Fine Motor Friday, Part 19: Butterflies

FRIDAY!! FINE MOTOR FRIDAY!!!! 

FINE MOTOR MEETS FINE ARTS!!!!

Welcome or welcome back!
This is installment #19 in the series!

Let's take a look this week at butterflies. 

Let's get started in preschool!!

The proverbial 'blotto' experiment. 

This time using sponges to apply the paint. 

These kiddos liked the dab-it-method. 

Sometimes combining the 'swoop' method.

Now let's move from the stamping of sponges

to more open-ended fine motor work.

We're still in preschool. 

Believe it or not this curlie-cue butterfly

was on a preschool bulletin board! 

That's a lot of fine motor development, little one!

Oh, you gifted + talented amazing one.

Now let's move on to Kindergarten...........

This photo above is from my WonderBoy's spring kindergarten journal. 

He's been a gradual convert to pencil + paper projects. 

I LUV watching him realize that his circles and ovals have power.....

power to connect and create images. 

This is an amazing step forward in his personal fine motor capability.

Next up are oodles of kindergarten butterflies from a spring quilt:

made in honor of my Artist-in-the-Schools visit. 

(My picture books illustration's are quilted images.)

We know that there's lots of 'creeping' in fine motor development. 

Lots of creeping proceeds the flying. 

This next 'long-legged' creeper is from a first grader. 

Tissue paper on tissue paper. 

Glorious 'sun-catcher' of sorts. 

Just makes me smile ear-to-ear.

Lots of caterpillars creeping. 

Crawling. 

Inching along. 

Baby steps. 

Creeping. 

Smidgins. 

Earth bound.

Laborious.

Creeping. Creeping. Creeping. 

Then suddenly, in a blink. 

Taking flight: 

Soaring! 

I seriously think that butterfly could be featured on a greeting card. 

In fact I think Halmark cards would do well to hire these first grade artists on consignment. 

Wouldn't this make a glorious boxed set of note cards? 

All of these tissue paper creations are observations from my 

Author Illustrator School Visit. 

Scioto Darby Elementary was literally covered in student artwork. 

Every wall. Every bulletin board. Every window!

The morning sun shining through made these sing!! 

SPRING ART SHOW!! 

So this week we started with lots of FINE ARTS. 

Let's segway back to the fine motor development that provides the fine arts foundation.

I LUV making my 

Author Illustrator School visits. 

Even more? 

I LUV LUV LUV the feedback I receive. 

Especially the handwritten sentiments.

Sometimes I am inspired to get more exercise by the children's expressed perceptions.

This week I'll leave you with my own 'Halmark' card. 

Created from the emerging butterflies............ 

I hope that you'll pin this image. 

It could bring someone else in pin-landia a smile that they need. 

--Debbie--

You can find all of the earlier articles in this continuing series by clicking right here:

FINE MOTOR FRIDAYS

I started the week with an amazing collections of photos of an UPcycled colossal mural that features butterflies. 

You owe it to yourself to go take a look. 

Click here for that link. 

-- Debbie --

This article has been linked at Discover + Explore

Summer Dreams: Sunshine-Ray Writing

IT'S SUMMER!! OFFICIALLY SUMMER!!!
What hopes do you have for this season? 
Plans? Have you made a bucket list? 
How about a ray of sunshine list?
Take a look at these 'bucket list' sunny writings from first graders:

• Pool
• Zoo
• Field trip
• Bike 
• Baseball
• Picnic
• Beach
• Mom
• barefoot (LUV this one personally!!!)
• birthday
• ice

How clever is this idea? What a great project for that last week of school. 
These sunshine plans would look awesome on a bulletin board once they dry!!

These were laying on the desks, while I went classroom crashing at Sutter Park during my Author Illustrator School Visit. I think all of the first graders were outside for recess -- while I snapped away with my trusty Canon. LUV LUV LUV how simple these are, yet how insightful. 

Here's a couple of sunny collages assembled by preschool children with special needs: fluffies and stickers bring the sunny forms to life. These were on the drying rack up in Bryan, OH and I have a feeling that they were probably going to be painted next.

Now take a look at this amazing handwritten thank-you  SUNSHINE mural!! 
This collaboration is from my kindergarten buddies at my own WonderBoy's elementary school following my 'sunny' visit in their midst. 
It was huge-huge-huge!!!

I told you before that Mrs. Davis is an OVER achiever. Remember she's the one with those awesome beginning of the year and end of the year letters and photo keepsake. That article is now in my Top 10 list. Thank you Mrs. Davis. [Click here for the direct link.] My WonderPeeps call me GeeGee. So you see that reference above from WonderBoy's peers. I got a special tickle from that one! Yeah school visits!!!


Here's a couple of sunshine ideas that I've had up here previously. These two are already in the Beach round-up, but I think they deserve to be housed here as well. 

Sunshine Paintings from Preschool

This one is simply a CLASSIC + deserves seeing the light-of-day. ENJOY!!

Classic Preschool Painted Footprint Sunshine

 

So what about you? What's on your sunshine bucket list? 

Summer time bucket fun!!!

-- Debbie --

What if? Now what? How?

WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY!!!!

What if you woke up to learn your dream had begun construction? 

What if you received word that a long awaited brain-storm was taking shape? 

How would you go about this day.....
 if your seedlings suddenly sprouted right before your very eyes? 

How do you keep the zest in your day?
Where do you get your inspiration?
What brings a project to fruition?
Baby steps!!
HOPE!!!

What important journey can you plot and nurture? 

How do you move your idea to fruition? 

BABY STEPS!!!

Where do you store your dreams?

Keeping your spark alive is the key! 

Following your passion is paramount!

Believing in yourself is critical!!

Knowing the worth of your contribution is vital!!!

Educator, Camp Counselor, Creative Genius, Parent, Librarian, Author: 

Believe in the steadfast value of your efforts.

Know the significance of your contribution.  

Your work is so critical. 

So important. 

We need everyone to nurture that unique spark --

the spark that makes you twinkle. 

The spark that makes you sing-out-loud! 

We've got to be willing to take some risks. 

Stretch our comfort zones. 

Think outside the box. 

Swim in the deep end. 

Keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

We need our big girl panties. 

We need to nurture our dreams even in the drought. 

We're woven together. 

We're on the same team:

Team children.

Team creativity. 

Team literacy.  

We're all connected!!

• Thank the people who have nurtured your seedlings, tended your growth and supervised your dreaming.
•  Express your appreciation to those who have blazed the trail. 
• Know that there are bright lights paving your progress. 
• The world awaits your unique contribution: BRING IT! 

Tell the people in your world how proud you are of their efforts. Mr. Rogers used to  send letters and postcards daily that he concluded with the simple phrase, "I'm proud of you." Talk about a gold star! Mr Rogers? Proud of me? That's a letter to treasure!!!


Who needs such affirmation in your circle of influence? Is there someone waiting that you could assure with some simple words: "I think you're wonderful. I think you're marvelous." Maybe you could sing them a song?

Folks. It's really a WONDERFUL Wednesday. 

The kind that brings a smile to my toes. 

The kind that puts some spring in my step + hope in my heart.

These are the longest days of the year!!! 

What are you doing that will make a difference next year? 

What can you start today that will brighten the lives of others? 

What seeds can you sow? 

Begin it now. 

Get started. 

Go!!!!

-- Debbie --

Tuesday Tutorial: Lori Beringer Plein Air Painting

Welcome to Door County. Haven for the Arts. 
Our little summer place is home for all things connected to the creative process. One of my favorite things about our 'peninsular-life'? The numerous opportunities to watch and learn from such capable and engaging personalities through the season. 


Take a look over my shoulder as I look over the shoulder of master-teacher, Lori Beringer. Here she is just getting underway and has blocked in an 'under-painting' that will add depth to her finished work. 



We are in the glorious gardens of the Fine Line Gallery, where Lori has been seduced by the shadows playing across the cinder-like path as it leads up to the peonies in full bloom. I have had the great, good fortune to watch Lori paint from summer-to-summer. I LUV her train-of-thought narration as she works in oil paints. 

I have become something of a "Lori-groupie" and have carried her backpack and other gear for the annual Plein Air Festival in the past. She knows she can count on me for enthusiasm, interest and an honest opinion. 


Enjoy watching her painting come to life, from the earthen under-painting, thru her laying in of the basic forms and shadows all the way to the afternoon's completion of effort. 

As is my typical manner, I have invited Lori to come bunk-in with us should she ever have a few days in her calendar and be looking for the great blue sky vistas available along the glorious bay of Green Bay. I know she'd be delighted if you had time to check out her website. If you're intrigued with the line-up for the rest of the artist demonstrations at Fine Line Gallery you're just one click away from their schedule. 

Hearing Lori work 'out loud' is always informational as well as inspirational. I'd have been clever to take a picture of her whole set up. She has a series of umbrella's to protect her from the sun's heat. She backs up frequently to take a look from a distance -- as her goal is to 'draw you into the work' from across the room. Makes me want to invest in some oil paint and empty canvas. How about you? What's on your bucket list for summer? For me, this season is the perfect opportunity to breathe on the creative channel.

-- Debbie --