‘Art’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Minted: Get Valentine’s Day Ready

February 6, 2017 · Narrative

Looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day cards for your kid’s classmates? They are seriously just a few clicks away…

If you’ve been a reader for a little while, you may have caught on that Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday. I am also the girl who cried favorite because every holiday is pretty much my favorite, but Valentine’s Day is undoubtedly in the Top Three.

Over the years, for classroom valentines, we have vacillated between store-bought cards and homemade, old school cards. And I honestly love both. Sometimes our decision comes down to time (or lack thereof) and inspiration (like if we see something in the store and love it, or have a creative idea that we just run with).

So that kind of means we go where the wind takes us.

And isn’t that how it goes with love anyway?

So, appropos.

But then something new happened … I discovered that Minted makes Valentine’s Day cards.

I knew that they offered beautiful artwork because I’m obsessed with their heart photo collage and it’s on my Wish List, but I didn’t know about the perfectly tiny, completely appropriate classmate Valentine’s Day cards they have. They kind of have a ridiculous amount of selections to choose from … so much so that when I gave Maddie the options, she came back with more than a few she wanted. I don’t blame her!

She ended up deciding to go with the Pugs & Kisses cards and I can’t say I’m surprised. Once you choose which card you want, you can go on to make it even more personal … different colors for some of the cards … clean edges versus scalloped edges … add on stickers to seal the envelopes. So many possibilities for so much adorableness in one tiny package.

Our order arrived crazyquick, and you totally have time to get yours in time of the big day. It came in the cutest little cloth pouch with a thank you note from the artist who designed the card. We plan to package them with little pink heart stickers that we had on had from crafting, and attach a pencil or lollipop to it.

Given the three of us have been sick for the past few days, which, like, never happens, the discovery of the treasure trove that is Minted’s Valentine’s Day gallery was perfect timing.

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Craft Time: Chinese New Year City Skyline

January 26, 2017 · Craft Ideas, Narrative

A super simple and inexpensive craft to celebrate Chinese New Year.

A few weeks ago, I taught a kids’ workshop that focused on celebrating Chinese New Year, which kicks off this weekend. We made two crafts (this being one of them), and the Asian Quinoa Salad recipe that I shared recently. I love this craft because it’s so simple to make, uses (mostly) items you have around the house already, and it makes for a beautiful piece of art.

I can’t take all the credit for it, as I stumbled on it while falling down the deep rabbit hole of Pinterest, but love how it turned out, and the kids loved it as well. You can, of course, change up how YOU make this craft, putting your own unique twist on it as I did, but however you make it, you can’t go wrong with it. Easy + forgiving = a crowd pleaser and that’s pretty much a recipe for success.

Here’s what you’ll need:
– background paper (I love the one I used; it’s not exactly patterned, but definitely not solid, so it gave it a look of being textured)
– wine corks
– Chinese newspaper (of course you can use a “regular” newspaper, but when we’re celebrating Chinese New Year, it seemed more appropriate to use a Chinese newspaper and I got them for free at a local Asian grocery store)
– paint
– black Sharpie
– glue stick
– scissors

Cut the strips of newspaper for the city skyscrapers. I suggested that the kids alternate some of the print between ones that were more straight text with ones that had more of the bold, blacker backgrounds. I also told them to feel free to use some of the newspaper print that had pictures on them because it would kind of look like billboards. Make them varying heights on glue on your background sheet from left to right. Although it isn’t reflected in my sample above, I went back with a black Sharpie and drew some rows of black squares to mimic windows on some of the skyscrapers.

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Visit: Princeton University Art Museum {Princeton, New Jersey}

November 14, 2016 · Narrative

A gorgeous campus that is simply stunning in the Fall season, the Princeton University Art Museum is a must-visit.

On our Sundays, we like to do things together as a family. #OMalleySundayFunday when I remember to hashtag on Instagram. I try and let everyone take turns in deciding what we do, just like my parents did when my sister and I were kids, but sometimes I’m bossy and just take the lead.

Mostly because if I ask Maddie what she wants to do with our day, it vacillates between “let’s go shopping at Justice” and “let’s take a plane ride to Disney World.”

So, yeah.

But on this particular outing, I showed Nick three places we could visit and he chose the Princeton University Art Museum.

Alright!

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Visit: Grounds for Sculpture {Hamilton Township, NJ}

July 16, 2014 · Narrative

Beautiful gardens, hundreds of amazing art sculptures, and plenty of kid-friendly and adult-approved things to see, the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton Township is worth a visit.

When the kids and I visited the world’s largest tooth in Princeton last year, we had NO idea what was just down the road. Luckily a recent mention in New Jersey Monthly magazine clued us into Grounds for Sculpture, because it was well worth a visit.

The brainchild of Seward Johnson, it is 42 acres of beautifully maintained landscaping and gardens with art sculptures around every corner. As their Mission Statement notes, they wanted “to create a place to make contemporary sculpture more accessible to greater numbers of people from all backgrounds; to offer them the opportunity to develop privately, step-by step, a more intimate relationship with contemporary art; to share that experience with others in a familiar, accessible, informal setting in nature—giving them the chance, as Picasso said, to wash away “from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Everything from small sculptures to giant towering “monument” pieces like the Marilyn Monroe. This particular statue took three years to make and traveled the country (in four separate pieces) before it came back here to stay. There are some cool photographs inside one of the buildings showing the making of this particular statue, and also showing it broken down into pieces, traveling on various highways.

Located on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds, construction on Johnson’s vision began in 1989, and opened to the public three years later. Over the years, art, buildings, and exhibits have been added, and Grounds for Sculpture has been non-profit since 2000. There are nearly 300 sculptures throughout the property, many historical in nature, spanning the weird to the wonderful.

And a photographers’ dream, natch.

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Craft Time: Make Your Own String Art

March 29, 2013 · Narrative

String art has been around forever and a day. And, for those curious, it really took off as a craft in the late 1960s.

So like I said, like forever.

And it’s just the kind of craft I like doing or introducing to the kids.

Because it’s super simple.

And you only need a few supplies (and you might even have everything on hand right now).

It’s hard to screw up.

And it really lets their creativity shine through.

For the supplies, you need the board that you are putting your design on, small finish nails, and the embroidery thread. I had two out of the three items already, so when I placed an order from Hobby Lobby’s web site for some items I needed for Madeline’s birthday party, I added the last item.

The board. I used a barkside wood piece, which I love, but you can find a variety of other wood pieces or plaques that would work just as well at your local craft store or big box home improvement store, like Michael’s or Home Depot..

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Create: Giant Watercolor Tutorial

February 19, 2013 · Narrative

If you couldn’t tell, I like to celebrate my children. Every day, for certain, but especially on their birthdays. I always want them to feel loved.

And so when I was planning all the little things I wanted to do for Madeline’s recent birthday and spied a tutorial for a giant watercolor celebrating her new age, I was all in.

I mean, really. A giant watercolor for my watercolor-loving girl?

It was a no-brainer.

The weekend right before her birthday, I had a quiet house to myself while the kids were with The Ex, and I took full advantage.

A giant piece of hot-pressed watercolor paper from Michael’s.

Watercolor paint.

Water cup.

Paint brush.

Pencil.

I was set.

It took a few sketches to get the number five just right. Just the way I wanted it. I did it free-hand, and I think that’s the easiest way to go about it. Just use the pencil lightly so it can erase easily if you need to edit as you go.

When it came to colors, I wanted to go with her current favorite colors: pink, purple, orange, and light blue. Blending a little bit here and there for some (attempted) smooth transitioning.

As I sat at the dining room table painting, memories of my grandmother were quick to come. She was an artist, of many mediums, for as long as I can remember, but painting with watercolors was, for sure, her jam. And as I blended and dabbed and thinned, I wondered if she was rolling over in her grave. Because if there are any techniques or rules when it comes to watercolor painting, I surely broke them. I just went about creating and doing what I thought felt right.

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Visit: Georgia O’Keeffe Art Exhibit {Montclair Art Museum}

December 13, 2012 · Narrative

Nick first discovered (and subsequently fell in love with) artist Georgia O’Keeffe during his third grade year. His class was studying her, her painting techniques, what inspired her, and her background. And then one day he came home and realized, hey, we have some Georgia O’Keeffe hanging in our house. Her Poppy, 1927 piece is still one of my favorites.

So, of course, when I saw that there was a Georgia O’Keeffe exhibit coming to a local museum, I immediately wrote it on my calendar. I didn’t tell Nick about it, choosing to surprise him instead. When we pulled up to the entrance of the Montclair Art Museum and he saw the O’Keeffe banner, he was pretty stoked.

And this is when I first realized that I had been spelling her name wrong all these years.

On the first Thursday of the month, the museum offers a free “family night” from 5-8 pm (it is also free during the daytime on the first Friday of the month as well). There are drinks, sandwiches, a small live classical band playing, and you can wander through the different exhibits at your own pace, or choose to join one of their guided tours. Although we snuck a listen to the tail end of one of the guided tours, we did most of the exhibits by ourselves.

And given the random things, ahem, one of my children pipes up with sometimes, that was definitely the best choice.

Unfortunately I paid no attention to the artists’ names of the other exhibits we saw first, so apologies for that. But they represented various mediums, everything from tile mosaics and decorated skulls to colorful peacock-like displays. The kids loved all of them, but the weird decorated skulls definitely drew the most amount of questions. They took their time at each exhibit, really studying each piece, and I love that art is something they both continue to be interested in and inspired by.

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Review: BabbaBox

December 12, 2012 · Ad-Free, Narrative

When it comes to creativity in a box, I am usually all ears. Although I love the moments where I can put a stash of craft and art supplies on the table and tell the kids to “go for it,” sometimes it’s nice to have someone else do all the work via a carefully curated box ‘o fun.

Am I right?

And the folks behind BabbaBox? They have my complete attention.

The box contents are carefully chosen by BabbaCo’s expert team (more information on their process can be found here), which is comprised of Ph.D’s, preschool teachers, physical therapists, nannies, topic experts, parents, and more. Each box has a different theme, and the one that we were recently sent focused on the sun, moon, and stars. Inside this particular box were three different activities for the kids to do:

– instructions and materials necessary to make a constellation frame, using the sun as the source of making the print.
– the tools and directions we need to make a paper mache moon nightlight
– mini binoculars and a lunar calendar so we can see and track the different phases of the moon

Beyond the activities included, there was also a best-selling book, Twinkle, Star of the Week, that corresponded with the theme as well. And lastly, a super cute star wine stopper (a surprise gift for parents!). Over the years, we have bought a number of craft and activity kits, but what stands out most about the BabbaBox, as opposed to the others we’ve had, is that it’s intelligent … it doesn’t dumb down anything, it’s educational in a fun way, and, instead, treats kids as the intellectual sponges that they are.

And, really, hooray for that.

Although it’s targeted for ages 3-6, I really think it could go a little past that. And with it being the holidays, it certainly makes for a unique gift for your favorite little creative mind. The folks at BabbaBox are offering 50% off your first month when you sign up for a monthly membership using the code, SWAY100. Offer expires December 31, 2012.

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Creating Art with Your Kids

December 3, 2012 · Narrative

My grandmother on my mom’s side died a few years ago. For all the things I loved about her, she was very difficult to get along with. Her home was awash with bright colors, pops of purples and pinks everywhere, but that was in sharp contrast to how negative she was. She was never shy in telling people what she thought and her tongue could be quite acerbic.

I’ll never forget the day she came to visit the first home that The Ex and I had bought. I had just finished painting the living room, and she was going to spend the day with me at our new home, helping me decorate and get us settled. She walked right into the living room and said “Why on earth would you paint it this color?”

Completely deflating the sense of pride I had in the first room I had finished in our new home. And so began a very long day. My time with her, both that day and otherwise, was filled with her constant negative comments about everything. My hair. The clothes I wore. Choices I made, decorating, life, and otherwise.

And as much as I hate that my kids will grow up never knowing her (Nick’s last visit with her was when he was 10 months old, so, of course, Madeline and my three nieces never got the chance to meet her), I am glad that what they *do* know of and have learned about her, is happy.

She was a master with the paint brush, and was known for turning out beautiful water color paintings with a quick flick of her wrist. She took art classes every year at her local college, withdrawing right before the end, so she could re-enroll again the next term.

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Craft Time: Watercolor {and Salt} Art

June 12, 2012 · Narrative

My loose goal is to do one art project with the kids every week. Some weeks are better than others, and last week ended with Nick and Madeline reminding me that we hadn’t done anything in awhile.

After a few minutes of rummaging in my desk drawers, I came up with plain white art paper and a few trays of watercolor paint. I’ve learned over the past year or so that it’s better that each of them has their own watercolor tray. Some are better at cleaning their brushes than others.

Using plain masking tape, I sectioned off the art paper into six smaller squares. Although I made the sections neat, you could certainly make haphazard lines for a completely different (and fun!) effect too.

I gave them the paint, brushes, and water dishes and told them to get creative. Although they both love art, they are very different when it comes to tackling the projects. Nick critiques his work very mightily and always worries about it being perfect. I always remind him that this is art, “there is no perfect!” Madeline is always happy with her end result, needs little direction, and takes it super seriously. She can literally spend hours painting one small 8×10 piece of paper, getting it just right.

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In Which We Talk About Art, Doodling, and Fun Mail

May 3, 2012 · Narrative

The love of art runs deep in our family. Want to make any of us happy? Appear on the doorstep with markers. Or colored pencils. A fresh stack of assorted paper. Hole punches. Washi tape. You name it, we’ll love it.

When it comes to talent merging with passion, that’s where we all diverge just a bit. My grandmother was into watercolors. Acrylics. Paintings on large scales. She took a college art class for years and years and years. And more years. Every semester, she would drop out just before the final exam, so she could retake it the following year. Her paintings were mostly flowers and cubes. Arrays of pinks and purples. I meant to take pictures of her art to add here, but alas, darkness came too fast, and that will have to wait for another day. I have one of her pieces hanging in my office, and Madeline’s room, and my sister has one hanging in her daughters’ room. The paintings remind me of my grandmother’s living room … modern squared off couches and chairs in bright purple, and thick pink curtains. When we would spend the night there, and wake up and walk into the living room, it was bathed in the most beautiful pink ever. Much like Madeline’s room is now. Although my grandmother and I rarely saw eye-to-eye, I miss visits to her home.

My sister and mom definitely have my grandmother’s artistic bent, and can draw mostly anything you ask them to. As for me? I’m a complete doodler. My home and office desks are littered with scraps of colorful doodles, drawn after being stuck on the phone too long, or after a frustrating day. Nick now steals my doodles and has started taping them to his bedroom wall.

“Mom, how did you do that? That’s awesome!”

Um, I don’t know, just a bunch of lines and a little bit of free time.

I’m also a fan of doodling on mail. You know, snail mail. The kind we don’t get too often anymore. I’m on a mission to bring that back. Help me out with that, ok?

The kids are always drawing, coloring, stealing my markers. They both have gobs of creativity, more in their pinkies than I do in my whole body.

And I love that they’re so passionate about it.

Our mini art gallery at home (see more about it here) is a rotating display of things the kids make both here and at school. Two weekends ago, after amassing a small collection of paint chips, we made rainbows with the scraps.

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Craft Time: Crayola Art Project

September 6, 2011 · Craft Ideas

This is how we spent the Friday before Hurricane Irene. Making art work. Less than ten dollars of supplies and inspiration from Pinterest, this is a reasonably kid-friendly craft that I love because a) it has the rainbow and b) you can totally customize it to use whatever colors you want. You can coordinate it to match your kids’ rooms, or a specific theme, or do a rainbow like ours. Get creative!

With school supplies on sale, this is the perfect time of year to make this art. You will need a canvas, boxes of crayons, glue and a hair dryer. The canvas was 40% off at Michael’s for a two-pack, the crayons were 40 cents a box (I ended up using four) and the glue was $4. My grand total was $9.60 for individualized art that we could do together as a family. Which you all know is priceless, baby, priceless.

I opened up all the boxes of crayons and removed all the whites, browns, blacks, pinks, aquas and any other non-rainbow colors. Then I arranged them neatly across the top of the canvas in ROY G. BIV order, making sure the Crayola label was front and center for all of them.