Budding Talent

 Megan has always loved art. She has always loved to draw, color, finger paint, use play dough, glue random stuff together to create a sculpture, the list could go on and on. Problem is, with my OCD, I have a hard time with the mess that is often created along with the beautiful creations. And as far as play dough is concerned, I can't stand the stuff. It stinks and makes a huge mess on my floors.

Today, Nathan took Emma and Jeremy to the store (I desperately needed some Emma-Free Time) and Lincoln was asleep. So I made a list of subjects: English, Math, Science, History, and Art, and let Megan pick one she wanted to learn more about. Funnily enough, after picking Art, she gave me a grammar lesson on how to use periods, commas, and semicolons. I had no idea she knew how to use them.

So, we Googled "famous watercolor paintings" and took a look at some beautiful paintings. We also looked up oil pastel paintings. We learned about the mediums and what you use the paints and pastels on. I got out some 4X6 canvases I bought two Christmases ago and never got around to using and let Megan get to work.

She titled this one Fairies at Play/Night is Coming

She did the bulk of this one. She decided I could help with the sky and the clouds.

This is mine. Exciting, I know. I named it Up Close Spotted Dinosaur
Art class always made me nervous because I was never good at it. My dad and my siblings are great at art and my mom's handwriting borders on fine art, but not me or mine.

This one we experimented with the oil pastels first, then we added watercolor.

We named it Flowers at Sunset.

These snapshots don't do the colors justice. I told Megan we'd frame them because she did such a great job. I'm excited to do more of these with her. It was actually really relaxing after a very difficult week. We don't have anymore canvas, but we have plenty of watercolor paper. I think we've found a fun weekend activity for the two of us.

While my parents were here we went to the Cleveland Museum of Art. I had no idea they had so many famous paintings there. Monet's Water Lilies and a few Renoir's and Van Gogh's, too. I'd like to take Megan back to the museum sometime and give her more time to look at the paintings and different mediums.