Dance, Baby, Dance!

Toddler Dance

Hi everyone!   I’ve been uber busy with a couple of projects (i.e.  deadlines).  July turned out to have some unexpected detour activities – that’s life!  We made a trip to Arkansas to lay a dear friend to rest.  The trip took 4 days – but we also got to visit for an hour with my niece in Dexter, Mo and then my Aunt and cousin in Chicago.   There is nothing so bad that some small good can’t come from it as Ma Ingalls used to say.

Anyway – one of the projects has been to finish sketches I did during SkADaMo (November) and  Doodle Day May.  Thought it might be fun to show you my progress and experimenting.

The sketch above  is  based on this sketch from November.  

The original idea was from my daughter’s dance recital when she was 2.  That costume was so stiff and prickly she did not want to put her arms down.  Every time she wore it she kept her arms out straight.

Added the color in photoshop elements.  Tried a few new features to get the netting on the tutu and used a gradient for the background.  I even learned how to do a cutout with the lasso.  (only took 3 tries).

Just looking for a story now for this to go with.

Blessings on your creativity!

Laura (grandmamiller)

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Doodle Day July…Day #13

I’m so thrilled to host today’s Doodle Day prompt, but I am terrified of drawing it.   It makes me hide in fear.   Are you sure YOU want to draw this doodle??  You do?  All right – I guess it’s time I conquer my fears….  (After all, my almost 2 yr old grandsons are not afraid of these. )

…the Doodle Day prompt today is…….  [gulp]….

CARS

…as in VEHICLES of Transportation….Family movers….from vacation carriages…to moon rovers…fun and silly, sleek and fast,  ….. Duckmobiles….Charactermobiles….Inovativemobiles….

So why am I afraid of and so bad at drawing Cars?    I think I try to be too literal with them.  We have preconceived ideas of what cars should look like and we stifle our creative side.  Alison Hertz (our Doodle Day Founder) and I were discussing it.   Here’s a bit of our conversation:

Alison: (who you may recall was a toy designer):   “I agree, cars are scary and I created the Chunky trucks toy line years ago – I also created the star wars pod racers.  Still scary.  When I was a middle school art teacher, I heard [‘I can’t draw’] from adults all the time – my response was “Who told you that?” The general public thinks that an ability to draw means creating a masterpiece fit for a museum – silly. They put too much pressure on themselves. Look at a 4 year old – they just draw – no pressure, just do it and enjoy it. Grown ups lose that along the way for fear of judgment. Society is too judgy – people should stop worrying.”

Me: I love that.  When I was younger (just a few years ago by the way),  I never thought I could draw or that I was ‘worthy’ of saying I could – because of what you just said….because I judged MY work by the quality or style of someone else’s work. We can certainly admire someone else’s work but we don’t have to be them – because then we would only ever be a second best. But we can be the best US! Doodle Day has been liberating for me…thanks to you, Alison!

So when you start to doodle your car, try not to use a picture or preconceived image in your head…don’t overthink –  let your imagination take you on a doodling car trip…..  You could even try a scribble or zentangle and put wheels on it.  Pick a critter to mobilize with wheels….or jet packs….or….?   Try a series of circles or shapes…add a horn and wheels…Voila!

Questions to get the creative juices bubbling…

• Where will this vehicle be taking you (or your character)?
• What ‘era’ is it?   (stone age, pre-auto, space age, futuristic)
• How many and what kind of people/creatures does it hold?
• Does your car have a unique feature  (a pool, library, barbecue…)?
• Are you exploring, or on a leisurely drive or racing off to somewhere?
• Does your car have its own personality or quirks?

Have fun!!!  And here are a few famous ‘personality’ cars to inspire you.

Oh – and if you have a blog or website – share the info in the comments so we can all check out each other’s sites along with our Doodle Day Group page.

Stay relaxed-remember no stress… and doodle away!!!

Thanks, Alison, for this opportunity – I had a great time.

Blessings on your creativity!

Laura (Grandmamiller)

P.S.  I now have to play doodle delay catchup..I was gone all week…

The Flintstones by Hanna Barbera

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Beverly Hillbillies Jalopy

Mrs. Armitage by Quentin Blake

Scooby Doo Mystery Machine

Love Bug

Speed Racer

The Jetsons by Hanna Barbera

If I Built A Car by
http://www.chrisvandusen.com

(super book by the way)

Fishcar by Sylviagarza.wordpress.com

47 passenger elephant car

Moonrover

Cat In the Hat’s Car

The Batmobile

Oscar Meyer Weinermobile

And my grandsons’ favorites….

For all the Doodle Day prompts go to http://alisonhertz.blogspot.com/ and check out the Blog archives.

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Grandma’s Feather Bed

Grandma’s Feathered Bed by Laura Anne Miller
after John Denver’s Song

I was going through my art cabinet, purging and sorting when I happened on this old colored pencil drawing I did a few years ago (prob. 2009).  John Denver was a favorite singer of mine (yes, I know, I’m telling my age) and one of my favorite songs he did  was “Grandma’s Feather Bed.”

The song makes me smile every time.    I think because it reminds me of when family would get together at my maternal grandmother’s farm in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.   They had mostly cows, pigs, chickens, and once in a while a horse, a couple of farm dogs and lots of cats.  (We never “stole a piggy from the shed” tho’….ewww)

There were my three girl cousins  up from Chicago,  some of my other ‘local cousins’ and some younger cousins I don’t even remember their names.  At night all of us kids would pile into a huge bed with a high head board. The little ones had to be boosted into it. It had the creaky kind of bed springs (really fun to jump on).   We would giggle and squeal, argue about blankets, have pillow fights and tell ghost stories.

Sometimes the neighbors would come over for singing.  Grandpa got out his harmonica and spoons.   The neighbor lady had an accordion.  My dad had a guitar.  We kids got to sing and learn a little square dancing. Once my grandma even grabbed an empty pop bottle and started blowing into it.  The treat was when my grandpa started doing a little Irish jig.   Usually we were sent to bed before the party was over.  HOWEVER,  that didn’t stop us from watching.

Grandma’s house didn’t have a forced air furnace.  It was heated by an old coal furnace.  There were huge grates in the upstairs floor to let the warm air rise.  We would crowd around the grates, laying (lying?) on our stomachs and peering through to the going on’s below.  We’d start arguing about who was hogging the space and yelling ‘move over’   when one of our parents would yell, “Are you kids out of bed?”   Of course we’d all scramble back in bed (creak-creak-creak) and yell “Noooo!”

“It’d hold 8 kids, and 4 hound dogs, and a piggy we stole from the shed…

We didn’t get a lot of sleep, but we had a lot of fun in Grandma’s feather bed.”

It’s been several years since I did the picture and I’ve taken several art courses since, I think I may try reworking this in both watercolor and digital.

And by the way I HIGHLY recommend these  courses: Mark Mitchel’s   “How To Be a Children’s Book Illustrator” and Will Terry’s online Folio Academy courses on “Digital Painting.”   Folio Academy has many more courses available – I’ve just taken the digital.

Thanks for sharing some memories with me today. (oh-by the way, make sure you find all 4 hound dogs, the piggy and 8 kids [see if you recognize me])

Blessings on your creativity!

Laura (grandmamiller)

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Free Coloring Pages

Hi!  I’m Laura Miller (AKA Grandma Miller)

I am so blessed that you stopped by today.

I’m a children’s author and illustrator, and I would love to keep in touch.

In my writing/illustrating groups we are advised to do some self-promotion.   I thought I would also offer you some coloring pages for your children, grandchildren, summer camp, Vacation Bible School….or just for relaxation for yourself.   So if you’d like to subscribe to my blog, you’ll have opportunity to download some coloring pages.

Subscribe Via E-mail To Get Free Updates  

And a Free Mini Coloring Book 

 Click Here To Sign Up!

If you enjoy the coloring pages it would bless me if  you took a moment to share this post with your friends on social media.

Blessings on your day and your creativity,

Laura (Grandmamiller)

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Doodle Day May #29, 30, 31 & Can’t Sleep Without Sheep Ebook Release

Two things Today:

The First Thing not to be forgotten, my friend, Susanna Leonard Hill, has a

release of Can’t Sleep Without Sheep in Ebook format for only $4.99.  She held a contest earlier with lots of fun/silly promos, the complete list of all the creativity and links  is here and my entry is here just for more fun.  I bought my Kindle copy and the grandgirls gave it 3 baa-baa-beautifuls. The places to find her wonderful  ebook are here:

iTunes (for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch)

Amazon (for all versions of Kindle)

Barnes&Noble (for Nook)

And secondly –  an opportunity to post the last of my Doodle Day May drawings, I mean doodles.  I posted to the Facebook Page, just didn’t have a chance to chronicle here as we were out of town.   And of course I know you’re all dying, to see them here (ho-hum, I’m probably talking to just myself and my mom…er…I think my mom reads my blog…)  Anyway, the last doodle post was #28….so pencil drum rol-l-l-l-l-l-l…

Day #29  Ribbon

Day #30 Shell

and   Day#31 Wave – and a final goodbye to Doodle Day May the way I say goodbye to people I love…like YOU.

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Doodle Day May # 26, 27, 28

Here are some simple doodles – we were in the midst of parade and carnival  on Sunday/Monday so I kept it simple.

Alison Hertz’ prompts for these days of Doodle Day May were leaf , star and paisley.

Now I have to explain about the leaf…This started out just to be the mouse, the leaf and the tree, but I made a mistake w/my pen where the arrow is pointing.  So I tried to make a little critter – and then the idea of the mice tickling the sleeping mouse just grew.  Sometimes mistakes can work.

I did face painting at the carnival.  The first mom and little girl that came up told me thank you for what our church was doing (collecting donations for care packages for the troops).  I said, ‘you must have someone special in the military.’  She nodded and I looked at her little  girl’s shirt…It said,’ My daddy is in Afghanistan.’  I hugged Mom and said, ‘please tell your husband ‘thank you’ for serving… and thank you for sacrificing.’  We both teared up.

My dad was in the Coast Guard for 20 years.  I know some of the sacrifices families make.  He was at the South Pole (gone for over 8 months) during the Vietnam years, he had different stations of duty where he was also gone for 3 weeks, home for one (if the weather wasn’t bad and prevented the boat from getting him to shore, then it was gone for 7 weeks).  Families sacrifice as well with the absence of the mom or dad.    This is my little salute to them all.

And to get me caught up to yesterday – is paisley – which originated in Scotland.  So this is my Scottish Highland Cow.

Thanks for stopping by.

Laura (Grandmamiller)

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Doodle Day May #23-24-25

Doing some catch up here – we’ve been so busy getting ready for our church’s carnival and participation in the Memorial Day Parade.  The parade was an honor to be involved in and the carnival was a wonderful event.  We had about 300 people attend and between 30 and 40 people from our church helping.  Seniors, adults, teens, tweens and even kids – giving a hand to set up, clean up, serve and be a part.

I’ve didn’t post my doodles from Alison Hertz’  Doodle Day May so on with the exhibit….

#25 was square.  Right away my grandma popped into my head.  She made quilts for all her grandkids, square by square.  She taught me how and I made a quilt for my daughter that took about 8 years!

Grandma’s Quilt

#24 was flame.  This was done in photoshop in about 40 minutes.  I couldn’t get the feel of the fire right away.  But now I’ve learned a new technique.  I’ve been working on some biblical art, so this was what popped in my head to try.

 

#23 was veggies – which I couldn’t get into until I put my tongue in cheek

Well, thanks so much for stopping by.   Blessings on your creativity.

Laura (Grandmamiller)

 

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Doodle #21-22 and Perfect Picture Bk Fri: Big Red Tub

Still having lots of fun with Alison Hertz‘  Doodle Day May.  The subjects today are ‘ shoes’ and ‘design a font.’  I dedicated the Circus font to Alison (if you don’t know why – you need to read her bio/look at facebook pics.)   The shoe doodle made me think of my little girls growing up.

Circus font

I sketched Circus first, then colored it in Photoshop.  I used colored pencils & ink on the shoes.

Shoes

Now on to my pick for Susanna Hill‘s  Perfect Picture Book Friday.

This book reminds me of when my girls were little and it was bathtime. When dad supervised it was always lively with lots of giggling, shrieking and splashing.  The walls were dripping, the floor was submerged and the bubbles were everywhere.  (When I supervised – somehow it never seemed as much fun.)

Title: Big Red Tub  (Note: Released as Big Red Bath in UK) 

Author:   Julia Jarman

Illustrator:   Adrian Reynolds

Publisher: Orchard Books, 2004

Genre: Fiction

Audience Age:  2-4

Themes/Topics: Bathtime, Imagination

Opening Sentences: Stan and Stella in the big red tub.  I splash! You splash!  Splash! Splash! Splash!

Synopsis: Dad is supervising bathtime. The children have lots of fun  especially when all kinds of animals join in.  Dog, lion, kangaroo, duck and even a hippopotamus!  And bathtime ends up going beyond the walls of the house….

Why I like it:  It’s  sudsy fun and the rhythm and rhyme are a rollicking good time.  The illustrations are big and bright.  Matter of fact they are so bubbly and soapy you either need a raincoat or a scrub brush.  When I read this to my grands they immediately wanted a re-read.   This is for a younger audience, but definitely a lively selection.  (You probably won’t want to read it at bed time, tho’ it is such a romp the kids get excited.)

Activities/Resources:   Ms. Jarman has a coloring page from her website here.   And an activity sheet .

 I could recommend something about hygiene, but that’s not fun…. how about   B U B B L E S ?  (Click and scroll down the page to find a dozen bubble activities.)

Availability: Barnes & Noble, Amazon

(Susanna Leonard Hill is the originator of PPBF and you can find all the other PPB recommendations and links  on her blog.)

Have fun enjoying the book.  Stop by tomorrow for another Doodle update.  Blessings on your day!

Laura (grandmamiller)

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Doodle Day May #19, & 20

The challenge was to draw Fish and Triangles.  Simple, quick doodles. . . uh…how many fins does a fish have???  Do seahorses have head fins…..uh…so I drew from my imagination (which is always correct!)…  The top right is a ‘parrot fish’.  My favorite is the little guy swimming behind the bubble.  I don’t know if underwater bubbles would magnify or not – maybe they demagnify – but I liked the effect.

Then Prof. Tri Angle popped into my head when drawing triangles. How many triangles do you count?   There are 50.

Professor Tri Angle

This is all part of Alison Hertz’   Doodle Day May challenge.  It has been so much fun  and discovery.  I’ve met new artist friends and been both inspired and challenged to do more with my art.

Thanks for stopping by and blessings on your creativity!!

Laura (grandmamiller)

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Doodle Day May #17 & 18: Fruit & Swirls

Had to add this pic

Mother’s Day 2013
Ivy, Josiah, Felicity, & Lincoln & Me

Busy weekend- babysat ALLLLL my grandchildren together on Saturday for about 2 hours.   I had my youngest (14 mo)  here for  4 hours and the other three (4, almost 3 and 18 mo)  for only about 2 hours.  Fun wise it wasn’t long enough…stamina wise ….well let’s just say – I felt my age (713 mo.)  tee-hee.

Sunday was also a very busy day as our church had planning meetings for a Memorial Day Kids Carnival and then our Church’s Anniversary Picnic was at our house.  So that’s why no posting done over the weekend.

FRUIT

The First doodle  ‘FRUIT’ is from my memory of last summer.  I had rinsed a big bowl of strawberries and set them on the table to cut up and sugar to go on ice cream.  My granddaughters wanted to taste and I said okay.  The 3 1/2 year old winced when she took a taste and the 2 yr old stuffed one in her mouth and kept reaching for more.

Alison’s SWIRLS prompt was just fun and relaxing to do.   I’ll have to remember that next time I’m stressed!  Thanks for stopping by!  Blessings on your day!

Swirls

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