Since my daughter was a wee one, we've always made a summer wishlist—places to visit, things to make, people to see. Every idea gets put down on paper to hold us accountable to some good memory-making and to have a…

Keeping a sketchbook is very important for the burgeoning artist. Some sketchbooks should be dedicated to imaginative spontaneous drawing. Some should be dedicated to the work of learning the skill of drawing. I call this the “directive drawing” sketchbook. At…

We moved to the city when my boys were toddlers. I shed tears in sessions, endured a hefty dose of grief. During one particular session, being a forward thinker (worrywart), I heaved gut-wrenching sobs for the loss of freedom to…

I keep all sorts of REAL art supplies on hand, have a dedicated pantry in the kitchen! Here are some tips that have helped me tamp down the chaos of prepping for an art lesson: I keep my paints in…

It’s time to launch a brand new school year. I open iPhoto to flip through images hoping to be inspired by antics past. I click through until I spy little Taylor with two of his elementary home school buddies, “How…

We’ve been studying Leonardo da Vinci’s crossbow design. So naturally my youngest son wanted to purchase a toy crossbow. His dad suggested he make one. Søren mulled it over for a few days then whipped out his design at the…

Basho wandered by foot through medieval Japan, kept a diary of his journeys—prose woven with haiku. There is sublime simplicity in the poet’s observations:  A hundred years! All here in the garden in these fallen leaves  With plum blossom scent,…

Fixed gear bicycles are all the rage in our neighborhood. I think this means that the bike can’t coast because the bike’s crank and the rear wheel are dependent of each other. What is so great about that? I mean…

The year I moved back to LA the first thing I did was pack the kids in the car and head to art museums. I had been teaching art for years, but here I was in LA, an art hub…

Building with LEGOs is academic. I have witnessed my boys following complex directions, engaging in problem solving and demonstrating critical thinking for hours upon end as they engage with LEGOs. When we pour two enormous tubs onto the wool rug…