Coloring is the New Black...and Orange, and Pink, and Blue...

I remember coloring in the basement of my aunt's house in New Jersey with my cousins as a child. We all had the same Casper coloring book, and despite the mostly adult party going on all around us, we were in our own very happy colorful world, creating, and feeling great.

My images were boldly outlined, then colored in with a lighter hand. My sister loved brights and it made her pictures eye-catching and fun. A cousin didn't follow any type of guidelines--her own or any other--her trees may have been pink and the sky possibly purple.

The point of telling this is just that we all had a great time, we all did a different version of the same picture, no pressure, and it was awesome.

We spent time together, kind of like a youngster version of a quilting circle. No one had to entertain or impress anyone...we just did our thing. Sometimes we cracked jokes, sometimes we chatted about our lives, and sometimes we said nothing. We were just together.

I think this is missing in the world today.

We get together, but there is a lot of social climbing, and fancy Pinterest table setting, and fancier recipes than I could ever cook. I miss getting together just for the sake of getting together...nothing fancy...and I think coloring is helping us do just that.

Yes, it is a digital world, but it is a good thing here. We find groups on Facebook or Instagram, or follow our favorite artists and find other like-minded colorists.

The world is a crazy place right now, and coloring is a gentle place to sit, create, and be yourself. 

I think we all have an artist inside. Picasso said all children are artists, and the problem is how to remain one once we grow up. Coloring books take the pressure out of art. Many get canvas confusion...when they look at a blank page or canvas they don't even know where to start. When we color, someone has started the canvasfor us, and a little of the steam is released so we are free to just go for it and have fun.

Some see a therapist, some meditate, some do yoga. I think we are seeing a new way to relax...and that is coloring.

xo

Join my Facebook group if you like...coloring friends abound!

Click here to join in!  

Yes! You CAN Make Money as an ARTIST and Be Happy

We all want our children to be happy and successful. We want to give them every opportunity and help them find the "thing" that they were made to do.

Many are especially happy if their children decide to become something professional, like a doctor or a lawyer. Getting into finances is smiled upon by many because it is assumed a good living will be made. 

Then there are the careers that parents are not thrilled about. There are plenty I do not have to mention, but sadly some of them are in the field of the arts. 

The term starving artist certainly came from somewhere, but happily a passion for the arts does not mean your child will be destitute and destined to live in your house until they get a real job.

Here are some jobs in the art field that make a very good living:

Graphic Artist - The average yearly income for a graphic artist is over $46,000. 

Fine Artist - All told, illustrators, sculptors, photographers, and painters made an average of $53,200 per year. (According to Google, if you live in Delaware you will hit the jackpot in this field, earning over $133,000.) Not bad.

Video Game Designer - Many hate that their kids are fascinated by video games. They should not feel too bad if their child decides they want to design these games for a living because the average salary for someone designing these attention-grabbers is almost $87,000 a year. 

Book Illustrators - Do your kids doodle all over everything? GOOD. If they decide they want to illustrate books for a living they can earn $53,000 a year or more. Medical illustrators make even more, starting at $61,000, and some making upwards of $250,000. 

Courtroom Illustrator - For those interesting in law AND art, earning $42,000 to be a courtroom illustrator is the perfect answer.

Storyboarding - Almost all films are made using a storyboard artist to plan the shots before filming. Film storyboarders can expect to earn over $84,000 a year, those in advertising around $64,000.

And there are more. Fashion illustrators, comic book artists, forensic artists, architect, tech designer, car designer, special effects expert, potter, jeweler, playground or golf course designer, landscape architect, art directors, and clothing designers can all make wonderful livings, and the list goes on.

So have no fear if your son or daughter decides on the arts, have no fear. Help them out by showing them websites dedicated to the arts, taking them to museums, or local shows. Even if you are not an artist yourself you can ask about their interests and find out about what they love.

Following a dream to a career is one of the most fulfilling things that can happen to a person. According to Maslow it is a peak experience. The ones that support and assist and help these dreams come true are real life angels.

So let them be artists--in fact help them become artists. Because we all know the EARTH without ART is just...eh.

xo

Make a Picture Like Eric Carle ~ Kids Can Create a Picture Collage

The illustrations in The Very Hungry Caterpillar seem to capture the attention of almost every young child.

Simple yet complex, they are colorful and eye-catching.

Recreating the look is fun and easy for any child who is old enough to use a pair of scissors.

What you'll need:

Several sheets of white paper

One sheet of thicker white paper or board

Watercolor paints or markers

Paint brushes

White glue

Scissors

First, decide what you are going to draw. Feel free to copy my bears, but if you want to draw mice, or bugs, or your family you can.

Then paint several colors of watercolor on the regular paper. The colors can overlap, they can be in patterns, white areas are fine...basically you can't make a mistake. 

To give the colors even more texture, after the first layer dries choose a different color and make lines or dots. Crinkling up another small sheet of paper or paper towel and dipping it in the paint will create nice textures when softly touched on top of another color.

Using your paintbrush for texture is fun too. When the paint is almost used up on the brush it feels a bit dry and breaks up into sections. Without wetting the brush, dip it into a color and lightly go over another color on the page for a cool lined effect.

I did one page of my first layer of paint in browns and blacks because I wanted to make some trees. To get the spots, dip the brush in black paint, then brush your finger so the paint is kind of flicked off onto the paper. If your brush is too soft, hold the brush over the paper and lightly tap the finger of your other hand so little speckles drop off onto your page. (This method can be a bit messier.)

After your pages have dried, begin cutting shapes.

For my picture, I needed three ovals, three circles, for the bears heads and bodies, three very long rectangles for tree trunks in brown, several shorty skinny rectangles for tree branches, and many leaves cut out from all the different colors I painted. I also made six little arms, six little legs, and six little ears, and one big oval in green that will be a patch of grass. I also cut out a butterfly from some of the scraps and some very long curved triangles for grass. (The butterfly is made from two B shapes.)

Please feel free to make your trees, leaves and bears ANY color you like. Don't feel limited to the edges of the paper--go out of the lines!

Now start to glue the pieces you cut any way you like. You can see within the cut out pieces how the white spaces, speckles, squiggles, and paint splashes all add to the texture and charm of the picture. You can copy mine or create your own. I hope I see some mice, cats, dogs, wolves, monkeys, or anything else you can think of.

Send me any of your completed work--I'd love to show it off here!

Have fun!!

xo

Artsy Back to School Stained Glass Bookmark for Teacher

Summer went by too fast!

Bring a tiny bit of artsy fun into the classroom with a back to school bookmark for the teacher.

For this craft you will need:

Elmer's (or similar) glue

Colored Sharpies

Thick paper or cardboard in color of your choice

Clear plastic sheet

First cut out a long book mark shape from the paper.

It can be any shape you like, curvy, swervy, a flower, a lightning bolt, or a rectangle. Just use your imagination and have fun.

Cut a window in the paper.

Using the paper bookmark as a guide, cut the clear plastic slightly smaller than the bookmark.

Now make any type of stained glass design with the Sharpies that you choose. Flowers, shapes, even just one or two colors looks great. 

If you are using white paper or cardboard you can color it with the Sharpies too.

Take the glue and put a thin line around the clear plastic when you have finished coloring, and glue it on the window.

Viola! You have a beautiful stained glass bookmark lovely enough to grace any book.

Have so much fun and please show me the bookmark that you and your kids create.

Email to dealenihan @gmail.com.

XO

You Love 'Em But You Need a Break!

We love our kids.

We love 'em when they are tiny and helpless and rely on us for everything. Then they get a bit bigger and we think we are going to get a bit more time to ourselves because someone said that kids can "play on their own" more as they get older. Their attention spans expand and they can entertain themselves.

Well--no.

When they start to talk and that brain fires left, right and sideways with all the rapid growing they are doing, their favorite thing to say will be MOM.

Or Ma, Momma, Mommy, or Mum.

The first time you hear Mama out of those teeny bow lips will be one of the most memorable days in your life. 

Fast forward a year. 

They will use it hundreds of times a day.

And it will still be wonderful to be a mom. But there will also be times you want to pull your hair out of your head. 

You are the first person that means everything to them--but that does not mean that you should let yourself go insane.

You will feel like no one can care for your child as well as you can--and you are right. No one will have that incredible connection. And that is FINE. 

They need to get out in the world a bit, experience new things, and have some fun--just like you do. 

It does not have to be every day, but often enough that you have something to look forward to every week. Get a manicure--or get together with a friend and give each other mani/pedis. Stop at Starbucks on the way home for a treat, and have a probably much needed free girlfriend therapy session. Or simply go somewhere and read--ALONE.

It does not really matter what you do, as long as you fill your tank when the fuel gets low.

They tell you on a plane if (GOD FORBID) the oxygen masks fall that you should take care of yourself before any children.

It's the same thing--you are no good for anyone--including yourself--if you have nothing to give.

So go out and fill your tank. Have some fun. Then spread that sunshine around.

Come back on Wednesday--I will have a craft for the kids for these last few days of summer.

XO

Kid Magic

When we are young almost everything we experience is touched with a bit of magic.

The first-ness of our moments adds wonder and beauty to the most simple things. Glimpses of our day, like a butterfly gliding through our wisteria, feel as if they are visited by a Disney fairy godmother when we are little.

A walk through grandpa's garden is Narnia to the preschool set, and more rich and poignant than any CGI filled movie you could pay for.

But the lives of our little ones are chock-full of busy-ness. From homework in kindergarten to pee wee sports practice, our kid's lives are hectic. 

Reading and art allow children to slow down, to do something calming and centering. Unbeknownst to them, while they are munching along with Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar or roaring with the terrible beasts in Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, they are expanding their imaginations and increasing their literacy skills.

If they can't read yet themselves, they sit with a loved one, experiencing closeness and developing an ability for meaningful discussions.

When given a paint brush and a blank canvas, children are allowed to expand their consciousness and develop creative and open-minded thinking. It awakens their senses and helps with problem solving skills. You do not have to tell them art is timeless, they delve into the moment and are somehow connected with the self-expression that has been part of humanity since the dawn of time. 

Appreciation of art and literature starts young, and happily they have no idea they are learning. Children have the special ability to have nothing attached to what they are doing--they are creating art or reading simply because they love it. There is no agenda attached to their creativity. They go with the flow, a gift that Picasso spoke about when he said "All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist as we grow up." The magic in their completely un-self-conscious creativity allows them to be wholly in the moment, something we as adults can have a hard time with.

Our kids grow up so fast. Our days are filled with bills, cleaning, cooking, and a whole lot of reality. We are focused on test-taking in school and a very one sided IQ score that is probably decent at grading one's general knowledge base.

But what about creativity? What about those kids who are notoriously considered square pegs simply because the current system disallows for square holes?

The magic of childhood is lovely, and it would be nice to stretch at least some of that Abracadabra into our adult lives. 

Reading and art are two examples of wizardry that seamlessly moves with us as we grow. Along with the obvious advantages of reading to kids when they are young and allowing them to create unguided art, these bewitching gifts stick--they are endless presents of love that happily never have to end.

I'd love to know of any books or forms of art you loved as a child, and what made them special to you.

xo Dea

Make a FINGERPRINT MATERPIECE!

Today is a great day to get out the paints and make a beautiful picture with FINGERPRINTS!

All you need is watercolor or acrylic paint--and fingers :) Just dip you finger into the paint and press onto paper. You can do just one or dozens. Make bugs, animals, monsters, or anything else you can dream of.

Contact me when you are done and I will post them HERE.

HAVE FUN!!

WHO LIKES TO COLOR?!

Happy Katie!!

Do you know a kid who likes to color?

They can join the Out of This World Coloring Club on Facebook! We aren't judging here--we have a few moms who are having a great time coloring our pictures too--but they are not eligible for the prizes during our fun contests--sorry moms!! (Click here for link https://www.facebook.com/groups/478108415587906/?fref=ts )

Jamie's awesome egg!

Pictures from the Out of This World Coloring Book Series are featured--and they have been AWESOME. We have had a striped bunny, a purple haired, candy loving girl named Francine, and a sneaky robot featured on our pages!

There are contests to win, pictures to color, and pages where you can find art drawn by YOU.

The last contest was during Easter, and Francine and the Spy Bunny was featured. The next coloring book will be PENELOPE'S GARDEN, and will feature a spell-casting witch and her friend Heather who can only talk in rhyme.

Penelope and Heather thinking about a spell.

I can't wait until the book is published so I can see all of your work.

I will post a new and printable cartoon to color every week--see on the right column under pages.

I hope you all have fun!!

See you at the club!

XO Dea



Taelor colored a terrific striped bunny :)



Coloring some special eggs.

JP was the grand prize winner of the last contest. Congratulations!!


JOIN HERE!

 https://www.facebook.com/groups/478108415587906/?fref=ts

Even GROWN-UPS Love to Color!




The Easter season is upon us!

Chocolate bunnies, chicks, Peeps, jelly beans and especially colored eggs made the holiday very exciting for us as kids.

I had, and STILL have, an affinity for the egg coloring. Putting the fizzy little concentrated color tablet in the cup of vinegar, boiling the eggs, and drawing on the eggs with a white crayon to block out certain areas while the eggs cool still makes me happy. I could make the eggs look any way I chose--and they were usually NOT your run-of-the-mill Easter images. Funny faces, space-scapes, or little monsters were more par for the course.

Nothing has changed much--I still color eggs, but now I also have a COLORING BOOK with eggs YOU and YOUR CHILDREN can color.

Francine and the Super Spy Bunny Super Coloring Book is also a story about a candy loving girl who gets all her Easter wishes granted by a mysterious laser-eyed bunny. Is the Easter Bunny a robot?? Color your way to the truth!! HAPPY COLORING! :)

Please join our SPY BUNNY COLORING GROUP and post your child's art from SPY BUNNY! Kids LOVE to see their masterpieces displayed in our Facebook Museum :)  Click here to enter and win a copy of the upcoming coloring book, PENELOPE'S GARDEN.  https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/478108415587906/

No purchase necessary to enter. Email penelopecrowe@hotmail.com for a free coloring page for entry.

Does Your Child's Name Prejudice How They Are Perceived?

My name is Dea.

Although it seems that every rhyme of this name is currently popular, Mia, Gia, Leah, Pia, and even Priya on the Big Bang Theory, when I was a kid no one had a name like mine.

Part of me loooved the name because it was different and kind of exotic sounding compared to the three Lisas in my class and the four Kathys.

But on the other side of the coin I don't think anyone pronounced my name correctly.  Ever.

People asked me what it meant, if it was a nickname, if it was short for Deanna, Deborah, or Deena.  My father-in-law called me Delia, Donna, and Deebrah (rhymes with zebra), but I have never heard him call me Dea--he calls me honey now.  I still don't think he knows my name.

My name is different and I cannot say I was ever considered ordinary--and I do think names can have an affect on the way we are perceived, and possibly the way we think of ourselves.

The dentists where I grew up were Dr. Payne (oh dear) and Dr. Gold (fillings?).

The music teacher in my grammar school was Mr. Musik!

And I'm sure there are times when the name does not represent you at ALL--like Madonna.

Certain names do carry specific connotations.  For instance Katherine is presumed to be more successful and possibly more wealthy than Brianna. And stars seem to corner the market on odd names.  Read about the study here:

http://hotword.dictionary.com/names/

Stars can also influence the popularity of names.

Right now the number one girl's name is Isabella, most certainly after the Twilight series, followed by Emma and Olivia.  Jacob, another Twilight character, is the most popular boys name, followed by Ethan, and the ever-popular Michael.

I have heard some interesting names over the years:  Moon Unit, Pilot Inspector, Dweezle, Apple, Hiawatha, Huckleberry, Minty, and Celery.  And the list goes on and on.

Dea is unusual, but I never thought it was bad.  I wonder how Blue Ivy, North West and Apple will feel about their names in a few years...I would love to ask them.

Francine and the Super Pet Spy Bunny--Available Today on Amazon!!

I am thrilled to announce that my first book with Ted E. Beans Press is availabe in digital and book form through Amazon.  Just in time for Easter!!

Will Francine figure out where the six foot chocolate bunny in her room came from?

Is the Easter bunny running around in Lemon County?

Does Francine's crabby older sister actually like Hello Puppy! lip gloss?

All this and more in Francine and the Super Pet Spy Bunny!!

Out of This World Tales

Is your Easter basket from the Easter bunny--or a Super Spy Bunny that escaped from the Robots and Technology lab?

Can a spell be cast on a witch--by Merlin?

Where has Santa been--and why is he coated with glowing dust?

All these questions can be answered in OUT OF THIS WORLD TALES, a slightly supernatural, sometimes holiday themed, and always fun series of books for kids.  They are perfect for children who are six to nine years old and reading--but not quite ready for chapter books. 

Although not picture books, Out of This World Tales are sprinkled with whimsical drawings to enhance the interest of the story.

These books will take your child into space, into haunted houses, to the moon, and more.  Written to grab kid's attention and never let go, Out of This World Tales are fun, silly, and filled with adventure.

FRANCINE AND THE SUPER PET SPY BUNNY available at Amazon through Ted E. Beans Press on March 20.

Already on Amazon:  THE MOON IS NO PLACE FOR A GHOST--A story about ghostly friends who are looking for a home that is not haunted by people, and at the same time being chased by goblins who are trying to throw them in Otherworld Jail.  Read if their friend Penelope can help--or if they will spend eternity behind bars!

http://www.amazon.com/Place-Ghost-World-Tales-ebook/dp/B005XT33FW