Doodle Dogs

Hello, Week 2!
Today, I want to start with a simple prompt to get your creativity flowing: pick up a pencil and doodle with us.  Jump below for more …
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Week 2: Dog Doodles: 
(#willowdaydoodles)

I feel like I’m moving on and into 2016 without a proper hello or review of 2015 but, I feel so focused and enthused about the year ahead and meeting you with new ways to inject everyday inspiration, creativity and travel that I’m hoping you’re ready to leap forward with us!

As the year starts, I really want to listen to and respond to what I hear you are asking for.  I read and try to respond to all of your email, mails and comments on Instagram and Facebook and one area that I’ve had a lot of response to is family creating. I love creating family projects with simple materials.   If you follow us on Instagram, I’ve posted a few family projects if you’re looking for more family or group inspiration (here | here | here),too.  
And, if you do this project, I’d love to see your work.
Just use the hashtag: #willowdaydoodles to share.
 
Let’s get Started:
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Materials:
All you need is paper and something to draw with.
1. Pick up a pencil and find paper.
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2.  Draw dogs.
(Alternative: Pick one animal. I choose dogs, but you don’t have to. Make that animal the theme, if you don’t want dogs.)
Have fun.These are just simple line drawings.  There is no right or wrong way to draw your version of a dog. Just draw! Doodling is about staying loose. It should be started and finished quickly and spontaneously and can lead to a study that could become a later, dog portrait or drawing (like these, here) 
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Thoughts on art supplies:
I feel like you already know what you like, but, then, again, meet people who would like to know more and I’m so pleased to share what I like.
So: for drawing:
– No 2 Drawing Pencils
– Stabilo Markers for their fine tips.
– Crayola Markers which come is such great colours.
We don’t have these yet in Sweden, but, I always, pick up a pack when we’re visiting the US.
In terms of paper, I like drawing pads both for the small ritual of assigning a use of these for the task along with the more optimal fiber content that usually leads to better line quality and less bleeding. That being said, if you don’t have a drawing pad, you can doodle on anything: computer paper and backs of envelopes. (In fact, decorating envelopes with doodles is one of my favorite things to do and you could turn this doodle project into an envelope decorating project, like these.)
Family or Group Creating:

This can be done at any age, but, as a mother, meet so many people who feel that they have no time to be creative with their kids or don’t know what to do. My best advise is to not over think this or over complicate projects.

All three of our kids have very heavy academic and extracurricular actitives so projects that work are simple ones with very few materials. It can be fun to make larger projects but, for me, in a house of boys who’s choose shooting a baseball over an afternoon of painting and our daughter, often, singing so I’d love to share projects that actually work and ones where we’d had fun.

I don’t wait for the kids to ask me, but, instead set this up as an invitation that I organise and present.  Applying the same concept of good eating, “I prefer to lead the kids to broccoli in form of interesting recipes and presentation, rather than forcing a food;” the same applies to art.

This past weekend,  all I had to do was to bring out the pens, paper and ask everyone in the house to “draw me a dog.” They drew and drew and could leave and pick up all weekend. We have so many great drawings that I’m now thinking of different ways we can use these (Like the Pet Gallery Wall, (here)that I’ve mentioned earlier or as Personalized Envelopes. (here) or simply just because. Just because is enough. 

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