Art in August #20 – Kingfisher Doodle

Doodle kingfisher

I spent most of the day at the park today. We haven’t been once this holiday and, as the kids were playing nicely, I tried to work out why. Then I remembered that even walking from the car and sitting on a bench for an hour would have exhausted me a week ago. Let’s hope our three-hour visit today means I’m getting better.

Daughter also went into her holiday club without tears today, making me very proud. I got to have a couple of hours with my son on his own for the first time in weeks and, I admit, it was nice. I love my children equally, but I fight less with my son and we see the world more the same way.

I’m hoping a little bit of one-on-one might curb the increase in tantrums, too, though I doubt it. If it fixed his new habit of going to the toilet every ten minutes (and I mean every ten minutes…) I’d be ecstatic. I’m taking him to the docs about it later in the week, but I’m 99% certain it’s psychological. When you and your hubbie have a history of mental health issues, even little hiccups like that can be frightening. I dread my children ending up on meds too.

Anyway, I did some doodles at the park and while the kids were eating ice cream in the Kingfisher Cafe, and this was my favourite.

Art in August #19 – Neon Rothko

Neon Rothko

Today was all about my little girl growing up and being brave so I thought I’d do some doodles based on her old class name, Rothko. Much like any abstract art, this was much harder than the end result would suggest, especially as you get a different colour with every tap when using the KidsDoodle app.

I don’t know much about art – I only studied it to age 16 at school and we didn’t cover art history – which always comes as a shock/disappointment to people when they find out I paint but haven’t heard of their favourite artist. A bit like when you study history at uni and everyone assumes you can answer any pub quiz question regardless of time period. Or like being a writer and having people say, ‘will I have heard of you?’ when you tell them what you do. Anyway, I digress.

At my daughter’s school, all tutor groups are named after famous artists and I’ve heard of only a handful. Thankfully she’s in Picasso next year although I only realised I was telling her how to spell it wrong when we parked next to a Citroen Picasso at the supermarket (I’d guessed at one s and two cs).

‘Blue, Red, And Green’

However, as it happens, I had heard of Rothko before it became my daughter’s tutor group. Ironically I found out who he was several years ago, via an analyst I used to work with, who asked me to paint a Rothko replica. I wouldn’t, because he was paying me, and that felt wrong, but my style isn’t a million miles away from Rothko so I did something in the spirit of the picture he was after, after Googling who on earth Rothko was.

I have to say, I do love Rothko’s style. Deceptively simple and incredibly soothing. I’d have them on my wall.

So, today, for my daughter who went to holiday club, despite dreading it for weeks, and didn’t hide under the table (as threatened), and stopped sobbing and screaming almost as soon as I left (I thought she would, but it’s still hard leaving a near-hysterical child), and who came out three hours later all smiles, this is for you. Mummy’s twenty-first century interpretation of Rothko’s ‘Blue, Red and Green’.

Art in August #6 – More iPad Doodles

Olaf

Today’s art is more KidsDoodle pictures, but this time observational sketches rather than doodles.

I quite like the random effect of the colours, having a different colour for each new stroke, because I’m normally so controlling. It’s more like doing abstract paintings than pencil sketches. Great fun. I’ve even paid the 69p to remove the advert bar! 🙂

I think Olaf is my favourite, although I like the sketch of my daughter watching TV too, and the colourful dog sketches, because our dog is actually black. The best thing about the app is you can replay your drawing as a video. As a wannabe artist, being able to watch how the drawing took shape, one line at a time, is fascinating. I also watched the videos of some of my daughter’s sketches, which was pretty cool.

Expect to see more iPad Art this month, especially as I still feel wrung out. Besides, anything I can do on the iPad instead of surfing Facebook and checking for Amazon sales and reviews is a good thing.

This post is part of Art in August as mentioned on the Laptop on the Ironing Board blog.

Little girl

Little boy

Sleeping Dog

Rainbow Kara

Watching TV

Art in August #5 – IPad Art

Doodle Dragon

I’m still sick. I don’t even know what’s wrong with me. Maybe I’m just plain exhausted, although if that’s true only a quarter of the way through the summer holidays we’re all in trouble.

I stayed in bed for a couple of hours but after the fifth, “both of you get in here right now!” in response to the escalating squabbles that seems to have marked week two of the holidays, I hauled myself into the shower and took us off to the supermarket to buy popcorn and DVDs.

The trip out finished me off, so I lay on the sofa while the kids watched Angry Birds Toons and Elmo goes to Grouchland (their choices, sigh.)

I didn’t even have the energy for reading or loombands, but every time I lay down both kids piled on me for a cuddle (which, if you don’t have 3 and 5 year-old children, is a bit like the judo I watched in the Commonwealth Games).

Doodle Firebird

So I decided to do my August Art on the iPad, using the children’s KidsDoodle app. Oh my, it’s amazing. My fingers are big and clumsy – I really needed a stylus which I don’t have – but I had so much fun. There are a whole range of brush types, but you can’t control the colour – a different colour comes every time you touch the screen. Very difficult to draw eyes!

I couldn’t choose which of my random creations I liked best so – as the children do – I saved them all.

Here’s to feeling better tomorrow!

This post is part of the Art in August challenge on the Laptop on the Ironing Board blog.