Art by Dawn Eaton
  • Home
  • Prints and Merchandise
  • Available Paintings
  • About the Artist & Contact
  • Portfolio
    • What Grows Out of the Dirt
    • Fruit

Discovering Daffodils & the Beauty Found in the Refrigerator

6/5/2014

0 Comments

 
These kids are amazing! They worked hard at looking and adjusting each line and shape without complaint. Mixing colors and developing the lights and darks came with their choice of oil or dry pastel.
Beyond the gorgeous results, the best part of this project for me was the students' discovery of how cool daffodils are! After carefully observing them, they were excited to notice them blooming all over town!
Picture
Kyleigh, grade 4
Picture
Savanna, grade 2
Picture
Leah, grade 2
Picture
Alex, grade 4
Picture
Matthew, grade 2
Picture
Ella, grade 1
Picture
Peyton, grade 1

Who knew that a random variety of jars and bottles from the refrigerator could look so good?!
The challenges here included drawing each different shape (harder than it looks.), positioning each container on the table (some higher, some lower, some tucked behind others) to show depth on a flat piece of paper, and using good colored pencil technique to the very end (requires patience!).
For color, we ignored the 'real' colors and students began with one main (favorite) color and then chose a color harmony (complementary, analogous, secondary) to complete their work.
Mixing and balancing colors were part of the fun, too!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Click here for information about art classes.
Subscribe to Art by Dawn Eaton - Blog by E-mail
0 Comments

Fragrant Beauty

11/23/2013

1 Comment

 
Fragrant Beauty
Picture
Fragrant Beauty, ©Dawn Eaton, 18x36in., acrylic on wrapped canvas
Although I do stop and smell the roses (Really, I do.) and take photographs -  up until now, I hadn't stopped to paint them.

But then my friend, Dorota, commissioned me to paint a picture for her - a rose.

I consider 'Fragrant Beauty' a portrait of Dorota in the form of a flower.

The passionate red, the layers of color, the flowing lines and the light shining through - Beauty...Dorota.

This lovely woman is the owner and sole beautician at DKN Salon in Glen Ellyn, IL.
We met 3 years ago when my family moved to the area. During my first few appointments, other clients stopped in to just to say hello or to bring Dorota gifts. I thought to myself, "Don't these people have lives?"

Well...now I understand. When you enter DKN, it's like being invited into Dorota's home. I am greeted with a hug and a "How are you, My Friend?" - I doubt that I am the only one. :) She offers coffee, tea, wine, water and european candies. She works her magic and our conversation begins.

I am inspired by Dorota's life story:  leaving her home country of Poland in her late teens, living in Germany for a couple of years as a young bride, moving to the United States, having 2 boys, then raising them as a single mom - and owning her own business. I am blessed by Dorota's warmth, generosity, servant heart, strength, openness to learning, faith and
character.

A fragrant beauty.


Fall II - Drawing Class
These kids amaze me.
Picture
Matthew, grade 2
Picture
Luke, grade 3
Picture
Jack, grade 2

Picture
Josie, grade 6
Picture
Victoria, grade 8
Picture
Grace, grade 8
1 Comment

Sharpening our Senses

10/4/2013

0 Comments

 
"The world is full of magic things
patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper."

- WB Yeats
When we stop to observe what is in front of us - taking time to study it so that we can capture it on paper - we are sharpening our senses. We discover what we would normally pass by.
Our appreciation grows for the 'magic' that surrounds us.

My 1st through 5th grade students rose to the challenge of drawing from life. It can be easier to draw from a photo. The view is cropped for us and what is 3-dimensional has already been translated to a 2-dimensional image. The landscape (a view from my backyard) was especially challenging - but SO good for stretching our observational skills!

Click on the image for a larger (and complete) view.
Click here for current information on classes.
0 Comments

Traveling the World...in Art

8/10/2013

0 Comments

 
In our last week of summer classes, my students and I traveled around the world in 5 days.
We kept our artwork to 5x7 inches - a lit bit bigger than a post card.

It was exciting to imagine flying around the globe.
I loved seeing the confidence grow as the kids approached drawing a variety of subjects within the week.

There's more to see! Click on each image to the students' work from each continent:

THE AMAZON RAINFOREST in SOUTH AMERICA
Using colored pencil, creating a foreground, middle ground and background &
mixing a variety of greens.

Picture
Danny, age 9

FAMOUS LANDMARKS in EUROPE
Constructing a building out of basic shapes before looking closer for details. Pen & Ink.
Picture
Eric, age 7

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF in AUSTRALIA
(aerial view)
Drawing one line at a time - looking at where the line starts and where it finishes.
Looking for light and dark values & mixing blues and greens.
Picture
Ella, age 7

A SAFARI in AFRICA
Building an animal with basic shapes. Comparing sizes and adding details.
Creating light and dark values with pencil.
Picture
Kai, age 9

The HIMALAYAS in ASIA
The same drawing approach as The Great Barrier Reef: one line at a time.
Drawn on black paper with white colored pencil.
Students chose between colored pencil and tempera paint to mix their colors.
Picture
Matthew, age 7


If you are viewing this post via e-mail and would like to comment, click here.
0 Comments

Flower Power

7/25/2013

2 Comments

 
Sometimes I feel the need to remind my students of how young and amazing they are!
I hated to see these paintings head out the door!

Get ready for gorgeous flowers created with a variety of materials and compositions.
Each color you see is a color they mixed. :)

(For those who are interested, I linked some of the art materials to the product we used.)
TEMPERA PAINT:
Students zoomed in on the flower - creating interesting centers and their own unique flower.
Picture
Leah, age 6
Picture
Andrew, age 7
Picture
Eric, age 7
Picture
John, age 7
Picture
James, age 8
Picture
Ashley, age 9
Picture
Ella, age 7
Picture
Jack, age 7

OIL PASTEL W/ WATERCOLOR WASH:
These young artists created a bouquet of flowers including 2 or 3 different kinds of flowers
and a chosen color harmony. (secondary, analogous, complementary)
Picture
John, age 7
Picture
Leah, age 6
Picture
Ashley, age 9
Picture
Eric, age 7
Picture
Jack, age 7
Picture
James, age 8
Picture
Andrew, age 7

LIQUID WATERCOLORS (I like to call them watercolor dyes.):
Each student chose a photograph and looked carefully at each petal they drew.
They also chose whether they wanted to work with a rectangular or square piece of paper.
Picture
Ashley, age 9
Picture
Jack, age 7
Picture
Ella, age 7
Picture
Andrew, age 7
Picture
James, age 8
Picture
Eric, age 7
Picture
John, age 7

ACRYLIC PAINT ON CANVAS:
These girls worked on developing light and dark values while learning how to manipulate acrylic paint on an 8x10 canvas. (They are also quite competitive when it comes to 'Name that Musical' while listening to songs on Pandora's 'Showtunes' station.)

Picture
Cameron, grade 7
Picture
Kristen, grade 7

If you are viewing this post via e-mail or RSS feed and would like to comment, click here.

Click here for more information on upcoming classes.
2 Comments

Planes 'n Trains

7/23/2013

0 Comments

 
Because of the angles  and details -  planes, trains and automobiles are interesting, but not easy to draw. These guys did great!

Do you see the use of 1-point perspective in the trains?
Picture
Justus, age 9
Picture
Matthew, age 7
Picture
Luke, age 8
Picture
Danny, age 9
Along with the challenges (and success!) with drawing, I couldn't resist the opportunity to develop light and dark values and incorporate color mixing into our projects.

In the train pictures, all the gray and brown colors were created by mixing complementary colors (colors that are opposites on the color wheel).

In the airplane drawings, students created some aerial perspective by making the sky darker at the top of the page, and lighter as they approached the horizon line (where the sky meets the ground).
Picture
Danny, age 9
Picture
Justus, age 9
Picture
Luke, age 8
Picture
Matthew, age 7
Our last day of class included the opportunity to draw cool cars. Again the kids worked on seeing and drawing the unique angles and details found in their vehicles.
0 Comments

Fine Feathered Friends

7/9/2013

2 Comments

 
What a creative, focused and thoroughly enjoyable group of kids!

Together, we explored the world of birds through oil pastel & watercolor, pen & ink with colored pencil, acrylic paint and Tombow markers.

Students also experienced what it felt like to create on different surfaces -
construction paper, watercolor paper, wood and shiny slick paper.
Picture
Danny, age 9
Picture
Ian, age 9
Picture
John, age 7
Picture
Lucas, age 7
Picture
Danny, age 9
Picture
John, age 7
Picture
Ian, age 9
Picture
Lucas, age 7
Picture
Matthew, age 7
Picture
Ian, age 9
Picture
John, age 7
Picture
Matthew, age 7
Picture
Ian, age 9
Picture
Danny, age 9
Picture
Matthew, age 7
Picture
Lucas, age 7
Picture
Matthew, age 7
Picture
Lucas, age 7
2 Comments

Leapin' Lizards

7/3/2013

4 Comments

 
Summertime -  my creative energy has shifted to spending time with my own children, teaching art classes, taking photographs and painting when I can carve out quiet blocks of time. :)

In last week's 'Leapin' Lizards' class, students created 2-dimensional drawings and 3-D sculptures.
The enthusiasm of this group was contagious!
One of the boys came in one morning - a huge grin on his face - and said, "I just can't stop smiling!" When I asked him why, he replied, "Because I'm at art class!" Apparently, he was up early,  all ready to come... 2 hours before class started.  Love it!

Each student chose their own lizard picture to work from and we spent the week observing shapes, creating textures and mixing colors - AND getting our hands all slimy with papier mache!

Picture
Alex, age 9
Picture
Matthew, age 7
Picture
Matthew, age 7
Picture
Jack, age 7
Picture
Jack, age 7
Picture
Alex, age 9
Picture
Andrew, age 7
Picture
Andrew, age 7
Picture
James, age 8
Picture
James, age 8
Picture
Eric, age 7
Picture
Eric, age 7
Picture
Danny, age 9
Picture
Danny, age 9
4 Comments

Frogs n' Bikes

6/19/2013

0 Comments

 
Springtime in art class meant drawing some frogs and bicycles.

There was quite a bit of drawing practice as each student enlarged a small tree frog photo onto 9x12 black paper. Just trying to figure out where all those toes go was a bit tricky!

Using oil pastels, the kids then mixed colors and values (lights and darks).

Rich, vibrant results! 
Picture
Matthew, grade 1
Picture
Danny, grade 3
Picture
Alex, grade 3
Picture
Leah, grade 1

I will post the bike drawings tomorrow.

Click here to see a schedule for upcoming children's classes.
0 Comments

Wow - These kids are amazing!

5/23/2013

0 Comments

 
On Wednesday afternoons, I have had the privilege to create with these fantastic jr. high kids. (Seriously, they are the nicest kids!) 
Here are some of their amazing accomplishments:
Picture
Grace, pencil
Picture
Eileen, pencil - Norman Rockwell's 'The Decorator'
Picture
Caroline, pencil - Norman Rockwell's 'Lion and his Keeper'
Picture
Eileen, acrylic on canvas
Picture
Cale, acrylic on canvas
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Dawn Eaton

    Welcome!

    Continually stunned and amazed by the messages of hope I discover growing out of the dirt -
    I am intrigued, so I keep on digging... and discovering.


    Join me on the journey.


    Subscribe by entering your e-mail address below.

    Click if you would like to know a little more about me.


    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    April 2019
    March 2017
    June 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012

    Categories

    All
    Art Education
    Central Dupage Hospital
    Creative Pursuits
    Delnor Hospital
    Fresh Off The Easel
    Inspiration
    In The News
    Programs/Workshops
    Small Paintings
    Students' Work
    The Process
    Unique Gifts
    Why I'm Blogging

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Prints and Merchandise
  • Available Paintings
  • About the Artist & Contact
  • Portfolio
    • What Grows Out of the Dirt
    • Fruit