It's Not All Paint and Pencils

 Today the girls got a true taste of "outsider" art. We started in the studio making some pretty funky mustaches that cracked me up, finishing up our super secret projects and packing up our stuff before heading out to the park. We spent some time talking about a variety of art forms. Art is all around us, performance arts like music, dance, film making and circus arts are all incredible forms of art. Guerilla art is art that incorporates or adds to the environment around us. Today we combined the two and spent the day in the park creating installations, learning how to juggle balls and rings and clubs, hula hooping, and last but never least, creating laughter and joy!

We brought our painted rocks to hide throughout the park for people to stumble upon . . .

 We typed notices on the typewriter:


NOTICE the leaves in the trees. 


NOTICE the sound of squirrels scrambling in the bushes. 


NOTICE the sound of the birds, how happy they are to be flying.


And secret messages and fortunes on the label maker:


YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL TODAY.


SOMEONE IS THINKING ABOUT YOU.


I HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY.

We planted a wish tree. We brought our homemade wish tags to hang in a tree by the path, then left an envelope tied to the tree's trunk filled with blank tags and pens for people to leave their own wishes behind with ours. 

I wish you sweetness.


I wish you love.


I wish you peace.


I wish you days of green grass and full-moon nights.

We planted a smiley face garden . . . 

Then just before lunch my friend Paul and his little sister Katie arrived. Paul and Katie are both artists. Paul is a musician and he and Katie are both (self-taught) jugglers. Paul learned to juggle about a year and a half ago and then taught Katie. Paul performs with an organization called Juggling Life, which works to heal and inspire emotionally disadvantaged kids through juggling shows and workshops. He's been featured with the Italian Fairy on Broadway, was in the Macy's parade and can be seen on an upcoming episode of Quiero Mis Quince on MTV Tres. He and Katie both love to entertain friends and family with their skills. Paul can juggle anything! Balls, rings, clubs, knives and flaming batons. Katie can hula hoop and juggle at the SAME time. 


The girls were enthralled and after watching them perform they got the chance to use all of Paul's equipment (except the knives) and try it for themselves. 

 
After all our practicing and performing we were hungry! We ate a picnic lunch and then the girls walked through the park leaving little surprises everywhere.

 Before we knew it, it was time to head back for pick up. We cleaned up our spot in the park, packed up the juggling suitcase and spun the hula hoops home.
 

 Some handsome young boys had a snow cone stand and gave us free snow cones to cool us off after all our guerilla art in the park. They were delicious and the perfect ending to a pretty sweet day.

 
Abby quickly grabbed the label maker when we got back to the studio and added a label to her painted box. I think today was a huge success. We discovered some new talents, made people smile, and best of all spread the joy of ART throughout the park!