ART DAY WITH TWO SWEET SISTERS! | Santa Monica, CA

I spent a wonderful afternoon with two creative kiddos and it was so much fun! We made messy oil pastel art and painted their pretty designs with thick, shiny mod-podge before they photographed their finished pieces. They took turns directing photo shoots and learned about light and composition while testing out a bunch of different cameras. We created, talked, and giggled like crazy-it was incredibly fun for me and the girls had such a great time they asked me to come back again this week! I woke up this morning to the sweetest words from their Mom and I had to share because it nearly made my heart explode:

"Today Mikaela and Naomi had their first photography session with @thesproutingimage. Samaria is absolutely incredible when it comes to doing what she loves! Her passion for art and photography, mixed with her compassion for differences really touched me. 

Watching my girls learn and create, they were so inspired, and I truly felt like she opened up a magical wonderland for them. By the end of the session, they were full of giggles and smiles! She's just that kind of happiness that brings out the best in those around her. Summer's still here for another 4 weeks before school starts! Visit www.thesproutingimage.com, you'll be so glad you did!"

MAGICAL WONDERLAND??? I for sure have a few more wrinkles because of how hard this phrase made me smile...but I don't care in the slightest. Here are some photos from our awesome art-filled afternoon!

Mikaela photographing her finished oil pastel/mod-podge creation!

Naomi showing off some of her artwork!

She saw the punny-ness of this situation, adorable. 

Here's a photo of the three of us at the end of our fun afternoon!

Thanks to these kiddos and their amazing Mama for the awesome day, and I simply can't wait for our next lesson! 

BOOKS AND THEIR MAGIC

I adore books and their strange magic. They can calm a swirling brain or instantly make laughter pour out of us. The remarkable experience of getting lost in a story or becoming fascinated with exploring unique ideas through reading is something that is precious and should be enthusiastically encouraged.
Two quick book recs- Furiously Happy, by the great Jenny Lawson for adults who need a laugh, and The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss for both kids and adults (so much goodness in that one!) 

What's the last great book you read?

PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES FOR KIDS

Elliot Eisner said, "The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer." This is one of the core values in our photo classes, and we tie that critical thinking into our weekly lesson plans to help kids build confidence and important reasoning skills.