No Need To Be Sour, D'oh!

Matt H., South Bend, IN

Matt's baking competition continues with a sourdough sandwich bread. Look at that crumb! This is going to be a hard one to beat. 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

 Celeste, Granger, IN

Pheonix, Granger, IN

Devlin, Granger, IN

One of our SJCPL families made collages to celebrate Earth Day. The challenge was reusing material to make a college all about the creator. 

How did you celebrate Earth Day?

Papier-Mache Your Day Away!

Dana L., South Bend, IN

How cute are these little fellas? We all need more animals around! 

To make yours:

• shoebox
• papier-mache (made with glue)
• paint and brush 

Papier Mache Instructions

Reflecting on Your Surroundings!

 [Fig. 1]

 [Fig. 2]

[Fig. 3]

Deb M., Niles, MI

[Fig. 1] What is real anymore?

[Fig. 2] Sunday morning walk.

[Fig. 3] Lola, the best co-worker ever. 

Valiant Effort!

Matt H.'s Dad, Somewhere in Indiana

In response to his son's beautiful loaf that was posted on ________ Matt H.'s dad tried his own hand at it. This is a wonderful example of a "Quaranfail" which goes to show that many of our hobbies, activities, attempts at new challenges during this time staying at home, is more about the journey than the destination. Matt H.'s Dad has the ability to look at this with a sense of humor too, as he made the meme below to commemorate such an ambitious occassion (Matt's braided loaf can be seen in the upper left hand quadrant.) The folks here at the smART blox applaud Matt's Dad for his aspirations, bravery, and humor!

The Golden Hour

Penelope J. Nicholls

In regards to my painting “Chicago Sunrise”...

I approached my subject as an experimental piece that I’ve had on my mind for a long 

time. I wanted to incorporate gold leaf along with oil paint to help me to express the 

beauty and power of our sunrise over Chicago’s lakefront setting. 

Chicago is depicted in silhouette against a purple (violet) sky. 

The sun magically turns into gold to show its viewers how beautifully we 

complement each other.

Parchment of Many Colors!

Olivia H., 18 months old

Finger paints on parchment, unabashed enthusiasm, zero fear of criticism. 

What's this? What's this?

Clint S., South Bend, IN

This is called my Jack Collection. A stool to accompany these little fellows is in the works.

"Oh, there's an empty place in my bones, that calls out for something unknown." — Jack Skellington

Unexpected Connections

Sara M., South Bend, IN

I have always liked making collages...probably because it's easier than drawing, and I don't really know how to draw! I like to find weird old books at thrift stores and antique shops to use. Ss I learned more about art history, I realized some other reasons that collage is really cool. In surrealism, it's one of the techniques used to tap into one's unconscious and form unexpected connections. It can be used for social commentary and critique. This 1956 work by British artist Richard Hamilton ushered in the Pop Art movement. It's called Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? and features carefully-selected clippings from American magazines. 

A Rose By Any Other Name!

Erin L., Plymouth, IN

Watercolor exploration results in a relaxing evening. 

Mask Me A Question!

Erin D., South Bend, IN

Mask making is all the rage, not just for the pretty colors and patterns, but because they are so needed. People all over the country are stepping out to help the cause, and so our the residents of St. Joseph County!

The Golden Stitch!

Rachel Y., South Bend, IN

Golden Girls is one of my favorite forms of comfort entertainment, and I'm looking forward to getting this into a frame at some point. It was a pretty quick project, and I got the therapeutic satisfaction of stabbing something over and over again :)

3,2,1... Blast Off!

Amy R., South Bend, IN

To infinity and beyond! Our amazon boxes have come in handy in providing us with materials for our imaginary intergalactic travel adventures. The possibilities are endless with a little packing tape, some cardboard, and a healthy dose of imagination.

Cabinet of Curiosities!

Debbie O., South Bend, IN

I decided to paint the cabinets in my art/craft/office room. I went from a gingham pattern to classic white. I painted the knobs to match the back door hardware. I painted the cabinet doors a gingham pattern using a glazing technique 11 years ago and decided it was time for a change. Change is good!

Pesto Change-O!

Matt H., South Bend, IN

More from the Great Baker, a pesto swirl loaf that whisks you away to a land of delicious goodness and light fluffy delicacies. Imagining how good this tastes is almost as good as having it in reality. Almost. 

UPDATE: Recipe can be found here: Swirled Garlic Herb Bread Recipe

Things Are Heating Up!

Matt H. South Bend, IN

The competition between Matt and his sister continues! This artisan loaf made from his sourdough starter, Hestia, is a perfect 10!

Collaged in Your Own Image!

Dana L., South Bend, IN

Collage and Draw...

Create your own greeting cards!

Your Friends and Relatives will 

be thrilled to receive them. 

supplies:

Paper 8.5x11 - folded to card size 

Color pencils

Ink Pen

Magazines, catalogs, paper scraps

glue stick

Snow Fun!

Julie C., South Bend IN

Dwight Schrute snow fun!  I couldn't resist.  I named my cat after him too.

A Bicycle Built for You!

Patrice D., South Bend, IN

Enjoy this video guide to a beautiful new watercolor painting!

Finding Friends in New Places!

Miss Sandy, South Bend, IN

DIY Pencil Decorating - Parents & Kids 

Tired of your boring, blah school pencils?  Then jazz and bling your pencils!!  Use any craft supplies you can find at home and tape. Simple, low mess and lots of possibility to create.  

Ms Sandy 

Sibling Rivalry at it's Sweetest!

Matt H., South Bend, IN

Since the start of quarantine I've probably doubled the amount of time I can devote to all of my lovely hobbies. The biggest one has been baking with my sourdough, Hestia. One of the things we've made are cinnamon rolls, among many other baked items. We've had an ongoing competition with my sister in Madison and things have only been heating up with the stay at home order. 

Ignite the Spark!

Grimm Esme, South Bend, IN

I've been itching to do something productive with my time. I've always had four dreams in life. 1. Work at a library (check). 2. Work with animals (check). 3. Become a published author (not there just yet). And 4. Open my own business selling candles, jewelry, soap and other things I hand-make. Well, this lock up made me take the plunge and start mass producing candles to fill the time and actually take steps towards my business. Here's the progress so far!

Rooting for the Little Guys!

Erin D., South Bend, IN

Tenderly making these dainty, white and purple flowers in the backyard!

A Tale As Old As Time!

Rachel Y., South Bend, IN

This in-progress cross stitch project brings a smile to the face as it's incompleteness does not distract from it's true nature! Song as old as rhyme...

No Canvas, No Problem!

Dana L., South Bend, IN

Draw On Your Walls...using your own live model

Supplies:

Color Pencils,

A Wall 

A Model

**Disclaimer: You should always ask your parents, spouse, roommate(s), landlord, etc. if you are allowed to draw on your walls BEFORE you plan your masterpiece.**

The Cruel Fuel of Space Duel!

Andy S., Granger, IN

A couple of years ago I wrote a song about my one arcade game, Space Duel. It's about how great the game is and how tricky it is to maintain! 

I performed and recorded the piano part a while ago.

I made the video with PowerPoint and synced everything up in iMovie (including some sound effects from the game...cool!)

Egg-stravagance at it's finest!

Katie W., South Bend

There's nothing that gets your creativity going like trying to figure out how to use up ingredients before they go bad. Why did I end up with a single beet that was slowly shriveling? How can I use this root abomination without eating it? The perfect answer for this time of year was to use it as a natural dye for eggs. 

After some brief investigation I also found turmeric in the pantry that never gets used.

Combining these overlooked ingredients with hot water and a splash of vinegar resulted in a potent dye for some plain looking eggs. The end result was some beautiful pastel colored eggs, no egg dye kit needed! 

Now if only I can figure out what to do with the turnip hiding in the refrigerator...  

Scrappy Little Guy!

Katie S., South Bend

This blanket has been in process for quite awhile. It was started to use up scraps of yarn. Can you tell??