This weekend work, fun, family time and school all came together for a really enjoyable afternoon at the Minnetonka Art Center. A family friend had a piece in the gallery show “About Face” running this month there. I was also writing about the show for Hmong Times.

We had planned on the whole family going but Proeun wasn’t feeling well and Two stayed with him. So the girls all came with me. I had planned on just working and having the girls come for company but I was happy to discover a really awesome teaching opportunity.

The museum had set up a learning activity for the children. They were all given clip boards and asked to notice the different eye, nose, mouth and chin shapes on the portraits in the exhibit.

Avril took her work very seriously, carefully recording the shapes she liked.

Then they could pick from one of 3 different heads and put their faces together on it.

Mavis even got into it with a little help.

Another activity we worked on was guessing what media (camera, paint, charcoal and pastels or digital) were used to make the pictures.

I couldn’t resist getting an art book with prompts for 365 Things to Draw and Paint, The children have really enjoyed it and it helps mommy out coming up with ideas.