Tuesday, May 28, 2013

THIRD BALLERINA IN

I showed this sketch to my Laney last night when she graced me with her company, and it got her little stamp of approval! Then I got news from her mom that starting late June she'll be taking her first ballet class. Can't wait!! I'm thinking I'll do another series - but this time of tiny ballerinas. I love their tenacious little ways of trying soooo hard to get it right - without losing their balance! 




Wednesday, May 22, 2013

THE GRACEFUL ART OF LITTLE BALLERINAS



I raised two daughters ... and granted it had it's emotional downpours from the typical stuff girls are made of, but it's all I really knew. I knew Barbie dolls and puppet shows and the giggles of girlie things. But years later, when my firstborn had her firstborn - a son .... then another son.... and then another, life became an explosion of wrestling and loud video games and "men". You know, Spider Man, The Hulk, Darth Vader .... on the opposite spectrum of The Barbie, Cabbage Patch, and Strawberry Shortcake. And my drawings reflected it. Monkeys, bears - no flowers, no frills.

Then along came Delaney. A very, very Girlie-girl, gifted by my second-born daughter. A child who glided across the floor post-first steps, delicately carrying her little purse inside the crook of her elbow. Not a Spider Man bone in her body. And then one day, not long after her 2nd birthday, her mother introduced her to ballet, the Nutcracker, at our local theater. And that's all she wrote! The living room ottoman is her "stage", as she appears ballet'd up in her pink dance slippers and sparkly blue dress, doing her miniature contortions with the grand finale of a tiny graceful bow.
    
Now THAT'S inspiration for some fun stuff! - Wall Art for the little ballerina's room. 

First stage, pencil sketches ... more to come:



P.S. If you're with children who do ballet, I'd love to hear your feedback!


Delaney ... choreographer, dancer.