Christmas Art!

So even though we are a whole week into January, I guess I won't really feel like it's the new year until this coming Monday because our holidays were so extended this year.

My eldest daughter and son live in Ottawa, ON, and I just get to see them a couple of times a year. They both currently work in retail and weren't able to come here right on Christmas. They arrived on January 2nd and left yesterday. It was a whirlwind of activity while they were here, as always, but a lot of fun and way too short.

I had asked my kids to make me something for Christmas and the older ones did. They are both self-taught in all of their artistic endeavours, which I find pretty impressive. I would never have had the confidence to even try things without instruction.

Holly likes to draw and paint and made me this to hang in my studio:

I am not even sure what mediums she incorporated, I must remember to ask her next time we chat on the phone. If you click on any of the images, you can see them larger. 

The warrior woman with the antler helmet has a lot going on in it, I love it. The bottom part is a sketch of Holly's hands and a quote from a favourite song of hers. It's a beautiful piece of work! Now to find the perfect place for it in my studio.

My son likes to draw too, but he prefers to write. He writes stories, short novels, he journals, and he writes music (both lyrics and the actual music to be played). His gift to me was a book with the lyrics from a CD he is writing. It isn't finished, it is still a work in progress. It is fun for him and therapeutic too, I bet. Here is a photo of the outside of the book:

And the art he drew on the inside of the cover:

I love that Ben has set himself a goal of this sort and love that he wants to share it with me.

Holly asked for a set of sketching pencils in her stocking, and we got Ben back on the road to creating music.

Chloe received a set of knitting looms and also an origami book/paper so she kept her hands busy all through the vacation. She also made all of her siblings tiny scrapbooks for Christmas.

Heidi least likes to work with her hands- but I think it is a time thing for her, because she certainly seems to enjoy making things once she gets going. She decorated a cigar box for Holly as a Christmas gift and did a really great job, Holly loved it!

I don't know if the girls took photos of their projects before giving them away, but if not, I will ask their siblings to take photos for me.

Today is a quiet, creative day- Holly and Ben are safely back home in Canada, Heidi and Chloe are at school, and I am surrounded by my sketching supplies and am going to spend the afternoon having fun!