Drooly Dog Gallery: Katharina's Cat/Dog Show!

Katharina wants us to know there is a Cat and Dog show coming up.

Wow Katharina, this is going to be a very fast show, since it looks like they only have one minute to get it all done! Perhaps they will run around really fast like they do in that dog show they have on TV. Have you seen it?

Actually, I kind of wonder whether this is a show put on BY the cat and dog, like they are the two anchors on a news program. Perhaps they will give a report on the state of things for cats and dogs today.

Thanks for sending this! And everyone else, join the Drooly Dog Gallery of Kids' Art! For more on the Gallery, you can check out this page or see us on Facebook!

Kids' Art - Ahmad's Art Might Get Up and Walk Around.

Ahmad is 8, and sent this from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Something about this jacket makes me think it is going to get up and go somewhere. I think it might be the way the arms are positioned. It is kind of leaning on the wall there, waiting for something. But I really want to see it move!

It reminds me of stop-motion animations. Are you familiar with those? Stop motion animations are made by taking a picture, then moving your character, then taking another picture, and so on, and then showing all the pictures together very fast, like a flip book. When you do that, it looks like the character is actually moving. Wallace and Gromit were made using stop-motion animation with clay, also called "claymation."

Here is a little piece of animation that was made with paper:

Thank you Ahmad for sending this, it will be interesting to see if other people think that it might get up and move also!

And everyone else, send me artwork! The Drooly Dog Drawing Project is all about looking at, and talking about, kids' art. You can check us out on Facebook, or learn more about the project here. Thanks for reading!

The Drooly Dog Goes 3D with Ben's Sculpture!

Yes, it's the first official Drooly Dog sculpture, by Ben.

Sometimes when something exciting happens, you just have to make some art about it.

In this case, the Giants had just won the World Series and Ben felt the need to commemorate the moment by building a tribute to the Giants' closer, Brian Wilson.

Ben, I am wondering how long it took you to make this! I understand that the blue scarf is "The Beard."

This is fascinating how you used so many different things to make the body parts. You had to think about what would stand up, and where the clothes would go, and how to give your sculpture legs. The boots are a great idea since they stand up on their own. I think all sculptors have to think about this all the time - how do I make something that is going to be what I want, and still stand up?

And the use of the track from the matchbox cars is a great idea since you can put it any way you want and it will still hold up. Those tracks are really useful aren't they?

Thanks to your mom for sending this - Ben you might start a whole movement of kids making sculptures!

And everyone else, send me art (paintings, drawings, sculptures, works in sand or dirt or whatever) by young artists! Here's more about the Drooly Dog Drawing (and Sculpture) Project, or join us on Facebook. Talking to kids about their art can change the world, and we're just getting started.

Kid' Art - Aaisha's Amazing Sunflower

Aaisha is 6 years old and sent this picture from Johannesburg, South Africa.

Aaisha you draw very strong shapes and use very bright colors! That is one amazing sunflower. There are so many things to look at here, the leaves, and the house. And I really like the way you drew the sun in the sky too, with those big thick rays coming out of it.

I am curious about this house, it looks like I can see the inside and the outside at the same time! There was an artist named Pablo Picasso who did the same thing, showing things from the inside out. Your colors, though remind me of an artist named Henri Matisse. You should look at some of his paintings!

I am interested in the insides of the house, all those little rooms and the different colors. It looks like it is big inside, with lots of places to explore in there.

Thank you for sending this Aaisha! I think this will make the day bright for lots of people.

And everyone else, send me artwork! The Drooly Dog Drawing Project is all about looking at, and talking about, kids' art. You can check us out on Facebook, or learn more about the project here. Thanks for reading!

Kids' Art - Meret will Make You Happy.

Meret is five and a half years old, and sends this drawing from Germany. Her dad says that she drew him this picture on a day when he was feeling stressed.

Meret I had a stressful day recently also, and I have to say that this drawing makes me feel better. All of the shapes seem to be smiling! The colors are so bright, and the hearts are so friendly looking. I love the round windows, also! That makes me think about windows in a different way, like maybe they are the eyes of a building looking out at me.

Also, you used different colors in your background to show things that are far away. This is not an easy thing to do! Have your dad show you the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, and look at the way he made the background. You will notice that he put things back there using different colors too, so that they looked farther away.

Thank you Meret! I think I will look at this whenever I am sad.

And everyone else, send me kids' art for the Drooly Dog Drawing Project! You can attach it to me at mailATbetsystreeter.com, or learn more about the project by clicking here or checking it out on Facebook.

Kids' Art - Rachel Goes Underwater

Rachel is in first grade, and this is her drawing. Note all the captions and speech bubbles!

Rachel there is a lot going on here in trout world! You must have spent a lot of time choosing your colors and adding the details. I notice also that you paid a lot of attention to what a trout looks like, and how the eggs all look like little eyeballs. And the magnifying glass is a very clever way to give people a closer look.

My favorite thing though, is the person who is not even in the drawing. We know they are there because there are clues at the top. There are musical notes letting us know that the person is singing, and then the words to their song. And then, there is the fishing line coming down from above the water. To make that, you had to think about how you would let people know there is a fisherman there, even though you can't see them. You have to have the point of view of the person looking at the picture. This is very tricky, and it makes your picture go right off of the piece of paper! I think that is really interesting and it adds a lot to your scene and makes it into a story.

Thank you for sending this Rachel! And everyone else, send me kids' artwork so I can write to them about it here. We're starting a conversation about the work of young artists and the role it plays in their lives and ours. Attach it to me at mailATbetsystreeter.com, or learn more about the project by clicking here or checking it out on Facebook.

The Gift of the Creative Beast

Another piece in praise of those who bring out our best. Enjoy!

The Gift of the Creative Beast

View more presentations from Betsy Streeter

Kids' Art - George draws action - with sound effects!

George is 6. And he also has some ideas about action scenes and animation, I think.

George, it's really interesting how you show things moving through the air here, as if this was a movie. And then you add sound effects to go with it! I am wondering what the guy sitting there in front of the mountain range is thinking, though. He seems like he is not really involved. But maybe he is! Maybe he is in charge of strategy.

This also reminds me of action movies, like "Indiana Jones," where they start out with a very big, wide view of the action before they zoom in on any details. The next time you watch a movie, see if you can find the wide shots - they often show things from above, as if you are in an airplane or something. They do it in "Cars," too, when they show a really big view of the desert and the mountains.

Thanks George for having your mom send this! If you have anything to add feel free to have your parents help you add a comment!

I am always delighted to receive artwork by kids - and to talk to them about it! Learn more about the Drooly Dog Drawing Project, and send me something!

Kids' Art - a Fantasy Landscape by Conny

Conny is 6, and this is his landscape drawing. Take a look:

Conny I really like the shapes in this drawing. It has a lot of your personality in it, the way you make your lines a certain way. The stem on the flower and the rays of the sun and the outline of the hills all have a kind of shape to them. It makes me want to get out my pencil and start drawing. And there is lots of space in the sky, which makes it seem like maybe it is a kind of quiet place, where the tree and the flower are there all alone. The tree and the flower are so different from each other - one is very strong and the other is long and thin and graceful.

Thank you for having your parents send this drawing Conny!