Faking Art

I don't actually suppose there's such a thing as faking 'art'. You create something and, in your eyes, it's art. That may not be the view of others looking at it, but as long as you're pleased with it, right? Dictionary.com has 16(!) definitions for art... I like their first one for my purposes:

"the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance"

You will see why shortly.

Being on maternity leave for a second time a couple things have come to light:

1. We NEED to get some artwork on my eldest child's bedroom walls. The art we had in her 'baby' room no longer bodes well with the chosen wall colour. It has since been moved to our new child's room (well, his closet - pending mounting).

2. I LOVE arts & crafts. My daughter (just over two-years-old) and I are taking a Parent & Tot art class via the Town of Whitby, at the Station Gallery (hidden, unassuming little gem). And, although I've been telling people it's to stimulate whatever side of the brain is the creative side (right, I think), honestly she's just along for the ride. In our last class, for example, I actually handed her a pair of scissors and a piece of tissue paper and told her to go wild. She'd never used scissors before! Mom-of-the-year, right? Anyway, she had a blast for an hour, while I completed our cardboard stained-glass owl (of which I immensely enjoyed doing). And, to be told by the easily-ten-years-younger-than-me instructor that our owl was "so cool", was so very gratifying.

So, in searching for artwork for her walls, we couldn't get over the cost of the stuff that we really liked. We want bright and exciting, stimulating yet calming pieces that don't cost $90 for an 8-1/2" x 11" canvas.

Enter me: amateur artist (and that's being generous), a debit card, and a trip to the arts-and-crafts aisle at the dollar store.

I will post pictures shortly, but my first three items were all done during today's nap-time. And, as to the definition of art... well, these were produced with art supplies (the bottles said so) and I think they're appealing. Voila... art!


Sleeing Beauties

And, for good measure, the stained-glass owl :)