So Long Chauffeuring: smallSHOP Brings Art Class to You

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So Long Chauffeuring: smallSHOP Brings Art Class to You

Peeing in private, sleeping past five. Since becoming a parent you’ve had to redefine your concept of luxury. Not having to drive across town to yet another extracurricular?   That’s practically as good as getting a massage. Which is why smallSHOP founder (and mother of two) Sage Raval brings the amenities of a fine art studio to you.  So while your mini-Monet is masterpiece making, you can use the precious downtime to get dinner on the table. Or sneak in a nap.

ART PARTY

smallSHOP ART PARTY

25 little artists painting away the afternoon. 

What a perfect way to spend a Sunday and 

our little friend's birthday. 

Colors ready and waiting...

Canvases all lined up.

Artist in action.

Happy preschoolers taking home their masterpieces. 

smallSHOP go ahead... make a book.

I love Artist’s Books!

There’s nothing like holding a handmade book and gently flipping through its pages.  Artist’s books are both intimate and completely accessible.  Making a book is a great way to record your creative thought process.  I find the assembling, measuring and constructing steps keep the left brain busy giving the creative juices in the right brain a chance to spark (did you ever notice how great ideas pop up while you’re “mindlessly” brushing your teeth or driving?)

Books can be used to sketch ideas - recording an artist’s thought process, experimentation and final refinement of an idea - or for collages or collections - the possibilities are endless!

I especially love books made by kids!  I’ve recently rediscovered a book I made back in kindergarden, I’m so glad I was encouraged to record this silly story!

Check out these other inventive handmade books that Sage found,

they are amazing!

1. Stamped Book.

2. Christina's Book from Kindergarten.

3.Example of a simple accordion book.

4.Christina's Books.

5. Mixed Paper Journal & Accordion Book

6. Fabric Book.

7. Hand-Stitched Book

8. Natalie As Is

smallSHOP gets Room-y - 3D spaces

A 3D room lesson is always a "go-to" project. 

You get serious bang for your buck!

The children are always in awe of what they can create. 

We breakdown 3D design into simple steps.

When you explain to any beginner that it is simply straight and diagonal lines, 

it makes it much less intimidating. And from then on it is practice. 

I like to talk about the way we "see" a place and then how to really "look" at it. What I mean by this is, we often times look and process by memory, "yes it is a room, I see that." But when drawing you must really LOOK at it and translate it into the simplest shapes and lines. 

Once you have created the "room" you can fill it with objects of your liking. 

Above are a few examples of a pencil sketch, chalk pastel renditions and an acrylic painting. 

I encourage you all to draw a rectangle. 

Connect each corner to the corner of your paper. Voila - a room. 

Now fill it. 

As Always, 

Have a creative day

Sage

What are you doing over Spring Break?

Come and Play with smallSHOP.

For more information contact us: hello@smallshopathome.com

Ai Wei Wei takes over Los Angeles and smallSHOP

Los Angeles County Museum recently had 

Ai Wei Wei's Zodiac Heads on display. 

After a trip with my family we thought it would be fun to explore Ai Wei Wei and a sculpture project with smallSHOP students. We began with talking about the process of sculpting and Ai Wei Wei. 

 The children first spent a day playing with 

modeling clay and sketching animal heads. 

Then chose the animal that they wanted to create. 

Using air dry clay, a dowel, a styrofoam ball and 

a IKEA vase as a base, we created the head. 

Then added texture and left it to dry. 

The following week we added color and details. 

One more day of details and voilà smallSHOP does Ai Wei Wei.

Please enjoy our young artists' sculptures. 

We certainly do!

smallSHOP is reserving dates for Spring Break and Summer Camps. 

Please contact smallSHOP if you are interested in creating your own private camp. 

hello@smallshopathome.com

A farm in Los Angeles?

My first school field trip!

Last week I was lucky to be able to visit the Leonis Adobe Museum with my daughter's 1st grade class.

To say it is a blast from the past is an understatement. It is the past!

 Tour docents wear period clothing, actors story tell and demonstrate tasks from the 1800's, like how to wash clothing, make tortillas, rope a steer and make horseshoes. The children were able to try it all. 

In addition to just being happy to be there, I was so inspired as an artist. The light was beautiful. The items, each and everyone were so delicate, rich in history and craftsmanship. 

I could have spent hours photographing this museum, which was not possible since I was in charge of 10 children and 4 were runners... so I will return to Leonis Adobe. And if you happen to be in Los Angeles, I recommend a visit to experience the past, feed the sweet animals and inspire your creative side. 

Here are a few shots that I was able to squeeze in between corralling my herd of 1st graders. 

If I could please put an order in to the general store of the 1800's I would take one of each of the below, lamb included.

And remember to please click here and vote for smallSHOP today. 

We are in the running for 1 of the top 25 creative mom blogs. 

Hello Friend! smallSHOP and cecy j team up.

Check out our interview over at cecy j.

News Flash! smallSHOP and cecy j will be teaming up. 

smallSHOP will be contributing to this incredible life and style blog. 

We put our heads together and agreed it would be fun to do a Q&A segment every month or so for “at home” art project ideas with the kids, inside tips on art, and much more! So please check in to cecy j and see what is happening over there. I check in daily and I am always inspired. 

Also, 

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR smallSHOP

If you would not mind... would you please pop over to circle of moms and vote for smallSHOP.

It takes a second and you can do it once a day. 

We would very much appreciate it!

Have a creative day!

Always, 

Sage

smallSHOP 5 and 6 years olds and their bouquets..

A simple project that is fun and easy to set up is a still life. 

A perfect Sunday project. 

Look around your home. 

Choose a few objects. 

Arrange them. 

Draw them with a pencil. 

A few hints: Draw bigger than you think you should. Draw the outline of each shape first following the shape with your eyes while your hand draws what your eye is seeing (blind contour). Do not judge it, just go for it. Celebrate the unusual shapes and strange lines that you have created. 

Finish the drawing and then add the color. Chalk pastel is fun, quick and beautiful. Spray to finish, if you do not have fixative, hair spray works and smells much nicer. Have fun!

For this still life we chose gerber daisies. 

Each child focused on their flower for the most details and then added the background with the other flowers. Our media of choice was chalk pastel. I tend to encourage a colored paper to start with, sometimes white can be a little intimidating, I find gray welcoming. 

"Hello little artist, please draw on me."

A taped edge (with painters blue tape) is a nice start and once finished, pulling the tape and seeing the clean edge allows the organic shapes to breathe while being contained in a clean box. 

As always, 

Have a creative day!

Sage

6 BOYS + 1 AFTERNOON= BIRTHDAY FILM

What do you get when you add: 

1 BIRTHDAY BOY + 5 FRIENDS + 1 1/2 HOURS?

A stop action film all their own. 

Enjoy Joe and his friend's creative film. 

Joe is interested in animation. When we were asked to join in the fun at his birthday party, we knew that smallSHOP would have to impress Joe and his guests. We brought our equipment, they brought their imaginations and in 1 1/2 hours we threw this together. 

The word on the street is that Joe watches it everyday. 

Mission Accomplished!

I am 4 and I can paint.

At smallSHOP we believe in learning our students, 

creating a nurturing and supportive environment, 

challenging them to push themselves and 

helping them find THEIR voice. 

 Sure we could teach them to copy us, that is easy, but we don't. 

We help them to find their own vision and assist them to express it. 

I just love these paintings so much!

They are by some of our younger smallSHOP artists. 

They are 4 years old. 

And they can paint a deer and puppy... their way. 

We are so proud of our littlest smallSHOP artists. 

Please check out their creations. 

Have a good day and do something creative!

Always, 

smallSHOP

If smallSHOP had a farm...

Sage's Go To Inspiration

When I am in need of a quick visual inspiration. I scroll through 

http://printpattern.blogspot.com/

The collection of fun and interesting patterns gets me thinking about what I can create with my young smallSHOP artists. While scrolling I found these florals. I am already thinking a mixed media piece is on the horizon. Block prints and india ink anyone?

Here is what they are posting and stay tuned for smallSHOP artist examples of how we were inspired. 

amy lee strachan is a qualified freelance textile designer working and living in scotland. amy works mainly for the fashion prints market creating hand drawn designs. she is currently looking for an agency or studio to help get her work to market. you can see more portfolio examples or get in touch with amy online here.

WATER as an inspiration

Little smallSHOP Artists use WATER as inspiration for their landscapes.

We discussed water and seascapes. We talked about perspective and color. 

The children were able to blend and paint freely. 

Here are their water inspirations and words to accompany the works. 

It actually sounds quite nice, "A Malibu dream; relax, surf and water."

Christina says:

 When I grow up I want to be N. C. Wyeth

What inspires our teachers?

Here is what Christina says...

1 - smallSHOP Artist, Christina Tonges

2 - "Launcelot and Guenevere" from "The Boy's King Arthur" 

3- "The Legends of Charlemagne" 

4- "Robinson Crusoe"

Growing up my father read us classic novels before bed. A favorite of mine was The Three Musketeers (I even had a hamster named after the conniving spy Milady).   My imagination was nourished by swashbuckling adventures like Robin Hood, King Arthur and Robinson Crusoe.  I loved to stare into space, inhaling the crisp muskiness of an old book, and conjure images from the narratives.  But the real thrill was arriving on one of the glossy illustrations sprinkled throughout the book.  So many of these books featured the gorgeous and compelling illustrations of N. C. Wyeth.  With a single image he captured the mood of a complex narrative.

When I first arrived in art school I was convinced that I wanted to be an illustrator.  I imagined cranking out large scale oil paintings to be later painstakingly color matched and faithfully reproduced by master lithographers.  My rude awakening came in the first week of Illustration 101 where we crosshatched the shadows in our little pen and ink cartoons.  I realized that, yes, I wanted to be an illustrator but unfortunately I wanted to be the kind of  illustrator that has been extinct for the last century.

Carrying the torch of Wyeth draftsmanship and genius Andrew Wyeth, the son of N. C., became one of the most famous painters of the 20th century with paintings like "Christina's World."  Jamie Wyeth, N. C.'s grandson, is still capturing true to life nuances in his breathtaking paintings.

5 - "freyja"-Christina Tonges, 2011

My childhood wouldn't have been complete without these illustrations and 

I think they speak to the adventurer in all of us.

What is inspiring you? 

2012

Stop action holiday greeting by 7th graders made in 1 hour.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Happy Holidays from all of us at smallSHOP.
Please enjoy a quick stop action holiday greeting by our talented students.
See you all in 2012

smallSHOP on HGTV - Clip

We were lucky enough to be asked by the darling Emily Henderson to help create a tree topper for her HGTV Holiday TV Special. Please watch as we, very quickly, demonstrate how to make a one of a kind tree topper. We hope that you enjoy it.
Best Wishes,
Sage and smallSHOP

December has arrived.

Mono-print by 8 year old.

It is December!

Happy Holiday Season from all of us at smallSHOP