MaryAnn F. Kohl, process art and treasures of childhood

ArtsyKidsNEWS October 2013 now available.

The October 2013 ArtsyKidsNEWS is now available. Click on the painted pebbles image below to enjoy the entire newsletter.

Remember, if you suscribe to the newsletter (free of course), you will be in the running for a free book drawing each month. This month, Melinda Fant of Albany NY is the winner of Storybook Art.

Photo Credit: Halloween Rock Painting 

from TonyaStabb.com 

Enjoy a free activity connecting to
Ezra Jack Keats and
"The Snowy Day"
featured in Storybook Art.

* Conecting art and literacy helps kids love their books and want to read them more and more.  http://www.brightring.com/jackkeats.html

The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Exra Jack Keats. Caldecott Winner.

Making snow angels, from "The Snowy Day" by Keats.

Original collage artwork by grade 2 student.

 

 

 

July 2013 ARTSY KIDS NEWS: The Homegrown Preschooler

The July issues of the ArtsyKidsNEWS is here! I will cut and paste jpgs of the newsletter for your browsing enjoyment. The REAL newsletter has hyperlinks to all kinds of fun info. Click to see the actual July ArtsyKidsNEWS. Remind your friends to sign up for the free ArtsyKidsNews on my website (lower right corner on website home page).

All two years of past ArtsyKidsNEWS issues are available for free. 

Hope you enjoy all the great ideas!

A Message from Mr. Rogers to Parents

A Message to Parents
From Fred Rogers

Mr Rogers thanks those who grew up with him who are now parents and care givers.

 About five months before he died, Fred Rogers recorded this message to parents and caregivers who grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

In addition, another page  is full of many many videos from Mr. Rogers. Find the ones that work for you, a parent meeting, a sweet time to share with a child or a new mother. These priceless words from a true childhood expert will hold their truth and value for all time. 

I wonder,
"Where are the Mr. Rogers, the Captain Kangaroos, 
the original Mouseketeers, the Roy Rogers,  
for today's children?" 

Children need role models and heroes.
The time is ripe for someone
to lead children with honor and care.

 

 

 

Valentine Creative Kids: Library Visit, Feb. 2

I hope you will enjoy these photos of kids creating openly with all kinds of materials to make Valentines to give to the Seattle Children's Hospital. We had a workshop at our local children's library on the Feb. 2, and the kids came in open-house-style. It was great fun for me, and they had fun using all the stickers, doilies, glitter glue, and more.

The workshop was put on by MaryAnn Kohl and Sarah Nelson Veleos.
MaryAnn writes children's art books, as you know  :)  , and Sarah has a new book for parents who expecting or have lost a baby. Titled: My Angel You Are Loved.

Valentine Workshop, Bellingham WA

Valentine Workshop, Bellingham WA

by Sarah Nelson Veleos

my angel, you are loved

A poem and journal embracing pregnancy, and celebrating baby
 

A Pregnancy Journal by Sarah Valeos with illustrations by Leanne Westman 

MaryAnn, family news

I was away from my blog and home for a month while my husband went through an experimental open heart surgery to rebuild his heart, but more likely, to prepare him for a heart transplant. We are so blessed that our wonderful surgeon Dr. Timothy Icenogle and the Transplant Team (Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, Washington) were able to repair the heart, surprising even them. Mike will return to a normal life! We are in shock, awe, and grateful to everyone who stood by us through prayer and friendship.

As soon as things settle down a bit, I'll return to being MaryAnn the Author and Educator. Right now, I'm MaryAnn the Tired and Grateful.

MaryAnn

The Old Brown Rocker (Gryphon House blog re-post) by MaryAnn

The Old Brown Rocker

Of all the things I gave my mom over the years, what did she save because it was a true treasure to her heart? Was it my penmanship papers, my math homework, my book reports? True, she saved some of those! But it was my art that she treasured, and one piece in particular.

It’s not that my art rang with amazing talent, or that my designs were revolutionary, or even that my technique was admirable. It was that I created the art myself, and designed it with my mother in mind. There’s one picture I drew in third grade showing the brown overstuffed rocker that graced her bedroom throughout my childhood, where she rocked me when I had a fever or a bad day. It’s an odd little drawing – just a brown rocker with a throw pillow in the corner of the seat. If you look, you can see I was trying some very fancy colors and working to get texture to make the rocker something special. To most people, the drawing is just a chair. But to my mom and to me, it was the symbol of how much she loved me and cared for me.

She treasured my brown rocker drawing and kept it wrapped in white tissue in her dresser drawer. Now that she’s gone, having died much too young and long before I was ready to say goodbye, I treasure the little drawing as a reminder that she loved me enough to save my drawing because we shared a special piece of furniture. The little drawing speaks volumes of my perfect childhood with her watching over me and caring for me. My little childhood drawing brings me closer to her than all the photographs I have of her. If I could, I’d let her rock me one more time in our old brown overstuffed rocker.

~~~

This post was contributed by MaryAnn F. Kohl. MaryAnn is the renowned author of over 20 books about art for children. Her books are published both by Gryphon House and by her own company, Bright Ring Publishing. MaryAnn invites you to connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and her own blog.

 

Little Artsy Critters in the Forest

Look what my daughter Megan Kohl
painted for me for Christmas!
"Free Art Class" by Megan Kohl

December 25, 2011
 

MaryAnn, 4th of July Snow Fun

Thought I'd share a few pictures of me with part of my family at Mt. Baker (Washington state) on the 4th of July. One daughter missing (in Chicago).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike and MaryAnn Kohl at Mt. Baker, in Washington state.... the "four" is for the 4th of July! We love playing in the snow on a sunny day.

Hannah and Mike show you the glory of Washington state!

 MaryAnn is rolling, not sliding, down the hill at Mt. Baker. We had so much fun!! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

From the Curly Birds Blog: Sciencey Fun (Science Arts book)

Bloggy Fun For Father's Day: ScienceArts

The following post is directly from the Curly Birds blog, showing Science Arts (my book) along with the materials for making a volcano. Thank you, Curly Birds! All credit on this page goes to you! See fullsize photos at Curly Birds.  Bloggy Fun For Father's Day: ScienceArts

Father's Day Gift - Tub of Sciencey Fun   

A thoughtful gift for Father's Day - a fun box of quick, weird and wonderful activities for dads and kids to do together. It is a tub of sciencey fun and a convenient way to have all the materials readily available for a spontaneous afternoon of exploration.

 

For clever science experiments aimed at a younger audience, I bought MaryAnn Kohl's Science Arts. I then chose 15 activities that looked like fun and purchased all the materials to make the projects. I labeled each material with the corresponding project page number and tabbed each of the chosen projects in the book. 

The girls used all the leftover stickers to decorate a big tub to keep the materials and book in. And there you have it - a tub of sciencey fun.
The girls and I made this for Eric last year and it has been used, loved, and restocked many times. Posted on June 01, 2011 at 06:20 PM in Celebrate, Create, Family, hand-made gifts  at Curly Birds

All credit for this post goes to Curly Birds

"Summer Fun: Together Again!"

I know we're in the middle of winter, but that won't stop me from sharing these summer ideas. Something to think about and imagine for the future. May and June and July will be here before we know it.

"Summer Fun: Together Again!"
( from Village Books Blog )

MaryAnn Faubion Kohl, Bellingham author/educator/consultant, is the award-winning author of 20+ art activity books for children. Her newest title is Art with Anything: 52 Weeks of Fun with Everyday Stuff. Please visit her website to enjoy free art activity samples from all of her books:www.brightring.com and be sure to visit MaryAnn’s new blog: maryannfkohl.typepad.com/blog/. 

 

Summer is an endless stretch of time for kids to fill. Make it special for them by doing things together. You won’t need anything unusual for these easy recipes and activities - just a little time and cheerful energy to fuel the fun. The bonus of these activities is two-fold: you are building memories together in the process, AND you are showing your kids how to be good parents one day!

When it’s hot and sunny and the kids are raring to go, have some fun in the sun!

•    Play “Tidal Wave!” Play a giggly blanket game that is oceans of fun! Two people hold the blanket, one on each edge. Another person stands in front of the blanket. The two holding the blanket say, “Tidal Wave, Tidal Wave, watch out, watch out, Tidal Wave!” Swing and float the blanket-tidal wave back and forth, moving forward towards the person in front of the blanket, and try to catch them in the blanket-tidal wave. Then move back like the wave receding. Repeat with a new tidal wave and try to catch the player again. This easy game has lots of squealing and laughing. 
•    When everyone is tired, flop on the blanket with a book or magazine for a little rest time. You’re going to need it! Now, get ready to play in the water!

Hot weather is water weather! Here are some ideas for active water fun in your own backyard:

•    Play in the sprinkler or with the hose (extra fun: eat watermelon first, and then wash off – and cool off - in sprinkler or hose)
•    Scrub it up! Kids love to wash and scrub, they really do! Fill buckets with soapy water, add sponges and rags, and let them wash their bikes, the swing set, and the lawn furniture. Have a hose ready for rinsing. Let the sun sparkle on the clean and shiny new world!
•    Play sponge toss - take soaked sponges and throw them at a designated target (that includes mom or dad!)
•    Squirt Mania Game! Fill a big squirt bottle with water. To play, everyone sits side by side on the ground with a plastic cup on their heads, backs to the “squirter”. The “squirter” takes the squirt bottle and tries to knock the cups off each person’s head. When all cups are off, the squirter takes his place in the line-up with a cup on his head, and a new person takes a turn at being the squirter. Everyone gets a turn!

Where there are kids, there must be food! Kids need protein to keep them powered, water to keep them hydrated, and fruits and veggies to keep them healthy.

One way to convince kids to eat and drink right is to pack a picnic. You can set-up your picnic as close as your own yard, or travel across town to a lake, mountain, park, or riverside for a picnic adventure. Everyone loves a picnic! Pack these easy recipes that travel well, or let the kids pack their regular old favorites like peanut butter and jelly, apples, and bottled juice. Most kids will enjoy making and packing the following:

•    Tuna Bun Boat: Separate hotdog buns, and gently scoop out the center of each half. Fill with tuna salad to make a little boat. Add grapes or pickles to the boat, or other tasty choices like olives or raisins. Wrap with plastic wrap. Pack a drinking straw and lettuce leaf with the boat. When it’s picnic time, poke the straw through the lettuce to make a sail, and poke it into the boat. 
•    Fruit and Cheese Kabobs: Cut fruit and cheese into chunks about 1’” square. Stack them on toothpicks in different combinations and patterns. Place in a plastic bowl with a snap-on lid for the picnic. 
•    Veggie Bundles: cut carrots, celery, and other veggies into strips. Broccoli stems trimmed of their tough outer core and cut into strips can be the mystery ingredient. No one can ever guess what they are, and they taste really good! Bundle a selection of veggie strips together, and tie with a string. Wrap in plastic, or place in a larger container with a snap-on lid.
•    Light Juice: squeeze lemons, limes, and oranges into plain drinking water. Do not add sugar or sweetener. Add slices of the same fruits for added flavor. Fill a plastic pitcher or thermos and bring along some cups for each picnicker. Refreshing - and good for you too!

The word summer simply means fun! Doing things together will make the days spin by and before you know it, fall will be in the air, kids in school, and memories will fill the hearts and mind of all.

As the song goes, “These are the days, my friend! I thought they’d never end….”

 

Meet my family!

Thought you might like to meet my family.

This picture shows MaryAnn and her husband and daughters during the Christmas holiday.

Left to Right: Husband, Michael, Megan, MaryAnn, and Hannah. 

(Not shown, Megan's husband)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Everyone!
Now on to 2011 and all the wonder and joy and fun that awaits.