Home Art Gallery

Yesterday afternoon, while Lucas was napping, I decided it was time to break out the girls' new watercolor paints and paper.  They have been asking every day (several times a day) to use them.  We spent a good hour just hanging out in the kitchen together.  The girls busy at the work of creating art and me in the kitchen whipping up some chocolate chip cookies and getting dinner started.  

I glanced over at their masterpieces drying on the dining room table and casually said, "You guys should have your own art gallery show."  The girls looked at me and said, "Ok!"  And that was that.  A simple painting session plus a simple statement sparked a totally new idea.  We got right to work.  Leah chose the gallery name ("The Family Gallery") and painted a sign.  Hannah chose the location (the hallway that leads to their bedroom) to display their works.  Together they started giving each painting a title, then signed each one personally.  I gave the girls some tape and a step stool which they immediately put into use.  Before I knew it, the hallway was full of artwork from top to bottom.  At the end, they decided that all the work on the walls looked the same (all watercolor paintings), so they pulled out some crayons and pens and did a few illustrations to show their "artistic range."  They really wanted to have the gallery ready for Daddy to view when he got home from work. 

And they achieved their goal.  When Mike walked through the door, he was met with joyful cries of enthusiastic little artists.  "Come and see what we did, Daddy!!"  He patiently walked the hallway, carefully looking at each painting and making encouraging comments.  When asked which ones he wanted to buy, he said, "All of them."  The girls were so proud of themselves.  I love it when they spend the afternoon creating and using their imagination. Who knows, maybe they will have their own sister gallery show one day?

 Getting started

 Hannah working on a "scary pumpkin" painting.

 Leah carefully beginning a rainbow

 Getting the gallery ready for opening night.  It's blurry, but I liked the effect.  They were like little tornadoes whirling around in a frenzy of hanging artwork.

 Hannah painted her foot, then turned it into a "scary monster".  She clearly had a "scary" theme going on.

 Leah's multi-colored foot.  I thought her use of white space was interesting.  She wanted to leave the other half blank.

"Candy Factory" by Hannah