Artsy Smartsy

Mandalas from High quality Recycled materials

Using recycled records you can tell a story of one's life.Students will choose from different recycled paper scraps, fabrics, metals, and misc. emephera to create a meaningful piece which calls to them an tells a story.

Anyone can be a Picasso

Have fun with these great profile, frontal self portraits put together like a picasso painting! We will then use colors and shapes to turn our self portraits into a mosaic! Paint, colored pencils or oil pastels work great with this lesson!

Candlestick mosaic

Watercolor butterfly mobiles

Magazine to bracelet!

Paper rolling can be fun and a great way to make bracelets , necklaces and earrings!

Customized Family Tree Painting

Family trees can be designed in an unlimited way. Artsy Smartsy can teach family tree lessons in pen and ink, paint, collage, or a combination of them all! This works well with a family member as they can bring all of the famly information to include in the tree!

Calendars

This fun project will allow students to decorate every month of their calendar for their personal needs.Very colorful and holiday appropriate paper will be used! We will do 12 months from the start of the class.

Collaged Candles

Decoupage candles can be made to match your decor, or to be given as gifts. We will use Modge Podge and brightly colored fabrics to cover the candles.

Round Mosaic trivet or stepping stone

Just one of the many stepping stone examples for the garden!

Felted Wool ornaments

There are unlimited options for felting wool, and it is soooooo easy!

May Day Baskets

Stainless Steel buckets make great May Day Baskets! Each student will paint their basket in their favorite colors, and then will put together their own foam flowers, and ladybugs to attach to the side! The plastic liners will allow you to plant them with your favorite plants for Spring!

Making TV Trays at Jones Harrison!

Two of our 14 ladies in St. Louis Park loved their treys and were determined to serve coffee on them the following morning with guests!

100 + year old Hanna, changed by ART!

Hanna was awakened by art. She was rolled into the back of the ART room on our first class because we didn't think she would or could participate), but her enthusiasm grew, and now almost two years later, Hanna looks forward to participating in Art class, has been with us every month and has shown us that at over 100, she still has it! What a role model you are Hanna!

This is why we teach ART!

Look at this face. I see accomplishment, I see pride, I see happiness. I see choice, I see independence. I see how ART can positively effect the last days of seniors! I see my dream, through my own grandma!

Memory Making

We watched her paint a landscape then a river, all things from her memory!

Our volunteer helping Helen on her first watercolor!

Hanna still having a blast!

And wierd, it is PINK!

No-Sew 3D quilts!

Our new student didn't know that "no-sew" quilts could be so fun!

Faith

Need we say more? These fabric collages are inspiring our seniors to make decisions. They choose colors, textures, patterns, and then even their favorite inspirational saying! Even at 100 they can be in control of their choices!

Cigar Box Purse

For the fun and funky artist in all of us!

Wreaths For Every Season

Our high-end fabrics are donated from Interior Designers here in Minneapolis. We have made Christmas, Valentine's Day, Spring, Fourth of July, and Fall Harvest Wreaths. Just add some decorations, and it's ready to hang on your front door for the holidays!

IF you could only see the details...

What a wonderful job one of our students did, with multi-colors, beads and ribbons!

They say you make ART subconciously to match your clothing...

My own nana proved this fact with her red white and pink vase! It is now on my desk! Thanks Nana!

Gallery Worthy Decoupaged Vases!

What some great lighting will do for our already beautiful pieces of art! This is at the front entry of one of our 55+ Coop location.

My favorite things....

Inspired by Kasndinski, this piece reflects styles of Art Nuevo and a hint of Folk Art!

A Starry Success!

In our independent living homes, we search out those who haven't painted in years! Today we recieved private lesson requests after class, as they all had the Artsy Smartsies again!!

Terrazzo Tiles, inspired by the colors of "Starry Night"

Our memory care students use the same colors, brushes, and acrylic techniques of our more advanced students, but they are painting on Terrazo tiles, in lieu of canvas. The Glow-in the Dark paint is a HIT!!

The Smile of Pride!

This smile says it all, accomplishment, pride, and knowing you can STILL do it!

What an inspiration

Maggie has painted her whole life, but with downsizing , has little room for materials in her apartment. Artsy Smartsy allows her to practice her love of ART for free!!

Dried, Iron'd and ready to wear!

This is our collection of half of our Assisted living student's scarves.

YES, YOU CAN DO IT!

"No one would have thought we could do this!" She says, looking over the final scarves at our "gallery time"

Each scarf a different style representing different personalities!

Each of us has an artist hiding inside!

Sister's work together to paint silk!

Our sisters never miss a class at Knollwood Place! This is their special July creation, choosing to hang their silk scarves as banners for their front doors!

Lacy's silk painting matched her outfit!

"You are SOOOOO good with the seniors" Says Gina, a volunteer who has worked with this group of Memory care students MANY times before!  She was amazed at the participation in art class.

Felting is SO easy, anyone can do it!

We will begin with a metal basket, cover it in multiple colors and textures of fun yarn, we will then learn about the ancient art of felting while making a fancy flower for the side! You can then plant it with the flowers of your choice! We will look at other felting products and talk about how they were made!

3D Flowers today!

We encourage all students to be as creative as possible with our materials!! At this class Mark made the most beautiful 3D flowers! The class was in awe!

Think Spring!

This sweet sweet basket made her SOOOOOO happy!!You can see it in her smile!

Kidnapped!

We kidnapped Hanna from her locked memory care unit...if you remember she was moved there 4 months ago, but today I went up and kidnapped her so she could make more PINK ART!!  She did as well as ever! Good job Hanna, it was SOOOOO nice to have you in class again!!!

Handmade papers molds

What a fun and easy project that ANYONE can do! Step one, rip all types of papers. Step two, blend in blender. Thep three, press in mold. Step four, decorate with chalk and adhere to a heart shaped doily. Step five, protect with ModPodge. Step six, enjoy!

Sunrise of Edina has some artsy smartsy's!

Here are a few of our puzzle piece magnets made by our memory care residents at Sunrsie of Edina! And we thought they couldn't sit for 1.5 hours! 

MS Society of Minnesota Pin

What a beauty, inspired by our very own Beth! Join the Movement. The National MS Society, Minnesota Chapter, serves more than 10,000 people living with MS in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

For her sweet new grandaughter..

One of the most rewarding things about Artsy Smartsy is seeing how proud our students are to make a nice gift for a family member!  :) 

What's black and white and red all over?

I sweet pin by our 96 year old student at Providence Place in Minneapolis!

Men's Magnet

Our male student was a construction worker....note the fancy measuring tape ribbon....:)

Neutral color puzzle piece pin

Not everyone likes bright bold colors, we always have a neutral color option for our more conservative folks!  We aim to make EVERYONE happy!

Class monograms, drying till tomorrow!

When does a female's initials come before a man's initials in a "Couples" Monogram??  My students know!

You didn't have fun if you didn't get messy!

The smiles on their faces this month as they make something with their initials on it is so pleasing.  So many times when they first started art classes 2 years ago, they didn't even want their names on the back of some things....They are all gaining so much confidence!

Our artists get an outlet!

We encourage our artists to be a creative and artsy as they'd like to be...Some students have NO PROBLEM with that!!

Fabric Ottmar Monogram.

This monogram is on canvas board with fabric and rug yarn.

"Joy "

This is what this artist must have felt after completing her gold and green door hangar!

The final result

This beautiful ornament is a result of much artistic love!

"I am not even an artist!!

I love hearing these words at the end of a nice classs, filled with pride!

What fun!

Everyone has coins, why not make yourself a little purse?

Wooden frame paintings

What a cute idea for a handpainted wooden frame!

Aren't these adorable!

Think spring.....it is hard NOT to with such a fun colorful project!

Woven bowl, created on a Hula Hoop!

What to do with all those old Hula hoops and fabric....

No Sew pillows

We have unlimited color and pattern choice for men and women!

Artsy Smartsy at the Uptown Art Fair, 2011

Here Tina shows us how to weave rugs, bowls and trivets on Hula Hoops!

Artsy Smartsy also teaches tin stamping!

We even teach pleanty of fun crafts for men!

Flower arranging

Everyone can participate in flower arranging. It is so nice to make something that can be shown and used as a daily home decoration!