Playful and artistic children's portraits- Artist in Residence Bio: Stella, age 3

Playful and artistic children's portraits

Stella was born in Denver but learned at a young age that she yearned for a classic more rustic Colorado lifestyle and moved up to the mountains in Conifer, CO.  Given her preference for the simple things in life it comes as no surprise that her preferred art medium to work with are grown up pens applied to rolls and rolls and rolls and rolls of paper.  During her paint session, she was as poised and confident as a seasoned Olympian; she strode out on the giant 9 foot paper roll...she was home.

Her intensity is real, her demeanor is centered as she channels her contemporary influencers: Paw Patrol, Lion Guard and Monster Machines.  A non conformist, she feels most comfortable blurring lines and stereotypes. She wears her older brothers super hero t-shirts, and plays hard often resulting in scuffed knees and dirt smudged cheeks.  Yet she chose soft and bright pinks as her color palette to work with in her paint session. Stella follows no rules and refuses to fit in any box...perhaps that’s what makes her work so intriguing.

At home her Cow Cow and big brother Grey Grey (things so nice, she refers to them twice) as her muse.  Like most creatives/artists she suffers from insomnia but it’s that wakefulness that spurs the artist to churn out her most most inspired pieces of work.  It’s during these nighttime creative interludes that she relies on her most ardent supporter: Mom.  

She’d like to thank her Mom for providing constant support from the hours of 9pm-7am, always being a willing sound board to hear about new ideas and creations, visions in the night (sometimes scary), provider of snacks when this creative night owl needs nourishment. Most of all, a helping hand when a pillow needs fluffing, a blanky needs replacing or a gentle reminder that this artist’s soul is not alone.

Now accepting personal commissions, preferred form of payment: candy, candy, candy and also candy.

What to wear for your family photo shoot

The family photo shoot.

The very phrase can send pangs of stress and anxiety through the most unshakeable
mothers.  On top of the usual stress concerning logistics, cost and children’s behaviors there’s the almighty, lingering question of outfits...

It’s seems so easy, we literally navigate through this problem everyday but why do we always wait until the very last minute to tackle?  It’s because it’s so overwhelming, we get
paralized by choice.  It’s too much think of at once and people push it aside until they know it’s too late and force themselves to “just make a decision”. I’m going to share some tips and explain how I handle it for my own family because it happens to photographer’s too!

I put together some ideas in case you need some inspiration...best part?  I found all these items at Gap- one store, that’s it!

Tip 1: Find your centerpiece. Find the one piece of clothing or accessory that absolutely must be included in this photo.  Is it that scarf your grandma knitted for you freshman year?  Maybe that ridiculous hat your 2 year old loves?  How about the adorable sequined dress your daughter insists on wearing everyday?  Whatever that item is, that’s your starting point.

Tip 2: Now that you have your centerpiece, you need to design your color palette,
this means you determine 3-4 other colors that compliment your centerpiece.  Once you know your palette, you build!  Comb your closets first, looking for pieces that you currently own that fall into that color space.  Mix shades and textures, if you stick to your color palette all the colors will work together.  If you can’t find everything for the family at home, then go shopping.  It’ll be so much easier knowing you’re looking for specific items in specific colors vs going in blind. 

Tip 3: Accessorize!  Don’t forget to use your accessories- scarfs, shoes, hats, cute jackets, jewlery- it all counts.  You can have a relatively ordinary outfit but throw on an
accessory that fits with your color palette and boom everything is all in sync!

Still stumped?  Wondering around aimlessly in the stores? I can help! Just send me an email!

Creative Kids Portraits, Artist in Residence Bio: Jack, age 3

Creative Kids Portraits

Young Jack is one half of an artist duo sweeping the town of Golden, Colorado. He partners with his sweet sister Lucy.  The two styles have never been so different.  His sister, many times lost in her own art, barely recognized the camera being present.  While Jack, in the presence of the camera, mastered an entirely new performance work subtly, yet appropriately titled “My Tongue is Out”.  

Critics speculate if his performance piece is a commentary on society’s ability to just accept what they can’t understand or if there is a more complex meaning relating to his rejection of the status quo and unwillingness to conform.  When pressed for an explanation about his choice of artistic expression he simply replied with, “I made this”.

So simple, yet so complex.

Whatever the thought process behind making the final masterpiece the results were primal, earthy, raw, conjuring up textures and compositions similar to the manes of horses and buffalo fur.  

Jack will continue sharing exhibition space with Lucy.  Upcoming shows are slated for: Downstairs Play Area and the ever controversial space: ½ Bath on the First Floor.

Interested in booking a session? 

3 ways to reuse plastic Easter eggs

If you celebrate Easter then you probably have the same dilemma I do...here’s how Easter plays out at my house. About two months before Easter, I see decorations filling the store and I proactively buy Easter eggs trying to prevent what happens every year:  It’s the night before Easter as soon as the kids go to bed, I start going to work as the Easter bunny, filling up baskets.
 

First step is of course, retrieve those plastic eggs.  And every year when I can’t find where I put the eggs I bought 2 months ago, I send my husband to find whatever plastic eggs are left in the stores.  Then, Murphy’s Law comes into play and I find said eggs purchased 2 months ago usually no more than 7 days after Easter.  I swear I’ll store them away and use them next year but let’s be honest...this little nasty forgotten Easter egg cycle has been going on for the last 6 years.  Instead of making myself feel bad about this habit I decided to create some art projects you can do with your kids to reuse those damn eggs!


Kids Art Project #1: Egg Maracas

Get two plastic spoons, fill the plastic eggs with anything you think will make a nice rattle.  Here I used, rice and dried beans.  Have your kids look for things to put inside the eggs and experiment, different things will make different sounds.  Once you’ve got your "rattlers” tape up the spoon handles.  Make sure those spoons are securely taped because they will get flung around and dropped!  After they're taped together you can decorate them. I found using scrapbook decorative tape an easy simple way to jazz them up.

 

Kids Art Project #2: DIY Bath Bombs

Plastic Easter egg shells make great bath bomb molds, you can find a zillion different bath bomb recipes online, find one that you like, my favorites are the ones that combine just a hint of some kind of essential oil in them, mix up a batch and put them into your molds.  Here’s another tip, if you’re the type that likes to incorporate some type of homemade gift for your kids teacher, this is one they will probably be pretty grateful for; hold onto your eggs so you can use them for end of year teacher gifts! 

Kids Art Project #3- Mini succulent planters

I think succulents are just so darn cute and better yet, they are very hard to kill, that makes me like them even more!  You can make these little planters and have them sit on a window ledge, shelf, desk, dresser, bathroom, nightstand all over the house and (like me) you can pretend that you have a green thumb that nourishes and grows plant life indoors.

I painted my eggs white first, then “painted” glue on the egg after the paint was dry.  Then I sprinkled different types of glitter on them (if you do this, definitely use some sort baking or cooking dish with raised edges, because glitter…).  Then I cut 3 floral wires the length I wanted, while holding the wires, separate them evenly and bend the floral wire over the edges of the egg. Then grab the wires on the bottom of the egg and twist all 3 wires together. Spread the wires in different directions to make legs so it can stand. Now you can have those little succulents everywhere!

Do you have an idea on how we can reuse or recycle these little eggs- let me know!  I'd love to hear other ideas (because I've probably got at least another 10 years worth of eggs coming at me!).

Artistic Kids Photography- Artist in Residence Bio: Lucy, age 4

Artistic Kids Photography

Miss Lucy hails from the hills of Golden, Colorado.  What really sets her work apart from other 4 year olds is her unorthodox painting techniques.  She has invented and perfected a technique so daring and unique that few other artists dare try: the dive head first approach.  This is no figure of speech or idiom, she quite literally dives head first; hands stretched out front, entire body skimming through a puddle of paint. 

She does this with the skill and acumen of an Olympic diver.  Such precision and wide brushstrokes, add texture and movement unlike any other known painting technique.  As she wraps up her masterpiece she completes every work of art with another signature move: the paint push up.  She adroitly hovers her body on all fours over the painting until she finds the exact right place and moment to drop and give a little belly imprint coupled with two partial rolls on each side. 

Her technique, unusual.  Her motivation and determination, inspiring. 

While painting she is completely engrossed, hardly looking up for a moment from the work that sits in front of her.  Her work is currently being shown by the Dining Room wall gallery, which operates in the same hometown of Golden, Colorado.  Upcoming exhibitions include: Living Room above the Sofa and The Room I Share with Jack.

 

Interested in booking a session?

Unique Kids Portraits- Artist in Residence Bio: Lincoln, age 1

Unique Kids Portraits

Born Lincoln Allen, he operates under the nom de plume, Honey Bear in order to maintain his anonymity and privacy.  He shares a co-working art studio space in the rural mountains of Golden,CO with his Mother (photographer) and Father, Sir Bisquik (partner in crime, inspiration/motivation, fur brother), Keva and his 3 monkey pals: Polk, Kennedy and Millard Fillmore. He most recently completed his first year residency at the school of hard knocks, where he will continue to grow and refine his artistic abilities indefinitely.

His current project called: Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk, Mama! is a modern contemporary performance piece exploring the ephemeral existence of childhood where the milk only exists briefly before being cleaned up by mom, dad or the dog.  While Honey Bear hasn't specifically mentioned his reasoning for this public art display, those who have witnessed it say its a social commentary about the fleeting existence of life itself.  The milk is there, briefly, then it's gone...

Performance art seems to be young Honey Bear's forte, in addition to "Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk, Mama", he is also showing, "Jeopardy!" an interpretative modern dance to the Jeopardy theme song while simultaneously reciting his haiku (inscribed by his mother because he, of course, is 1 year old and cannot write):

Yeah ah ah ma ma
Uh oh uh oh ha ba ba
Yeah yeah da da da

Honey Bear is trying to secure funding for his next performance piece titled, "...The Door...".  During this performance he will close the bathroom door, open the bathroom door, close the bathroom door, open the bathroom door while repeatedly saying "uh-oh".  This can go on for mere seconds or many minutes. Again, no explanation was given to understand the significance of this piece but one could speculate he may be trying to prepare and forewarn society from impending doom. 

Or...he just likes doors.

Whatever his intent, we are anxiously awaiting what new exciting things this emerging artist will bring to the art scene. Price of admission for all public performance pieces: one snack bowl full of Goldfish crackers.  Monkey bowls, preferred.

Interested in booking a session?

Kids craft project-Custom nameplate activity for kids, Part One

Kids craft project

If you have twins, triplets...scratch that...

if you have many children...wait...

if you have children close in age...ummm, hang on...

if you have multiple children...trying again...

okay if you have a singular child. 

Yes, if you are in close proximity to any child roughly from about the age of 18 mos to let's say adulthood you are acutely aware of the importance of having your name on things.  It's of utmost importance, their name must be on everything, and once they learn how to (sorta kinda) write it, they must do it.  Names are very important.  Especially to my two boys, Jacob and Nicholas, ages 7 & 4.  The name game is strong in our house, being boys and sharing a group of friends and a room to boot.  "Names" define fierce boundaries around here. 

Over our spring break last week we did two different nameplate kids art projects that were both easy to do, captured their attention and ended up looking pretty cool in the end.

First we did salt art. 

I started off with a color palette that I found pleasing...lets be honest, kids need some guidance in the color department.  As parents we need to look and enjoy these pieces it might as well be something I can stomach looking at over and over again! I just these colors because I'm 1. obsessed with them and 2. this color combo naturally induces peacein my brain (and many times, my boys do not) so it's like a little constant dose of Xanax.  Who couldn't use that?

I used my watercolors to paint 2 whole sheets of watercolor paper.  1 sheet I left whole, the other sheet I tore in half.  I hand tore all the edges of the paper bc I think it looks better than a straight edge.  I also made sure to darken the edges all around the paper to really highlight the texture.

When the sheets are dry, I glued the half sheet on the whole sheet, right in the center.  Next, with pencil I wrote their names and then went over it again, with a darker water color paint color so it would be really easy for them to do the following step. 

Then I had them trace their painted name with glue.  Once they're done, I let them cover the whole sheet with salt- normal cheapo kitchen salt variety is fine. Best to do this step in a baking sheet with raised edges to keep the salt contained.

Give the glue and salt a few hours to dry.  When it's ready, mix up your food coloring, keeping a color palette similar to the colors you painted with earlier.  Then use an eye dropper to apply the food coloring on the salted letters.

When you're done, again wait for it to dry a bit and then use some adhesive spray to make sure everything stays intact once it's hung up.  And there you have it- a customized nameplate for your little(s) to hang and stake their claim (and it's easy on the eyes!).

Creative Children's Portraits- Artist in Residence Bio: Devyn, age 5

Creative Children's Portraits

Devyn is currently exploring two themes with her current work: Old with New and Re-purposing.  She practices this by using traditional methods and tools like markers, chalk, crayons and scissors and combines them with dry erase markers/boards and cardboard.  The result is an eclectic mix of houses, cars and spaceships.  Often times she is so engrossed in her work she does not realize it turns into a public performance piece, as she narrates while she creates.  Audiences are amazed by her ability to formulate a screenplay incorporating inanimate objects nearby, complex mysteries involving shampoo bottles and wooden beads are not unheard of.  She pulls inspiration from older media attributing Magic School Bus, original Scooby Doo episodes and Nancy Drew stories to be major influences in her work.  

She’d like to thank her Mom and Dad for continued support and encouragement; BFFs: Abby and Annabelle; and family friends, Aunt Wendy and Grandpa Will.

Interested in booking a session?

Kids art project perfect for Valentine's Day

Kids art project

Looking for a simple handmade kids craft idea to give to someone for Valentine's Day? This is the perfect kids project, that's fun, easy to do, not time consuming and ends up looking great.  A perfect gift to give to your child's favorite teacher or Grandma/Grandpa for this upcoming holiday (or any day!). 
You will need:
1. 1- 5x7 canvas, you can usually buy two of these at a time, great for siblings!
2. 1- black or brown oil based Sharpie paint marker
3. 2- different colored ink pads
4. 1- heart shape stencil
5. 1- piece of card stock, any color

First draw your tree with your Sharpie paint marker,  lay the heart stencil down so you can visualize where the branches should go.  You don't want branches under the stencil or touching the sides.

Next, using your stencil and card stock, draw and cut out your heart so you're basically making another heart stencil.  Technically, you can just use your heart stencil but I didn't want my original to get ink all over it, so I made another one.  Lay the stencil on the canvas and tape it so it stays in place.  Then break out the ink pads and get them ready.

My son knows I like blue so whenever he gets the option to pick a color he does his Mama proud (que the collective internet sigh)!  Once your stencil is taped down, it's time to start "stamping" with thumb prints.  Continue until all the white space in the heart is filled with different colored fingerprints.
 

When you're done you have a cute little heart tree canvas suitable for hanging up and one really proud kiddo.  Look at these smiles, art makes everyone happy!  Try different color combinations for different kids and give someone a whole forest of heart trees.  If you try this at home show me what you made, I'd love to see it!

Creative and Unique Children's Portraits- Artist in Residence Bio: Davin, age 7

Creative and Unique Children's Portraits

Hailing from the hills of Aurora, Colorado, Davin started his career in the arts at a young age.  Armed with pencils and paint, he'd sketch on canvases or paper at home.  Soon he traded in his pencils and paper for a different kind of artistic expression: dance!  He continues to explore this new avenue by experimenting with different types of dance, countless auditions, rehearsals, competitions and performances.  During his down time he enjoys watching Adventure Time and Suicide Squad and can replenish his creativity with a timeless favorite childhood activity:  playing with Lego.

Davin would like to thank the special people in his life that help him to fulfill his creativity destiny: Alex, Danny, Ian, Karson & Hayden (school entertainment), Abby, Madison & Gabby (dance partners), Nana, Noni, Ariah, Sofia, and most of all Mom and Rob for helping him to pursue his dreams.

On a serious note: I typically take a pretty campy approach to these write ups but keep your eyes on this kid.  He's driven and dedicated and one day we'll all be watching him on stage!  Keep up the hard work, buddy!
 

Interested in booking a session?

Winter Kids Activity- Freezing Bubbles

Winter Kids Activity

Winter is here and every mom is faced with the same problem: boredom.  When the weather is nice the answer to the "Mom, I'm booooooored" complaint is usually the same, "go play outside" but now we're in the heart of winter and our go-to answer isn't so reliable anymore.  So here's an activity you can do outside even when it's cold out (in fact it only works when it's cold out!) and will mesmerize both kids and adults!  I know what you're thinking, you don't want to participate in cold weather activities.  But this doesn't require you to
A) get wet or
B) climb up sledding hills
You don't even need to leave your house or wear boots.  You do, however, need to bundle up!  If nothing else, you show your kids something cool, get their brains working and then you've earned that cup of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.

What is freezing bubbles?  It's exactly that, you blow a bubble using regular plain old bubble solution, the same kind we all have laying around our houses from last summer.  Blow a bubble when it's cold out, and watch it freeze.  It's magical when it starts to freeze because you can see the snowflake patterns the ice crystals make on the surface.  You can actually SEE them being created! When it freezes, it can stay that way for just a few seconds or minutes, I had one stay frozen once for about 15 minutes. Then when it pops it looks more like a tiny explosion happened and kind of resembles a cracked eggshell.  

Here are some helpful tips:

1. Outside temperature should at least be 20 degrees Fahrenheit (the colder the better)
2. Pick a day when there is no wind or pick an area that is sheltered from the wind (in my video I'm in an alcove on my front porch)
3. When blowing your bubbles, first trying blowing them onto flat surfaces.  Once you get the concept down, try experimenting with your kids and make observations and predictions about which types of surfaces will work best.  You might be surprised!
4. If you blow a bubble and it pops right away don't try again on the same spot, it works best on dry surfaces.
   
   Here's a video tutorial I made to help show you how to do it ; )
    

Since I am photographer and I clearly have a love affair for abstract contemporary art and my macro lens... here are some photos of bubbles that I froze on different colored metallic paper.  My light source= front porch light.

If you try it at home with your kiddos (there's still plenty of winter cold temps left!) share your photos. I want to see what you make and all the different surfaces you try!

Having trouble- drop me a line!

Fun Children's Photography, Artist in Residence Bio: Maggie, age 2

Fun Children's Photography

Young Maggie began her work in the tactile arts from an early age.  Her preferred medium includes colored beads and a pliable clay like substance commonly referred to in the industry as “Play Dough” That name is deceiving because Maggie is anything but ‘play’ when it comes to her artwork.  She literally immerses herself, exploring texture and form, by squeezing Play Dough through and around her feet and toes.

While she hasn’t announced an official artist statement in regard to her bead work it’s apparent she has been influenced greatly by today’s political climate.  Try to catch one of her weekly interactive installments where she sorts beads by color and size, only to mess them all up and start all over again.  Though young, this is clearly a statement about the current political challenges facing our divided nation.

Music may be the next area of artistic expression with her revival of some of the great hits from the past.  Her renditions of Wheels on the Bus, ABCs, Five Little Monkeys and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star are inspirational.  Currently she’s also influenced by the classics, particularly the Beat Bugs, who feature Beetles hits. 

Maggie would like to thank Lucy Goose (family dog), Grandma and Pa, Nubby, and Bear for their continued love and support. 

I’m happy to introduce to you, our first Artist in Residence: Maggie.

Interested in booking a session?

New Year, New Website, New Direction -Welcome 2017!

If you’re a past client of mine you’re probably thinking things look a little different.  And you’re right!

2017 brings new things for ABP.  New logo, new website, and most importantly a brand new direction.  In the past 13 years as a professional photographer I’ve shot travel, commercial, events, weddings, food, high school seniors, newborns, families and babies.  That’s a lot.

I can honestly say I really do still enjoy shooting all those things.  I love shooting travel because I have incurable wanderlust that has driven me to shoot in all different corners of the world.  I love commercial because I get the opportunity to meet and make connections with people in different industries that I’d otherwise not meet.  I like shooting events because I get to experience some incredible things that I normally wouldn’t get invited to!  Weddings…oh weddings.  First, I shoot weddings with my BFF Denise and when we work together magic happens.  I’m blessed I have such a great working partner that just 'gets' how my brain works. Second, we both feel honored that we’re chosen to be a part of such a momentous day. 

Food photography- one of my secret passions, is all about the details for me and details are sort of my obsession.  High school seniors are fun because I’m capturing these young adults on the cusp of starting a new exciting chapter in their lives.  Newborns – who can resist chunky baby thighs and squishy cheeks?  And families and babies, it’s all about growth- families growing, babies hitting milestones. 

I truly LOVE, all those things. I will continue to love all those things.

But I discovered there was one aspect of my business that lit a fire in my belly, which made me lose sleep at night from excitement.  It would cause me to talk about it endlessly with a big giant grin on my face (probably boring my friends- sorry!)  What you see now, on this bright shiny new website, is it; I introduce to you, my painting sessions.  I’ve been contemplating changing directions with my business ever since I did my first painting session and over the past 4 years the sessions have evolved to what you see here.

The concept is simple but messy.  Help kids create art, let them have fun and document it from beginning to end.  This is more than your standard kids art project. I let kids go bananas with paint on a huge (9x9 feet) sheet of paper, their “canvas”.  I photograph all the fun that unfolds with it.  Then when everyone is cleaned up and leaves the studio, I go back to the masterpiece.  I study it, walk around it.  This is where MY creating begins.  I find just the right compositions to make into a contemporary large art display for their walls at home.  When I’m doing this, every worry, every doubt, every insecurity I have melts away and I’m free.  Nothing else fills my head except what I see in front of me.  

It is bliss. 

It’s so incredibly fun giving kids this memorable experience, and being able to watch and capture it.  I love that it is a true artist collaboration. We can’t exist without the other.

Without me there would be no experience.

Without them there would be no painting.

Without me there would be no photograph.

Without the photograph, there would be no art.

It's sooooo meta : P

Going forward it’s my goal to be known around town as “that children's photographer in Denver that does that paint thing” that’s totally cool with me.  If you’re a past client of mine and you’re not interested in the paint session, that’s also cool! I’m not abandoning you- I still love you and will continue work with you when you reach out to me. 

And if you think you might be interested in having your kiddo make some really cool art and huge wall displays, I want to hear from you!  Just click here to get in touch with me.  I'm now booking paint sessions for February.

I’d also like to say thanks to fellow photographers and other creatives that have helped me to take this scary and exciting leap.  To friends and family for the encouragement, proofreading, and acting as official idea bouncers, all of your input was so valuable.

Check out below to see a little video I put together of 2 recent sessions.

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