Picasso's musical collages

Thank you to all who commented on my noveling adventure. Your support really means a lot. Now that's recovered a bit I can post properly again.

Picasso was born in 1881 in Spain. Picasso’s father was a painter and sculptor and began Picasso’s art education at an early age. Picasso lived in Paris for much of his life where he lived passionately until his death in 1973. His art grew and changed throughout his life and he was key in forming several important artistic movements. I could and will write posts on each of Picasso’s “periods,” as they are called.

Music influenced many of Picasso’s pieces, including his collages. Today’s post will be on these musical collages.

Picasso used wallpaper, cloth, and sheet music in his musical collages as well as paint. He used wallpaper most often to create the background and then cut the sheet music, cloth, paper scraps, and newspaper into the shape of guitars or pieces of guitars. Then he combined the shapes on the collage to represent a guitar.

Look at the collages shown below and think about what you might want to use in your own collage. Tomorrow I’ll post a Picasso inspired collage project.

Glass of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar, and Newspaper:

Guitar, Sheet Music, and Wine Glass:

Guitar and Sheet Music:

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Create Your Own Christmas Candle Holder

This is a fun project that can be enjoyed by all ages. These festive candle holders can be used as decorations in your own home or can be given as homemade gifts.

Supplied Needed:

Glass paint
Glass candleholder
Paintbrush
Palette
Cotton balls
Rubbing Alcohol

Protect your work space with newspaper. Use the cotton balls to wipe the candleholder with rubbing alcohol. Once you have wiped the candleholder, don’t touch the area you intent to paint.

Find an image to paint. You could go online and print something out, use a stamp (like I did), take a picture from a magazine, or draw your own picture. Tape the picture to the inside of the glass.

Now trace the image onto your glass with the paint.
Younger kids will enjoy experimenting freeform on the candle holder. Even just painting dots of red, green, and white is fun.

When you’ve finished, have an adult light a tea light and drop it into the candle holder for you. I recommend a Christmas-y scented candle like cinnamon.


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NaNoWriMo 2007 WINNER!!

I am an official NaNoWriMo Winner! I have written 50,000 words in one month!
And I got this pretty winner's icon. Cool, huh?

My total NaNoWriMo Word Count:

50024 / 50000 words. 100% done!

And with 3 1/2 hours to spare!

Create Your Personal Advent Calendar

An advent calendar is a calendar that counts down the days to Christmas beginning on December 1. Each day you pop open one of the flaps and read part of the story of Christmas. Since today is the last day of November (I know, where did the month go?), create your own advent calendar to chronicle your personal journey to Christmas.

Supplies Needed:

Two sheets of poster board (any color but I recommend one red and one green)
Ruler
Pencil
Craft Knife
Gel Pen
Tape
(Eventually, you’ll also need glue)

Begin by measuring and drawing 24 boxes onto the top sheet of poster board. The boxes can vary in size but you’ll want them to be large enough to fit pieces of photographs.

Have an adult help you cut three sides of each box. Each box should become a window that can be folded open. Number the outside of each box. You can also decorate the boxes with Christmas-themed pictures from magazines or your own drawings.

On the inside of each flap, write an activity that you’d like to do on that day. This can be anything from shopping to wrapping gifts to cookie baking to making ornaments.

Each day of December, open one of the flaps and complete the activity written on the inside. Take a photo of yourself and your family completing the activity. At the end or as the month progresses, tape a photo so it shows through the corresponding box when the flap is open. When you’re finished the calendar, glue the second sheet of poster board to the back of the first to hide the backs of the photos.

Next year, take out your personal advent calendar and remember the times you shared with your family. If you create a new calendar each year you’ll be able to see how you grew and you’ll be able to share memories every year.

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My Current NaNoWriMo Word Count:

47647 / 50000 words. 95% done!
ALMOST THERE!!!

Create Your Own Matisse Collage

Yesterday you read about Henri Matisse who created large, bold collages late in his life. Today, make your own collage in the style of Matisse.

Supplies Needed:

Acrylic Craft Paints
Poster board
Thick/textured sketch paper
White glue
Plastic Cups
Paintbrush
Scissors

Look around your house or outside and choose a subject. For example, a pine tree. Choose what colors you’d like to use in your collage. Remember, the colors you choose don’t have to be the natural colors of your subject. You might choose to create a pine tree in warm tones: red, orange, yellow, magenta. Or you might use all the colors of the rainbow to create orange slices. You can even use one color for the whole collage like the one by Matisse shown above, Blue Nude. Go crazy. Be creative. This is what art is all about.

When you’ve chosen your colors, paint one sheet of sketch paper in each color. If you’re using all one color, you’ll need to paint a few sheets to have enough material to make your collage.

Let the paint dry.

Cut your sheets of painted paper into shapes. If I were making a pine tree I might use triangles as branches or long rectangles placed at angle and overlapping in the center. Lay your shapes in the desired pattern on the poster board.

Mix some glue with a little water in your plastic cup. Use a paintbrush to apply the glue to the back of each shape and attach your pattern to the poster board. Paint a layer of glue over the top of the collage as well. This will seal the shapes and give the whole collage a smooth finish.

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My Current NaNoWriMo Word Count:

45336 / 50000 words. 91% done!

I’m struggling to write those last few thousand words.