parenting

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life – Dolly Parton 

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

In this age of computers and smart phones, reading to your child is more important than ever. Studies show that technology has made people lonelier than ever.

After scanning a recent grocery flyer, I was surprised to see an ad for boxed lunches for kids. Are parents that busy? Making lunch for your child is Parenting 101.

I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised in an age when 4 year olds hold Apple ipads instead of parents’ hands because parents are too busy to spend time with them.

Sadly we have gone from latchkey children to surrogate parenting. There has got to be a better way.

We’ve forgotten the lesson of Covid. Relationships matter. Our time with our children matters.

One of the truest predictors of future success is the amount of reading that children do at a young age. The amount of time children read and are read to predicts whether they will be successful.

elainemariefineart.com

Children are the world’s most valuable resource and the best hope for the future – JFK

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Taking a clue from the book, I painted the modernist bridge against the anachronist Red lighthouse. My contemporary approach in the lighthouse art painting is a delightful, refreshing and compelling contrast to the historic lighthouse. 

The Art Guild of Orange Park is partnering with St. Johns Day School for an exhibit at their new Performing Arts Center. See breathtaking art by artists from local artists. Orange Park, Florida now through January 6, 2025. 

I selected my painting of the Little Red Lighthouse, or Jeffrey’s Hook Lighthouse, as it reflects the power of children to create change.

Made famous by the children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde W. Swift and Lynd Ward, the story inspired hundreds of children to write letters that saved the lighthouse.

Today, it stands as the last lighthouse on the Hudson River and the only remaining one in Manhattan. A tribute to the power of youth. 

A meet and greet for students begins on October 28 at 2 pm and concludes at 4 pm with parents joining in on the discussion. 

elainemariefineart.com

Grab your flip flops, sunshades and imagination

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Explore the Miami Beach Art Deco District through of the eyes children. Splash and Color is an 18 page multicultural coloring book featuring popular sites in Florida’s second most popular destination.

This year, Miami Beach Art Deco Weekend celebrates Florida’s Historic Coastal. These destinations alone draw tourists from around the world. Close to 100.00 visitors attended Miami Beach Art Deco Weekend last year.

The event has expanded, offering free fitness classes, a Classic Car Show, live jazz, an Artisan Market, Kids Zone, and more.

The Arf Deco Dog Walk adds a playful touch, while tours and sketch walks provide additional highlights.

The weekend not only honors Barbara Capitman’s contributions but also advocates for the preservation of the city’s rich architectural heritage,

Capitman’s unwavering vision and determination gave rise to the iconic Art Deco District, the first 20th-century neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She was the founder of the Miami Design Preservation League.

elainemariefineart.com

splashandcolor.com

Play is really the work of childhood. Fred Rogers

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

When my children were young, we had play dates. Each child would select an activity for everyone for a morning. My son’s favorite activity was going to the playground at the lake. As he grew older, he wanted to try fishing. We bought him one of those fishing reels for children to practice his angling skills. As he grew older, fishing became a lifelong passion.

As teenagers he and his fishing buddy would venture to the most dangerous places in search of bass and other fish. I tried my best to discourage his sense of “adventure” but he constantly outwitted me until I gave up.

When he entered college, he majored in Marine Biology to pursue his childhood love.

We tend to “downplay” the importance of play in children’s lives. The Academy of Pediatricians states that play is fundamentally important in developing skills such as problem solving, collaboration and creativity.

playquotes

elainemariefineart.com

Grab your sunshades, flip flops & imagination

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Splash and Color is an 18 page multicultural coloring book featuring popular sites in Florida’s second most popular destination.

Miami Beach is a hub of creativity. In December, Art lovers from around the world flock to its sunny shores during Art Basel; the United States biggest art fair.

Art Deco Weekend continues the momentum and fanfare on January 13-15. Its 800 plus Art Deco buildings are the largest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world.

Explore the Miami Beach Art Deco District through the eyes of children. Splash and Color is an 18 page multicultural coloring book featuring popular sites in Florida’s second most popular destination.

splash and color.com

Behind every child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first. Matthew Jacobson

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Because shuttle launches were loosening the prism of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse’s fresnel lens, in 1993 a high powered searchlight replaced it.

Mae Jemison has always reached for the stars. In 1992, she became the first African American woman to become an astronaut.

Jemison was born in Decatur, Alabama. When she was three years old, her family moved to Chicago in pursuit of better education for their children. Throughout Mae’s early school years her parents were supportive of her talents and abilities.

When she was young she had a love for science. Jemison dedicated time in her school library reading books on science, especially astronomy.

When she graduated in 1973 as an honor student, Jemison entered Stanford University on a National Achievement Scholarship. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering in 1977.

After entering Cornell University, Jemison led a study for the American Medical Association in Cuba. She also worked in a Cambodian Refugee Camp in Thailand. Mae Jemison graduated with an MD from Cornell then worked as the area Peace Corps medical officer for Sierra Leone. She is fluent in Russian, Japanese and Swahili.

In 1985 Mae Jemison decided to pursue her childhood dream. She was chosen out of 2,000 candidates for the NASA astronaut training program in 1986. As a science mission specialist she was responsible for conducting crew-related scientific experiments on the space shuttle. Jemison flew into space on September 12, 1992, with six other astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavor.

MaeJemisonBio

elainemarieartist.com

When dreams take flight

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

During airshow season, the Blue Angels team is stationed at Fort Sherman Field, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Their mission is to bring aviation to men, women and children across America. For over 70 years they have mesmerized over more than 450 million spectators.

It is in the nature of a child to dream. Adults sometimes dismiss these dreams as wishful thinking forgetting they once had childhood dreams.

As planes flew over his family farm in Georgia, Donnie Cochran began dreaming of becoming a pilot. The farm seemed to beckon the aircraft. Because the planes’ flight path was over the farm, the daily sighting became a ritual.

When he became older he pursued his dream and became a Navy pilot. The challenge of flying the fighter and flying off a Navy ship inspired him. In 1976, he graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the Navy.

In 1986, Commander Donnie Cochran became the first African American to become a member of the Blue Angel Flight team. He also made history in 1995 and 1996 by becoming the first African American Blue Angels commanding officer.

DonnieCochran

elainemarieartist.com

The Ultimate Superhero Test

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

You can not dream yourself into character, you must hammer and forge yourself into one. Henry David Thorea

I enjoy watching Star Trek mostly because of the dialogue. The series is replete with powerful quotes like this one: “Death is the Ultimate Character Test.”

I thought about this quote as I watched the Memorial Service for Colin Powell. His son Micheal Powell said that “We can’t emulate the resume of Colin Powell but we can emulate his eulogy.” That’s striking because our family members know us best. Colin Powell left a profound impression on his son that was exemplified in his personal and public life.

Just like the rest of us, Colin Powell had his flaws. But he was able to admit them.

At his core he was a thoughtful, kind and compassionate leader.

splashandcolor.com

Book Review: Lily Brown’s Painting

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

Lily Brown’s Painting by Angela Johnson and EB Lewis is a positive and uplifting book that younger children will enjoy. This book highlights the creativity, strengths and love of a delightful African American girl. Lily has a zest for life, adores her family and especially her baby brother.

Lilly is a compassionate and kind girl with an active imagination. She explores the world through her art.

Children and their families will create a watercolor painting of the stars from the book, Lily Brown’s Painting.

While there is a reference to art by Van gogh, Lily also finds inspiration and appreciation in everyday occurrences and elevates them to imaginative heights. There are no limits to her creativity. Lily becomes one with her art often immersing herself in the paintings.

I love that the author, Angela Johnson shares center stage with the illustrator. There is a nice foreword by the artist, EB Lewis, about his creative progress.

Check out my website for lesson plans for this book and other art workshops.

splash and color.com

Justice Delayed

Posted on by Voicesoflighthouses

The painting “Bus” by Jacob Lawrence.

I love the artist Jacob Lawrence. I’m not alone —-one of his paintings recently broke an auction record to become among the most expensive works by an African American Artist. Lawrence depicted many social events in his paintings.

In the Jacob Lawrence workshop, students will learn about the US executive, legislative and judicial branches of government and discuss the role of the artist in society. Students will create a painting inspired by Jacob Lawrence. This curriculum meets National Educational Standards.

Jacob Lawrence’s painting “Bus” depicted life in the segregated South. The painting shows a bus with whites comfortably seated and blacks jammed in the back with empty seats separating the two races. It is painted in his signature gouache on paper with brown, blue and red color scheme.

To learn more about the Jacob Lawrence workshop and others, visit my website.

splash and color.com