this picture with his dad in mind.

He wrote "Fly Hotel" on it because he (Avery) loves to fly in airplanes. He also says one of his big dreams is to stay in a hotel someday and order room service with a butler.

Savannah Rose -- Manga Drawing

My daughter, Savannah Rose, shown here working on her drawing from a book teaching Manga drawing.



She still wants to add more to this piece and just purchased some special paint pens from JoAnn Fabrics today.

Where to Start

Recently my daughter, Savannah Rose (soon to be 15), brought it to my attention that she was not being included in my blog site, www.WonderlandShoppe.blogspot.com/ and wanted something that showed her artsy side as well as her brothers, Wynston (age 11) and Avery (age 9).

So thus begins the blogsite: Happel Art