My daughter and I saw some of the most delightful art at a gallery recently.  That of Patti Bradley.  What caught my attention was the use of nature’s supplies in so many of her mixed media presentations, from small postcard size to larger wall hangings.
 Patti also utilizes the colors of nature with browns, bronzes, beige, cream and white with some green.  Her work is calming and relaxing, yet, to me, eye-catching.  Most of those on display used bird images, then found items in nature…leaves, sticks, pebbles and more.
This artist doesn’t have a web site, but if you see her name on …read more

Yeah, I know!  Summer is a silly time to be thinking about the fall, but sometimes we just can’t help it.  As soon as the leaves start to turn, which can be as early as mid-August here in New England, I’ve got to go outside and gather them up.
I’ve done a lot of projects in the past that used the colored autumn leaves, so just in case any of you are as nuts about them as I am, I thought I’d gather up some of the tutorial links for you so that you can make your autumn plans now and …read more

Fall is the perfect time to do a sensory walk outside because of all of the leaves (if you are in an area of the country that this is happening). One of my favorite things to do with AJ is take an afternoon walk and use it as a sensory “unwind” from school.
Take a walk and look for things that are soft like sand, dirt, etc. Look for pine cones or rocks that are hard and rough or smooth. Look at tree leaves or flowers that are smooth, flat or detailed. The conversation can lead into different discussions about textures …read more