The one where I bore even myself..(ahem) but then I pull it back beautifully...

I keep changing my mind as there are quite frankly a gazillion things that we can spend our delicious 1hr 15minutes doing at this week's Artypops art class.    

My thinking is (of course) all about drawing and I am spending hours surfing the net, digging out old lesson plans and dreaming up new activities, each highlighting different and wonderful things for the children to learn.

I went to town today to get said classes'  art supplies and darling son a winter coat.   He has one by one lost them all, grown out of them or ripped them to shreds in a growing up boy/incredible hulk type thing... so this year at the ripe old age of 8, he deserves a new one from an actual shop!  One that I can bleat on about keeping clean and not lost...blah blah blah...whoops am actually boring myself here too...a thousand apologies.

Ah yes, sketchbooks and little folios.

It's a no-brainer that as an Artist I do that thing that makes me all excited and creative when viewing a couple of shelves of art stuff or when in a stationers.

Am sure it was from when I was younger, my aunt ran a stationers for a little bit so when we went to see her we a: got to be in the shop when it was closed (big wow it was) and b: got to choose two things from the stationary bit to keep us quiet   as a treat upon seeing her.

Its that smell of clean paper - ok am sounding freaky now so am going to wrap it up (lovely pun) suffice to say that today I bought a gazillion sketchpads for the babes to work in...each and everyone a beauty.

No really , it's actually very exciting.

Sam x

A Beautiful but rather 'Deadly Art Bat' Well done Jenny!

Following my blog post all about 'Deadly Art' this has come in from Jenny.  Well done Jenny!  

Her own 'Deadly Art' Bat!  I love it!  Gorgeous big strong lines.  Thanks for sending it in.

Sam x

I may look like as mad as a box of frogs...but the children had fun!! An Arty(pops) walk with Samantha Barnes

Filling up a half-term day nicely, come walk & draw with me!

The sunshine helped, but even in the rain it's do-able (with a brolly or two) to take the babes on a countryside walk.

All we took with us was an A3 sketchbook, some children's felt-tips, a crayon or two and a couple of pencils.  The children pretty much did it all themselves but we had much fun and hopefully our short film will inspire you to try it yourselves.

Enjoy.

Children's Art telly programmes..all hail 'Deadly Art' (CBBC). Also turning mega lions into ducks...

In our house, during school holidays and on weekend mornings (when mum and dad get the chance for an extra hour in snooze land) our babes are allowed telly in the mornings.   It's called 'Saturday morning telly' whatever the day...much easier this way.

Darling son hauls himself and his duvet downstairs on the the massive snuggly sofa to burn his brains out on whatever he fancies from the children's channel, Darling Daughter comes down about 20 later and they snuggle on the sofa until our day begins.

This morning however I have work to do so leaving a snoozing daddy, I am in the office doing exactly NOT what am supposed to be doing, blogging.     I am however, stupidly inspired artistically from watching 'Deadly Art' a children's telly programme that I sat glued to with both my babes under the duvet on said snuggly sofa.

Now then...in my day we had 'Take Hart' 'Why Don't You' and 'Magpie' along with 'Blue Peter' for creative inspiration.  All of which were wonderful, basic but wonderful and I think I actually owe my artistic career to Tony Hart, who, sniff died last year.

Today my babes are 8 and 4 so we have (endured) 'Mister Maker' (queue the theme tune in my head...NOOOOOOooo!) and I think thats about it really.

This morning though I watched the afore mentioned 'Deadly Art' and it made me really happy to be doing so.

Mixing up footage of 'deadly animals' (this morning was the lion) and then taking that back to the art studio where two (very young...why?) Artists where ready to 'make art' from the link.  Nice.  In one programme we had a 3d model of a lion's head, a large 2m x2m squared canvas painting (that was the BIG reveal at the end of the programme) and during the programme, lots of drawing of a lions head.

During the filming of this programme, the crew had set up camp somewhere to call an event of lion-drawing to film...queues of children waiting patiently with less patient parents lining up to get drawing...I found the whole thing ace in fact.

Children create naturally.  This programme was all about getting them inspired to draw and get arty around the subject that they had chosen and were enthusing massively about...and...proof of the pudding...8 year old Darling Son is now all inspired to draw (albeit still on the sofa) so today, we are going out for a walk in the countryside to find some lions...oh alright..some ducks.

Hope they strike the same cord...may have to do some creative imagining with them...

Will report back later, well done 'Deadly Art'.

Sam x

A brilliant thing to do with that pile of wonderful beautiful drawings children's drawings...that pile that just keeps on growing. MAKE WRAPPING PAPER from them...genius! Enjoy x

Don't feel bad, we have all done it.  Binned (ahem) recycled some of those beautiful drawings that fall fresh from the hands of our babes...it's the quantity of them that is the problem, we have gazillions of them..all gorgeous of course.    

Once your albums are full, and there is no space left on your bedroom walls we are in trouble.  

As more drawings roll off the dining room table rising panic begins to kick in...I know, we have all been there.

No longer dear hearts...homemade wrapping paper...genius.

1.

Gather together all the drawings you can muster....children LOVE to do this bit.

2.

Place them face down and secure into one large sheet with selotape. (Scroll down)

Marvellous stuff.  Then quite simply wrap your pressie.  Finishing it off with a bow works wonders too.  Below are lots of shots to get you going...great for Granny especially!

Fab Christmas Pressies for Arty Children. 'Art in a Box' by the wonderful Sarah Richardson & The Tate.

Quite frankly I have to ask myself 'whats not to like' about 'Art in a Box'  by the wonderful Sarah Richardson & The Tate (Darling).  

If ever I run dry'ish of ideas of things to do with my children and those in my children's art classes I head straight for the Tate (Modern normally) as they are stuffed to the brim with innovative ideas of high creativity for children.  Learning by mistake as it were - actually is this not the holy grail of teaching?  

I digress.  Inside of this natty little magnetic box (very Tate sweetie) are 20 cards with well known and mainly contemporary Artists work on. Peter Blake, Chris Offili, Cornelia Parker cards sit alongside Picasso and Albert Irving.  On one side of the A5 card is a well known work, covering the whole side bar a couple of mm at the edge.  On the reverse are the Artist's details, birth, death etc and up to 8 bullet points about their work and thought provoking questions for for the children to read and think about themselves.

Lastly, the 'Your Turn' section.  An activity to make something along the lines of said Artist.  For example, Albert Irvin.  'Make your own abstract painting in the style of Albert Irvin'.  Using suggested materials that are easy to grab, using two colours from the included colour chart in the box (LOVELY touch) and suggested materials, we are guided to produce something akin to the Artist's work itself.

Tactile, easy to comprehend and frankly delicious for parents and children to work on together I fully endorse this pressie.  Enjoy. 

Sam

ps.  Find it here  for £9.76.  nice.

'Open Art Sessions' for all those interested...children, adults and families.

The children's art classes that am doing after school, are proving to be very popular.  They begin the week after half-term and are going to be small sessions of 8 children at a time.

In fact, so popular that am considering doing another open day rather like the one I did this time last year.

That was a 'Art Family Day on the Farm' and we had a ball.  68 children and 40 adults in a barn on a farm doing art...perfect.  Enjoy the movie..its only 2 mins long and tells you all you need to know.

I have slightly held off doing more events as I wasn't overly sure exactly what it was that I am promoting!   Now I see it's important to do them quite simply for doing them and having a ball.

I can village-hall it, perhaps get the day sponsored, plonk ourselves somewhere and make lots and lots of Art...yummy.

Please register your interest in attending by emailing me info@samanthabarnes.co.uk  marvellous stuff!

Samantha