Petite Flowers

The last in my three-part SPRING uplift;)

Spring Unfurling

The Birds

I forget every year how intoxicating spring really is.  I’m grateful for another one.

BIG KIDS Magazine:Rachel and Me

My  artist friend Rachel is seventeen years old.  It’s difficult to assign a chronological age to this young woman because she is both wise beyond her years and as uninhibited in her creativity as a pre-schooler.  That’s how I knew she was the perfect candidate to collaborate with me on this illustration for BIG KIDS Magazine. …

BIG KIDS Magazine: Interview

Last post was an introduction to the fabulous Big Kids’s Magazine.  This link connects you to the homepage of the BIG blog. You might say that BIG KIDS Magazine discovered my blog for young artists called  Portrait of a Girl and Her Art.  Lily (one of the creators),  left a wonderful comment and requested that I take …

BIG KIDS Magazine!

Exciting stuff.  Lots of excitement…where to begin…..Big Kids Magazine.   Go on, have a click on the link, then come on back. Back?    Did the animation alone take you to the most magical of creative places?    It literally takes me to a place where my creative energies start a-jumping.  Now imagine riding that creative …

Two New

Two new posts spotlighting creativity on  Portrait of a Girl.  Exciting artists from age seven to young adult.  Plus new young art on the ART SHARE page.

Our Sketchbook Project 2012

Saturday I mailed out our sketchbook for the  Sketchbook Project 2012 ‘s  January 31 deadline-whew. It’s a project I’ll always remember because it’s a collaboration with my son Julian.  Julian inspired the concept, and we worked together truly as a team. While I will forever treasure the memories of being a mom for my children when …

A Hope Wish for the Holidays

Wishing every one of you kind, interesting and creative friends a holiday wish.. The one wish that is dearest to you.  The one that you scarcely allow yourself to acknowledge.  The truest most beautiful hope you can conjure.  I’m hoping it comes true for you.

Sneak Peak/New Book- Cover!

VERY soon now, Portrait of a Girl and Her Art will be available in hardcover, paperback and PDF . I’m working on additional electronic formats. Very soon I’ll have purchase info ready for one step clicking. Portrait of a Girl and Her Art  already has a dedicated blog where art tips, exciting interviews with young …

Sketchbook Page Prep

I love to pre-prepare my sketchbook with various media to kick-start a creative page.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with sketching directly onto a blank page, but a wet into wet watercolor wash is every so much more exciting to play with.  The above face rendered in blues, is the result of a wet …

KiDs aRT:sTiLl LiFE

Any memories of  a pear, a Chianti bottle, and a bicycle wheel propped, draped, lit, and placed  in front of you on a rainy Monday morning?  Ring any bells?  Art class and the mandatory still life. What I think makes this time-honored and very useful drawing exercise somewhat more interesting, is the freedom to choose …

Leaf Watch

All of you fellow leaf watchers might be interested to know that in The Netherlands the maples are already showing off their lush attributes.  Check out this link http://art-is-jokken.blogspot.com  and you will find evidence of such a maple.  You will also find photos of an adorable sheep, great art, and a wonderful outlook on life. …

Imaginary Vacations/Beautiful Creations

Can’t get away this weekend ?  How about taking a little vacation via Kate and Audrey.  They have generously allowed us to follow them to exclusive places. Take a deep breath (go ahead), now make room in your busy mind for a beautiful respite. Exhale now and view Kate’s self-portrait. Kate takes on a stroll …

Chilly Breezes/Shore Memories

A bracing breeze just wafted through my window, triggering a pleasant Jersey shore memory… It feels like early in the season, just before the boardwalk is open, except for one small candy store.  Happily, they have candy necklaces!  Those unhygienic, fabulous elastic beauties that simply cannot be resisted.  You know that you not only look stunning, …

Onto a Clue…

A girl detective finds what she’s looking for. 😉

Creative Kids

Were you the kid who  got lost in your paint, glue, and other art materials?   I mean it literally.   Maybe you know a child who sees her own body as an extension of her paper or canvas or sculpture.  While her peers are relatively neat and disciplined about their creative work, this child jumps …

KIDs ArT

As promised earlier in the month, here is Samantha’s completed acrylic painting.  Clearly, Samantha is not afraid of rendering her darks and lights.  She’s a natural with values. However, translating black and white into color is a little tricky.  This is not a problem for Samantha. She dove right in with complementary colors.  They pop with …

Remaining Marketable

This isn’t easy to admit.  My work is well, sort of old-fashioned.  At least, it’s not HOT.  Not a big deal, I can change, except I really don’t want to.  Let me back up a bit.  What I love to do, is not as marketable as it could be, and I am really not at …

Cluster Birthdays

March is a cluster birthday month for my family. It seems that many families experience a couple of months that are simply chock full of family birthdays. And, they seem to come all in one week.  Sometimes three or four days in a row. The celebration for each individual suffers a bit I think, because …

Nearly Spring in the Great Swamp

So many of us are yearning hopefully for the promise of spring.  It’s kind of like an alternate “New Year” sans the party.  I imagine that the creature world has had enough of  winter this year as well.    Here’s a froggy couple making plans. Related Articles Spring Cleaning (skeltzer.wordpress.com)