….mesmorized
Wordless Wednesday (one word) – January 12, 2022
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Tag Archives: granddaughter
Painting With an Almost Two Year Old
…using watercolour
Over the holidays our granddaughter from England came for a visit with her parents. When Winnie, our first granddaughter was very young I used to frequently see how much direction she would take when we did art together and I was always surprised at how much she would remember from one visit to the next. As she got older she wanted to be the one giving directions and we had to follow her lead when we did art together.
On this recent trip, Sevin’s parents asked me if I would do watercolour with her. It was a medium that up to this point they hadn’t tried with her. I wasn’t sure if she was old enough but I thought nothing ventured, nothing gained so after spending a week with us and becoming more and more comfortable with us we set up a painting station on the dining room table. Mama and Papa went out for a walk and Sevin and I started the painting process. We taped down the paper and I tried to teach her how to wet the brush and dip it into the paint. She loved making puddles on the paper and seeing how the colours reacted with each other. I talked about how red and blue make purple (two colours she gravitated to the most) and how we should clean the brushes between colours. It didn’t always work but when one painting was done I quickly removed it from the board and taped down a new piece of paper. We did this as least five times.
While we painted, her grandfather came along and joined us. It was a real family affair. After some of the paintings dried I showed Sevin how to add more marks to the painting, using crayons. She has a nice swirl technique that she added to one of the paintings and it ended up being the painting we matted and will probably frame. When her parents returned from their walk they were most impressed with what Sevin had accomplished and I think they may try this when they get back to London.
Sculpture Saturday – Taking in Art at the AGO Before the Lockdown
…last Tuesday, Brendan, Sevin and I decided to go to the AGO
When I booked the tickets I knew that Tuesday would be the last day before another lockdown here in Ontario. Frankly I was quite surprised at how many people had the same idea, especially since it was a Tuesday and many people were back to work, mostly remotely, but none the less there was a bit of a line-up to get in even with timed tickets.
I really wanted to see Picasso’s Blue Period but Sevin was not really into this show so we walked through quickly. Hopefully I can go back when the lockdown is lifted.
One of my favourite areas of the AGO is the Galleria Italia with its floor to ceiling windows and beautiful wooden arched beams. I thought Sevin would enjoy this more and of course she found a seat to sit in right away. Since COVID the cafe in the galleria is closed and the tables have been removed. In its place a number of bronze sculptures are prominently displayed.
Pull Up a Seat at the ROM With Sevin
….thanks to XingFu Mama for hosting Pull Up a Seathttps://xingfumama.blog/2021/12/31/pull-up-a-seat-photo-challenge-2021-week-53/
Last week my son and I, along with my granddaughter took a car ride to the Royal Ontario Museum. My son really wanted to see the Photography exhibit and I knew that Sevin would be less than impressed. I was, however quite surprised when I saw how easily she amused herself. It wasn’t the photos that caught her attention but the chairs that were placed throughout the exhibit.
Life in Colour – Hints of Gold
….thanks to Jude from Travel Words for hosting Life in Colour https://traveltalk.me.uk/2021/09/22/life-in-colour-84/
From the golden hour to yellow golds to autumn golds and even a touch of gold in a painting and my granddaughters gold sweater…..
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Blue
….thanks to Cee for hosting the Fun Foto Challenge https://ceenphotography.com/2021/08/03/cffc-blue/
Sunday Stills – Celebrating National Pets and Kids Day
….not sure if this is strictly an American thing but thanks to Terri Webster Schrandt for hosting Sunday Stills https://secondwindleisure.com/2021/04/25/sunday-stills-celebrating-pets-and-kids/
After doing a little research I did discover that today, April 26th is recognized as National Pets and Kids Day in the U.S. It is intended to raise awareness of the importance of picking the right pet for children at the right time. It’s an important decision that can lead to a lifetime of bonding between pet and child.
We have been pet owners for over 30 years. Our first pet, other than gold fish, was a golden retriever followed by a second golden. They were great dogs to have around children. When the kids grew up we adopted a mutt who instantly became my husband’s dog. Our daughters both became dog owners when they set up their own homes and our son who has moved about Europe for the last 15 years is sans a pet.
Bright Side of Life
…thanks to Becky B for hosting BrightSquarehttps://beckybofwinchester.com/2021/04/12/bright-square-12/
Children always see the bright side of most situations. Rain….that means puddles….that means getting on your rain boots, or not, and jumping into the water to make the biggest splash possible.
Thanks to my daughter and son-in-law for the last two photos that I’ve posted to BrightSquare. When I do get to see my granddaughter she always wears a mask and stays a least six feet away. Got my first vaccine yesterday and hope that in two to three weeks we can see each other again. Right now the whole province is in lockdown again.
Bright Eyed and Minus One More Tooth
…thanks to Becky B for hosting BrightSquare https://beckybofwinchester.com/2021/04/11/bright-square-11/
Luckily Dad helped extract this tooth before she swallowed it. Not sure what the tooth fairy would have done if that had happened. As you can see my granddaughter is pretty pleased with herself.
An Unexpected Collection of Birdhouses
….on our walk this past week we came across this colourful collection hanging from the trees along the edge of the creek
Early into our walk I notice a flash of colour up ahead and as we got closer we noticed dozens of brightly painted birdhouses hanging from some of the smaller trees next to the creek. You could tell that a few were done by adults but the majority had to be done by children. I figured that some enterprising class from one of the neighbourhood schools did this as a spring project to beautify the neighbourhood and provide nesting areas for some of the smaller birds.
I was so impressed with these tiny feeders and birdhouses that I promptly went to the dollar store to buy some for my granddaughter. I also bought some small clear containers which I filled with craft paint and a variety of paint brushes. At home I put a prime coat of white paint on two of the houses and then packed everything into a gift bag. On Saturday we did a drive by visit in Hamilton to drop off our Easter candy and this special bag. Winnie was so excited that she wanted to start painting right away. When we got home her mom sent us photos of the ‘finished’ projects. I’m not sure if she’s going to add more detail but she’s pretty pleased with the way they’ve turned out.
Mama Cormier 