Sunday, June 30, 2013

Masking Tape Painting

Recently I came across a pin on Pinterest that led to Marie Teorien's blog that had a tutorial for tape painting.

Olivia's finished painting.


With the 4-H county fair coming up in July, Olivia thought it would be fun to try to do a masking tape painting for one of her art projects.

The first step was to choose a rigid canvas. Next, cut strips of masking tape in half and place in random patterns on the canvas.

Canvas with tape on it.

Then, choose your paint colors and put small amounts on a plate. Have a brush, water, and paper towels nearby. 


Olivia's ready to begin painting.

Paint each section a different color, Try not to put the same color in adjacent sections.

Olivia painting each section with a different color.

Do one coat of paint and let it dry. Repeat with a second layer of paint.

Let the painting dry for 24 hours.

Painted picture with masking tape still in place.

Next, slowly peel off the sections of masking tape to reveal the white parts underneath.

Olivia removing a section of masking tape.

This was something that Olivia enjoyed doing. To see the paint-covered tape removed to reveal the bright-white canvas completely changed the look of the painting.

Removing three pieces of tape at once.

Olivia enjoyed this project and was happy that she did it. She is pleased with the final painting (the first image on this post); and is looking forward to finding a frame for it so she can hang it in her room.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Bringing Literature Alive: The Moorchild

During the summer, we are hosting a book club that meets once per month. Although there are some questions that we will be discussing at each meeting, the main focus is on bringing the book alive by doing a variety of different activities that tie into the book.

This month, the featured book was The Moorchild. Basically, the book is about a girl (Moql/Saaski) who is half human and half folk/fairy – who doesn’t fit in any place she lives – in the folk world or human world. The story shows how people in each world were mean to her, did not accept her, and rejected her.


When she was a young child, she was swapped with another baby and placed in the human world to live. To make a long story short, she goes back to the world from which she came, finds the baby she was swapped with, and brings it back to the adoptive human parents who were raising her and accepted her – despite her differences.

It's a good book for any child - really, any person (youth or adult) - who has ever felt different or felt like they didn't belong. In essence, it speaks to all people who at one time in their life may feel like they were "out of place" with those around them.

So, at the book club meeting, one of the things we focused on were herbs.  Herbal treatments and knowledge of the kind that Old Bess possessed and Saaski learned are coming back into popularity. We looked at some herbs; and then learned about and made two herbal remedies. Both the recipes are from The Essential Herbal for Natural Health by Holly Bellebuono.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Foot Soak

Foot soak.

This quick and easy preparation warms sore feet, stimulates blood flow, and soothes these extremities that bear so much weight.

1 tablespoon dried yarrow
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
2-3 whole cloves
2 tablespoons Dead Sea salts

Combine the herbs with the salts in a large soup pot. 

Adding cloves to the pot of water.

Pour 4 cups boiling water over them and steep for 10-15 minutes. 

Stirring the ingredients for the foot soak.

Carefully strain and reserve the liquid, and pour it into a glass or ceramic bowl or back into the cleaned soup pot. Sit down and soak your feet in this very warm tea for 10-20 minutes.

The group of girls who worked on the foot soak.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Calming Bath Infusion

Calming Bath Infusion.

Soothing and fragrant, this combination of herbs is a welcome addition to your child’s bath routine. Pour this infusion directly into the bathwater before your child gets in.

¼ cup dried lavender flowers
¼ cup dried rose petals
2 tablespoons dried catnip

Measuring catnip.

Combine the herbs in a two-quart glass jar and pour enough boiling water over them to fill the jar.

Stirring the ingredients into the boiling water.

Cover it tightly and steep for 8-10 minutes. Strain the infusion, allow it to cool slightly, and add the entire infusion to the bath.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Spicy Tea

1 ½ teaspoons sugar for each glass
1 thick slice of lemon studded with 3 whole cloves per glass
1 stick of cinnamon per glass
Tea bags (1 per glass)
Water

Brew your tea according to the instructions for regular tea.

Each girl had a different task to create the tea.

In each put, place the sugar, lemon, cloves, and cinnamon stick to use as a stirrer.

Adding boiling water to each cup.

Stir and strain the tea and pour it over the other ingredients in each class.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hot Spiced Party Punch

5 cups water
10 teaspoons loose tea or 10 tea bags
½ cup boiling water
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup lemon juice
½ cup orange juice
6 whole cloves
1 stick cinnamon

Bring the 5 cups of water to a boil and pour them over the tea. Allow the tea to brew for 5 minutes.

Taking a closer look at the tea bags in the water.

While the tea is brewing, pour ½ cup of boiling water over the sugar in a large pitcher or punch bowl.

Making the hot spiced party punch.
This punch was the favorite one 
of the majority of the children.

Stir to dissolve the sugar and add the lemon juice, both at room temperature. Add the cloves and cinnamon.

When the tea has brewed for 5 minutes, strain it or remove the tea bags and pour the brewed tea over the spices and juice. The punch should be served at once.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once the teas were brewed, the children brought all the cups to each place at the table. They also brought one bowl of homemade vegetable soup and spoon per person; the homemade wheat bread; and salt and pepper.

The group sitting down to a meal of
vegetable soup, wheat bread, and three types of tea.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Vegetable Soup
Homemade vegetable soup.

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped leeks, white part only (from approximately 3 medium leeks)
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
Kosher salt
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds (approximately 2 medium)
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
2 cups fresh green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (can use canned tomatoes – plain or seasoned; or a combination of fresh and canned)
2 ears corn, kernels removed (can substitute frozen corn kernels)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 to 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Additional seasonings if needed (choose one):

2 tablespoons basil
2 tablespoons marjoram
2 tablespoons oregano
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons thyme

(If you don’t have all the above seasoning, you may use Italian seasoning.)

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the leeks, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn kernels, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season, to taste, with kosher salt. Serve immediately.

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Because the main character, Saaski, played the bagpipes, the children listened to and danced to songs from three CDs.

The three CDs we played songs from 
as the children listened and danced.

These CDs, which featured traditional Celtic music featuring flutes and bagpipes, were:
- Amazing Grace – All Time Bagpipe Favorites.
- Spirit of the Glen – The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.
- A Celtic Solstice.

The community center, where we met, had lights and a disco ball. The children wanted to know if they could listen to the music while the disco ball was on. So, with help from the community center's staff, the room lights were turned off, the disco ball turned on, and the spotlights on the disco ball turned on.

Some the children were dancing while 
others chose to take a break and listen to the bagpipe music.

The children danced, did gymnastics, ran and tried to "catch" the lights on the floor, and basically wore off a lot of energy.

The disco ball.

When we played two closing games, I asked what the favorite activity was for the morning. Not surprisingly, the disco ball and Celtic music won. Making the herbal bath products and teas came in second. At least the first Book Club meeting was fun, educational...and quite memorable!

 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Friday, June 28, 2013

Summer of Color - Week 3 - Lime Green & Purple

The Summer of Color for Week 3 is Lime Green and Purple. I made three window stars again this week because I had the translucent German kite paper in both the featured colors of the week.


It's interesting to look at the photos because the purple paper looks almost navy-blue. In reality, it's a dark purple.


The first star has 16 points. Each point is folded 12 times. So, to see the star pattern, I made and glued 192 folds. This star is the largest one of the trio, and measures 11 1/2 inches wide.

The next star is similar to the 16-point one in that each point is folded exactly alike with the exception of the last two folds. In this case (with the 8-point star), there are two less folds per star, so only 10 folds per point. With 8 points and 10 folds, this star required 80 folds. This star is about 9 inches wide.


The last star I made had 10 points. There are 8 folds per point, or 80 folds total to create the pattern. It measures about 5 1/2 inches wide.


I think my eyesight is getting worse. I didn't notice a gap in the middle of the 10-pointed star until I was done and it was on the window.

The gap is about 3/16" wide x .5/16" wide. (Yes, that's .5 and not 5.) To me, though, it looks like it is significantly bigger than that. This is something that is destined for the trash can since it doesn't line up like I would like I want it to.

At any rate, these stars mark the third week of the Summer of Color. It seems like the weeks are passing by so quickly! Three more weeks and color combinations to go!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Artist/Picture Study - Georgia O'Keefe

One of the parts of homeschooling that we enjoy is the artist/picture study. Sophia and Olivia focused on Georgia O'Keefe and six of her pieces. She is well-known for her paintings of flowers, so we were surprised to see that there was a broader history and images represented in her work. 

Below are six images that the girls studied for a period of time; and what they remembered about the pictures when they weren't in front of them and had to recall details about each one.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Red Canna, 1924

Sophia remembered: 
- I really like this picture and how she blended the colors. One part is vivid red and further down is completely white.
- I like the purple the best. There's enough darker color to make it look purple, but it almost looks pink.
- I like the pink because she can blend it in and make it look red.
- The colors are all warm.
- I think the main focus is the colors not the flower because the lines are softened.
- The colors she used were red, orange, yellow, pink, purple, and white...all blended together.

Olivia remembered:
- I see red. The other pictures have more colors than this one.
- There's yellow in it.
- There's lots of different shades of colors.
- Out of all the colors, I think the red stands out the most with yellow and pink.
- There's no dark colors on the flower.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Blue and Green Music, 1919.

Sophia remembered:
- I really like this picture because it flows across the page.
- The picture she did she captured the smooth motion - it looked like water running over rocks.
- She never used white in the picture, but added a light blue on top.
- She used a lot of cool colors - blue, green, and teal.
- I like how she could capture the one side with pale blue and then she could blend it into different colors - blue, then teal, and black.
- This is one of my favorite ones because I thought immediately of moving silk almost. It was very pretty.
- When I see it, it was named appropriately because it flows - like music, water, and how she was feeling one day.

Olivia remembered:
- I like the colors.
- I like it because it looks like the ocean.
- There are greens, white, and blues.
- It has a tinge of black in the picture.
- It's kind of all wavy.
- It's kind of my favorite picture, but not my favorite one.
- I like the blacks on the blues.
- I thought it looked like music because it was kind of wavy.




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

My Shanty, Lake George, 1922.


Sophia remembered:
- The first thing I noticed when I looked at the shanty is that she painted it in a bight white. It stood out against the browns and grays of the picture.
- When I look into the distance, I see the mountains. It looks almost black. It looks like there's a little bit of dark blue.
- By the side of the shanty, there's a bush that's a jade-green in color. It looks mysterious.
- There's a branch that looks like an elephant trunk. It looks like a trunk spewing a little bit of green mist.
- I like the way she did the clouds. They're in a darker blue. Farther out, they are wispy.
- It's not my favorite picture, but not the worse I've seen.

Olivia remembered:
- I like how the tree branches are jetting out. It looks like a snake with an open mouth.
- I don't really like the color of the shed. It's a brownish-reddish color.
- I like how she did the clouds - kind of in a wavy pattern. They cover the sky just a hint.
- I like the blues and greens on the tree and the mountain.
- I like the color and how she did the roof of the shed and the open door.
- The window was square.
- The shed was a rectangle.
- There are big and small shrubs around the shed.
- There are two or three trees in the picture.




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Radiator Building - Night, New York, 1921.

Sophia remembered:
- It wasn't like a lot of her other pictures. It was sharp, clean and something you'd see in a children's book.
- There's a wisp of smoke coming out from one of the buildings. As it gets higher up, it gets thicker.
- There's the search lights. The kind like if you'll pull a heist and the search lights come on. When the light mingles with the smoke it turns it to a teal color.
- At the bottom of the building, there are 5, 6, or 7 orb things - like a flashlight. They're strange.
- On the building, you can see lights on. Half are lit up and the others aren't so it's pitch black. It gives the impression that it's a very big building and lots of people are in it.
- Around the radiator building there were lots of smaller buildings.
- There are lots of areas that are pitch black. It's like 1:00 in the morning.

Olivia remembered:
- I like it because there's a red streak on the edge of the picture that's cool.
- I like how in the building you can see people standing by the window (or the shadow of them).
- I like some of the windows - you can't see the building. If you look carefully, you can see the top of the building.
- The colors in the picture are whitish-red, gray, black, a tinge of red - or a red stripe, and a little bit of yellow.
- I like how she used gray for the top of the building. It looks like a real building in New York.
- There was blue at the top of one building




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ram's Head - White Hollyhock - Hills, 1935

Sophia remembered:
- The picture seemed dark and foreboding.
- The horses on the ram's head extend out into the dark sky.
- I like the hills because she did them in sand. It looks like clay.
- I like the flower. It wasn't intricate. It was simple and nice.
- The horns were longer than normal ram's horns.
- The predominant color in the hills was red.

Olivia remembered:
- I like how she did the hills and the clouds.
- I like how she did the little trees and the flower on the ram's skull.
- I like how she did the skull because it looks real.
- She used a lot of dark colors - gray, darkish yellow, and red.
- The horns were cool. They were sharp.
- The flower was white and yellow.




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Grey Hills, 1942.

Sophia remembered:
- This isn't one of my favorite ones. There's not a lot to see.
- The top of the mountain or hill looks like it has been spray painted and it's not real.
- She painted a few flowers at the bottom. They were a goldish-yellow color. There were a few a little higher up. They looked out of place because of all the rock.
- She did around the middle of the hill: brown at the bottom, yellowish-orange with a mild red, then white with a little bit of grown and gray.
- There are big boulders that are roundish in shape.

Olivia remembered:
- I like the mountain. It's kind of all black and there's only a few shrubs growing somewhere below that.
- I like how she did the different layers of gray, a tinge of red, sandstone, and then black rock.
- I like how she did the sky - it's all one color. The mountain touches the sky.
- The flowers are gold - like we have here. They are where the gray rocks end.
- I think this is my favorite one because it is so pretty. I like the rocks and how they are.
- I like how she did where the mountain start - they jut out like fingers.




*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Composer Study - Frederic Chopin

Sophia and Olivia studied about and listened to a variety of songs composed by Frederic Chopin. Their reactions to the pieces they heard are noted below.


They read the book Frederick Chopin by Mike Venezia as a way to learn more about the composer.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra no. 2 in F Minor, op. 21
(from Lang Lang: Chopin - The Piano Concertos with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta)

Sophia thought: I liked both the loud and soft parts. I would have liked it to be a little bit longer. I liked the orchestra - especially the violins.

Olivia thought: It was good, but it was long. I liked the violins. They stood out because there were many of them and they sounded high. I listened to it, but it didn't give me any feelings.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra no. 1 in E Minor, op. 11
(from Lang Lang: Chopin - The Piano Concertos with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and Zubin Mehta)

Sophia thought: I liked the first one better. The piano music sounds angry in parts. He plays the piano a lot better than me.

Olivia thought: This one sounds much louder than the first one. Part of the piano music sounds like the person is sad. He's playing the piano really fast.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piano Sonata no. 2 in B Flat Minor
(from Sonatas and Etudes by Yuja Wang)

Sophia thought: I like it, but it's a little too fast. I prefer something a little slower. I still think I like the first one the best. In some parts it's forte and other parts piano. He has a lot of variety, but does repeat some things.

Olivia thought: It sounds spooky in the beginning. One part sounds like the Charlie Brown song...and I don't like Charlie Brown. It sounds like he is repeating things.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

3 Nocturnes op. 9
(from Chopin Nocturnes by Maurizio Pollini)

Sophia thought: It sounds like it is supposed to be dreamy. It would be something I'd like to listen to if I were on a date. It's sweet. The music makes me tired. It's shorter than other pieces we've listened to.

Olivia thought: It doesn't really feel like night time. It kind of makes me tired...it's quieter and calming. It's definitely shorter. I like that better.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

3 Nocturnes op. 15
(from Chopin Nocturnes by Maurizio Pollini)

Sophia thought: I like this one a little better. It's not quite as fast. I like the parts that are quieter.

Olivia thought: This is definitely more subtle. It feels like if you are at home and you are alone. This nocturne is slower than the other one. I like this one better.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra no. 1 in E Flat Major, S. 124
(from Chopin Liszt - Piano Concerto No. 1 with Yundi Li, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and Andrew Davis)

Sophia thought: I prefer not to listen to trills - so the parts that don't have them I like better. About 2:45 in, it sounds like the aftermath of a fight. This isn't my favorite one, there's too much sound.

Olivia thought: This one sounds like of scary and violent in the beginning. About 2:45 in, it sounds like they are tending to the wounded. At 3:20, they're starting to fight again...or someone is really angry.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Making Wool Felt Wands

When Sophia and Olivia were younger, they would play with wands made from wool felt, ribbons, and bamboo sticks. This summer, we are doing a farmers/craft market each week and I thought it would be good to make some wands for other children who might enjoy creative, imaginative play.



I've made two wands so far - both using a plant-dyed pale yellow wool felt.



On both sides, I hand-embroidered little stars that are embellished with clear beads.



In addition to play, wands are becoming increasingly popular for use in weddings by flower girls or bridesmaids as an alternative to a basket or floral bouquet. The colors of the felt, hand-embroidered stars, beads, and ribbons all could be adapted to the colors of the wedding.



The wands are stuffed with wool from sheep that were raised on our organic farm.

The five-pointed star is about 5 1/4 inches wide and 1 1/2 inches thick (13 cm wide x 3.5 cm thick). The dowel is approximately 10 1/2 inches (26.5 cm) in length (with 1 1/2 inches or 3.5 cm within the star for stability).

Both the ribbons and dowel are hot-glued onto the wool stuffing so they will not slip out with gentle use.


There is one wand remaining in my Etsy shop. I plan to make more during the upcoming weeks in different colors of wool felt, cotton embroidery floss, and ribbons.

At some point, I'll put two wands in Sophia and Olivia's memory boxes. These are boxes that they are keeping that include handmade items that they will receive and take with them when they have homes and families of their own.

Perhaps some day their children will play with the wands that I created. Until then...I am happy to create these handmade items for them to enjoy both now and in the future.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Summer of Color - Week 2 - Orange & Hot Pink

For the second week in the Summer of Color, the color combination that was chosen by participants was orange and hot pink.

Both of these colors are ones that I have in the translucent kite paper that I use for making window stars, so I thought I'd make three different stars using this week's color combination.

The trio of origami window stars 
in orange and hot pink.
There's a rabbit hopping in the driveway
towards the woods. 
Its little white tail always catches my attention.

The first star I made has two different layers - the pink five-point star is created first and then the orange points are laid on top of the pink star to create the window star.

This star is folded 80 times to create the pattern.

The next star is an easy one. There are eight points and each point is folded 18 times, for a total of 144 folds.

Although there are more folds per point than the previous star, the paper size is larger (3 inches x 5 inches versus 2 1/2 inches square for the orange points in the first star and 2 1/2 inch pink squares cut on the diagonal to make tiny triangles).

I think the center of this one seems 
to have a floral look to it.
Wonder if I'm the only one who sees it...
or if there is another image people see.

The last window star I made has six points. It is folded 15 times per point...or 90 times total to create the star.

This star, with six points, 
took 90 folds to create the pattern.

I'm looking forward to seeing next week's color combination as well as what others have created with these colors. The creativity of the participants always inspires me!

Friday, June 21, 2013

Artist/Picture Study - Mary Cassatt

Sophia and Olivia studied Mary Cassatt and six of her paintings as part of their homeschooling art and artist study lessons. Below are the paintings that they examined as well as their comments. (The comments were orally shared after looking at a photograph of the painting for a period of time.)

*´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *


The Tea, about 1880.

Sophia remembered:
- The older woman is in a brown dress with white lace around the top of her dress and the sleeves.
- The other girl has a hat and little brown bangs.
- She has a little dress on and is drinking tea. She has tan gloves. As she's drinking her tea, her pinky is out.
- On the table is a tea set. It has a tea cup and saucer, and a teapot and a thing for sugar.
- You can see part of the fireplace. On it is a pot with a blue background, white clouds, and a dragon.
- The older girl has a brooding expression, and the other girl's dress is a darker color and the sleeves come a little past her elbows.
- One girl has her hair pulled into a bun.

Olivia remembered:
- The cups don't really go with the tea set.
- The vase on the mantelpiece is blue with gold trimmings on it.
- There are letters on the sofa that are kind of hard to see.
- One lady (Lydia) has an expression that says she's not in a good mood.
- The guest is sipping her tea. Her gloves are a grayish-green.
- The wall is kind of pale and has stripes on it.
- The table is brown...it's like a coffee table.
- The guest has a black coat. Her dress must have lace sleeves. She's wearing a hat.
- Lydia is wearing a brownish dress.
- Lydia's hands are kind of folded.

*´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *


Little Girl in a Blue Armchair, 1878.

Sophia remembered:
- The little girl is slouching on her cushion.
- She has a little rosebud mouth and isn't smiling.
- She has one hand behind her head.
- On the chair opposite her is a little dog that looks like a small Girl Scout cookie with a black nose.
- The girl has a blanket draped across her chest and a little bit behind her back.
- She has black socks with flecks of red, green, and yellow.
- She has a black shoes with silver buckles on them.
- She is sitting on the chair that is blue with little flower designs.

Olivia remembered:
- The chairs are blue with different kind of flowers on them.
- The little girl's shoes have silver buckles on them.
- There are three chairs and one big sofa.
- The girls is frowning and looks like she is glaring at the little dog.
- The girl's socks are patterned. It looks like there are little red lines on them.
- The girl has a bow in her hair.
- The little dog has two pieces of fur standing up, but they look like ears to me.
- Her dress is kind of lacy.
- Her legs are kind of drooping.
- The room is kind of dull looking. There's not much color to it except the chairs and sofa.
- The dog is tan and black; and it is small.

*´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *

Pattycake, 1897.

Sophia remembered:
- The mother has brown hair and has big puff sleeves on her dress.
- She is holding the baby on her lap. The baby has a smile and you can see her little white teeth.
- The mother is holding the daughter's wrist and is looking down at her.
- The baby looks like she is about to clap her hands.
- She is wearing a little blue and white dress with what looks like a pom pom on the front.
- She has pretty curls that are golden in color, but a little darker.
- The mom is wearing a turquoise and green dress with a little bit of white in the front.
- The woman has a tender expression on her face.

Olivia remembered:
- The people's skin has streaks of blue and white paint.
- The background is black that turns into dark green.
- The baby's dress is white but there are blue paint spots on it. It's kind of interesting.
- The mother's hair at the top - you can see little bits of white up there for some reason.
- The baby's hair is golden - kind of like gold, but not as shiny.
- The mom is wearing a greenish-teal jacket or coat.
- The mother is holding the baby's right hand.
- The mother is looking at the baby, but the baby isn't looking at the mother.
The baby's mouth is kind of open.

*´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *

Children Playing on the Beach, 1884.

Sophia remembered:
- There are two little girls on the beach and they're playing in the sand.
- One of them is wearing a straw hat with a red ribbon.
- They are both wearing little black dresses with white pinafores.
- They are both wearing little brown boots and behind them you can see the water. Further out on the water is a sailboat with two sails.
- The little girl without the hat has a sand bucket between her legs and a shovel. She has a very determined expression. She also has long eye lashes.
- The other girl - you can't really see her face because she's turned sideways. It looks like she is shaking something in the sand.
- There looks like there is sand in the bucket and she is digging it out.
- The sky is a dark blue. It looks chilly because there is no sun.

Olivia remembered:
- The little girls with the bucket between her legs - her cheeks are bright red - or reddish - like she is blushing.
- In the distance there is a big ship in the ocean or sea.
- Probably ten feet away there are animals splashing in the water.
- The other little girl is facing or staring at the ship.
- The water is a dark grayish color.
- The sky is not really gray, but more of a purplish-grayish color.
- The one girl is really focused on the bucket.
- The girls are wearing black dresses with little white aprons.
- The little girl has a hat with a red ribbon on it.
- The sand in one part is a dark brownish color.

*´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *

The Boating Party, 1894.

Sophia remembered:
- There are three people in the boat - a man, woman, and small child.
- The man has a black jacket and a purple sash or undershirt and a black hat.
- The baby is wearing a pink dress, a little white hat, gray socks, and blue shoes.
- The woman has a white hat with flowers on it, a white dress, and it has pink triangles or diamonds with puffy sleeves.
- She isn't frowning, but isn't smiling either.
- The water is blue. But, it isn't just blue...it is dark purple in spots.
- The sky is a pretty blue and in the distance you can see a big mansion or house.
- You can't see the man's face because he's facing away from you. He has one foot up on the boat.
- The boat is yellow, but the trim on top is white.

Olivia remembered:
- The man has his foot on a metal plant that's in the middle of the boat.
- In the distance on land there's a small building, or maybe a big tall one, but I don't know how tall because I can't see all of it.
- The woman has a little baby on her lap but it looks like it wants to get down.
- Her dress doesn't look like it was finished.
- The boat is kind of yellow and the railing on the outside of the boat is white.
- In the distance is a big hill with sand all over it.
- The woman is wearing a hat and the baby is wearing a hat too.
- The water is darkish blue but some parts are light.
- The woman is kind of frowning...she isn't smiling.

*´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *

On the Balcony, 1873.

Sophia remembered:
- It's a picture of two women and a man on a balcony. One woman has a white shawl with flowers on it around her shoulders. She is smiling and has lilac-color pearls around her neck. Her hair is a dark blackish-color and she has a red flower in her hair.
- She is smiling at the man who is in the shadows. He is wearing a hat and is looking down at her.
- The other lady has a red shawl. You can see a little bit of her white dress peeking out from her shawl.
- She is looking down over the side of the balcony.
- The man has his hand on the marble side of the wall. You just see a little of each - so it's kind of intriguing - like where are they?
- They colors aren't really bright. There are little splashes of color. It's mostly just shadows.

Olivia remembered:
- The man is kind of standing in the shadows and he's wearing a hat and his expression is like, "Yea! My girlfriend is here!" I think they're dating.
- The other girl has a red shawl and her dress under the shawl has red stripes and she is looking over the balcony and she has in one of her hands a handkerchief and a fan.
- Her hair is also black and her eyes look kind of sad.
- On the other side of the balcony is kind of like a trophy.
- The other woman has a flowered shawl and is wearing a plain white dress underneath it.
- The woman with a patterned shawl has pearls that look fake. Pearls don't come in that color purple.

*´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *´¯`•.¸.• *