A Corner for the Burgeoning Artist

I have written several times about how much Annabelle has come to adore doing art. I have also explained that I would set up some art activities for her to freely choose if it weren't for the fact that she's still inclined to eat crayons when I'm not looking, so I prefer to know that she's drawing and be on the lookout. She is so enjoying her drawing, however, and has become so fiercely independent, that I felt it was really time I set things up for her so that she can access art materials anytime she would like.


And so I have. I cleared out the kitchen cabinet nearest her table and purchased a paper tray, which I set up next to her new colored pencils. I have shown her how to take out the clipboard with paper first and place that on the table before heading back to the cabinet to get the colored pencils. The clipboard for art is an idea I picked up at the school where I did my Montessori internship. It really helps to keep the paper from slipping! Each evening, I just make sure the pencils are sharp and there's a fresh piece of paper. This has been available for almost a week now, and Annabelle has been setting herself up to draw at least two or three times a day!

As she gets used to initiating and following through with this activity on her own, I'll add more to her art cabinet. She loves both play dough and paint, so I'd like to make those available to her throughout the day as well.

We have had a couple of drawing on the cabinets incidents, which is only natural - especially since our cabinets are white. A blank canvas! When those occur, I put the pencils away and ask Annabelle to get out her spray bottle and a towel, both of which are located in another low cabinet, and she helps me to clean up. Fortunately, the pencils she uses wash off both the cabinets and tile with relative ease. They came from Stubby Pencil Studio, an online shop that I cannot recommend highly enough.

I have a friend who I usually order art supplies with, since it only makes sense to share shipping when things are coming this far - so my most recent order was a fairly large one between her items and mine. I purchased the fabulous Alpino Baby Pencils that Annabelle is using now along with new crayons to replace those that had been eaten and several other items. The next day, I received an email informing me that there was a promo code for a back to school sale going on. I had already placed and paid for my order with no knowledge of this, but Kate let me know that she was going to go ahead and refund 15% anyway. I didn't even ask her. She just did it. Because she is awesome. And Stubby Pencil Studio is awesome. And this is not a sponsored post, so I'll stop raving now, but if you're looking for truly nontoxic art supplies, you now know where to go!

In any case, I love that Annabelle has art available to her at all times, and I think it's safe to say that she loves it, too!

Linking up with Montessori Monday at One Hook Wonder, and Living Montessori Now!