Our son won the art contest that the West Virginia Association of Conservation District (WVACD) held last school year. His art work won for the school and was chosen to represent his grade division to compete for other entries from other schools. He received $30 as a school winner. I wish his artwork would have been returned to us so I could display it in our art room but it was sent to represent for the National competition to be judged in October.
In July, he received another check from the WVACD and he was so happy. He was never interested in joining contest because he feared of not being chosen. We told him that it is okay to try, if he wins, it's good but if not at least he gained an experience. Now that he won something, he is motivated.
Our daughter won the Catholic Campaign for Human Development art contest dubbed as "A Time to Heal Racism". As a grand prize winner, she received an all-paid ($325.00) one-week Summer Camp in Camp Bosco. It's a great learning opportunity but we couldn't send her alone to participate in the said summer camp. She was scared to attend alone. It's one of those fears she has, being far from us and not knowing the people she is going to interact with. We were also worried about it so we didn't force her to attend.
Anyway, her original work was sent to Washington D.C. for the national contest. it will be displayed for educational purposes so it won't be sent back. I am glad they sent us a photocopy of it.
Aside from the art, they were also asked to write an essay for this contest. I will update this with her original content. to explain her entry further. To some it might just look like different shapes of cut out art paper but there's a reasoning behind it. The different colors represents the skin colors of different races working together towards unity and peace. I think if we put some compassion into our hearts, the world would be a much better place to live.
Our daughter was the school winner for the Healthy Soils are Full of Life Art contest sponsored by the Northern Panhandle Conservation District on May 5, 2017. She received a cash award sent as check in the mail. We were not able to go to the awarding ceremony due to schedule conflict with her sports but it was really a good opportunity where her art talent shined.
This year's music recital was done a little earlier. In the previous years, Torrance Music always hold in June but due to graduation and other events of the older kids, they decided to do it in April. I like it in June because it isn't cold anymore but April I guess is okay. It was raining though on that day so that was a downside.
The event was held at Memorial Baptist Church on Sunday, April the 15th.
Glad to have a family like the Howells, they never missed to attend my kids special event, we appreciate it very much.
I offered to make my daughter's hair but she did not want me to do anything with itm, she said it looks fine the way it is. Makes me a bit sad that my daughter does not want my help anymore. She's almost 13 and so far, she hasn't show any interest in makeup or any other cosmetic stuff. I think she will grow up just like her Mom lol.
This is Ms. Fedoush, her piano teacher. She is a wonderful teacher to my daughter. She is very patient and kind which we love very much. She's the reason why my daughter plays very well in piano. Due to school events and the scheduling of her piano lessons, my daughter asked if she can take a break with piano for a while. I hope she would still consider going back to taking piano lessons again, I would miss it if she stop playing because she is good at it.
This is Ms. Tipton, she's our daughter's violin teacher. This is her first year teaching and also my daughter's first year of taking violin lessons. She wasn't gonna play during the recital but because Ms. Tipton is leaving, she wanted her students to showcase what they have learned from her. She is graduating from her teaching degree from Franciscan University and she has a job offer in Ohio so she is leaving the area. Fortunately, she have recommended another violin teacher who will assume her position which is nice.
Rylie made some thank you cards for both of her teachers.
As a tradition, we went out to have dinner , this time, we went to Theo Yianni's.
The Howells always have a bouquet for her in every recital.
Our little girls is definitely growing. In my eyes, she is still my little girl even though she act and feel like she is 20 already lol. I miss the times when I can do her hair and those things that we did when she was little. As she grows, she changes.
She played The Flight of the Mourning Dove on Piano and Fiddlesticks on Violin.
On the very first snow day, EJ was inspired to draw this bird. It is an image of toucan. He always over criticized his work but I thought he did a great job. I mean for a person who doesn't know how to draw, I think it's beautiful plus the fact that I am big fan of their artwork. I think it isn't bad. What do you think?
Toucans according to Wikipedia, are members of the family Ramphastidae of near passerine birds from the Neotropics. The Ramphastidae family is most closely related to the American barbets. They are brightly marked and have large, often colorful bills. The family includes five genera and about forty different species. The name of this bird group is derived from the Tupi word tukana, via Portuguese. The family includes toucans, aracaris and toucanets; more distant relatives include various families of barbets and woodpeckers in the suborder Pici.
There were so many interesting activities at the Google for Doodle in 2014. One of the many that both of my kids enjoyed was the sound that is coming from a musical painting.
The crew have set up different wiring and connected it to a laptop and every time the kids connect the wire to a different line on the painting, it creates a different sound.
EJ was very fascinated with it. He was very serious when the Google crew was explaining it to them.
I love that the judges were also present, they walked around and interact with everybody in every room.
Rylie met a girl that she was very comfortable in talking to the whole time we were there.
During the activities, the official photographer was focusing more on certain students. He was taking lots of pictures. I realized at the end that those were the winners.
It was a great opportunity not just for our daughter but also for our son.
So even though she did not placed during the national/final round, it was still a win/win for them. We were just happy that our daughter got to represent the state of West Virginia as the state winner for the category.
I encouraged the kids to try for the 2015 but they did not want to do it. I think it has to do with the fact that they somehow lost a guidance for art in school. My daughter's gifted program teacher left and the new one is just starting and also the art teacher has retired so there's really not a lot of art going on in there.
Maybe next year, they will be inspired and try again.
We will cherish the great memories that we had out in California. They were just so happy that they were able to be at the Google Headquarters.
One of my daughter's favoprite musician is Taylor Swift. She tried to sketch Taylor Swift ine day and this is what she came up with. Drawing people is one of her frustrations, she can't draw them the way she wants it but I told her that it's okay. I mean, her sketch is not that bad. I cam't really draw anything so or me, it's already beautiful.
One of the many music video of Taylor Swift that she love watching is this "Blank Space". (Video isn't mine)
Sometimes, she uses the computer to watch music video and sometimes she uses her iPod. Glad she have a casio power supply that she can rely on in case of battery malfunction from her gadget. My children bickers with each other from time to time but music is one thing that they really have something in common.
Sometimes, an idea would come to my daughter's mind about something. She was researching about St. Francis of Assisi and she wanted to incorporate the church in her presentation so she made this cardboard box into a church.
When she makes projects, it means a big mess but I don't mind as long as it occupies her mind, I don't mind cleaning up.
I will let her put some details on how she made this but for now, I am posting these photos for you.
She was very happy that her religion teacher liked her creation.
I always tell my kids that they are lucky that they got their Dad's artsy genes because I don't have it in me. Well, my husband always tells me that he is sure that I have it in me as well. So to prove me wrong, he bought this book with step by step on how to draw dogs. He told me to try it sketching one and I chose this Australian Shepherd Puppies.
Here's the result of my first attempt. I think I butchered it but hubby thinks, it's a good start. Oh I wish I have the artist in me because I have a lot of ideas that I want to draw but can't.
Speaking of dogs, our Jack Russel Terrier gets this allergy when the cold season rolls in so I am checking an online pharmacy if they have something that I could give Champ. My husband bought something from the store, we gave it to him but it did not work. Hopefully I could find something that would work.
My husband's family are all inclined to arts. His brother Rick is really good in drawing cars. His late brother Dave was really good in fixing and painting cars. His late brother Harold was really good in building and construction. His sister Crystal is basically a jack of all trades. She goods in constructing, building, painting, sewing, you name it. My husband can do a lot of things too and one thing that I like is he can draw.
He doesn't think that he can draw but based from what I see, he can.
Most of my daughter's artistic side is from my husband's family's trait although my paternal grandfather was also a kind of artist as he craved woods when he was younger. He used to make religious carvings and he plays a lot of music instrument.
What do you think? Do you think he can draw? Oh did I ever tell you that he played bass when he was a teen? I have been encouraging him to play again, maybe it would inspire our son to do the same.
Our daughter is very interested in art. Sometimes, when she gets inspired, she sits in our dining room and silently sketch of whatever she is inspired to doodle. Below is one of paintings she did when we had that long snowy day and there's nothing to do and we were stuck inside the house.
I always admire people who are born with artistic talents like painting or creating any form of arts. I love this painting that was displayed at our room we stayed at Homewood Suites Hilton, when we had our vacation last year in San Antonio Texas. The artist managed to combine two subjects in one (feather and the wolf), ain't that neat?
As you can see in the photo, the reflection of the towel and the photographer is visible in the photo. Now tell me, does that make an additional art to it or it ruined the piece?
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