“ All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once [s]he grows up.”

— Pablo Picasso

Once or twice a week my little ones and I attend programs at our local community centre. And one day, just before Christmas, when we were trying to figure out what to buy our son (we were set on an electronic colouring tablet) one of the teachers said “he will like that for a little while, but children are drawn to the paint, the brushes, the crayons …the real thing.” And I can honestly say she was so right! Our toddler absolutely loves to paint and we learned that even more this weekend.

This past Saturday we spent the morning eating pancakes, then headed out for an afternoon at Daniels Spectrum where we took part in a Mother’s Day Parent & Child Workshop with Raising Artists. It was important to me that we did this workshop as a family for a couple of reasons; for one I love when we do things together and because painting with a toddler and a baby seemed a bit stressful alone. I was so happy when my husband moved things around on his work schedule to join us, it made for such a wonderful afternoon together. We took the time to slow down, get messy and create together and this was honestly the best Mother’s Day gift I could ask for. It’s a beautiful thing to see you children explore, have fun and create something they are proud of. I didn’t realize how much pride my little two-year-old had in his work until this experience and that sense of joy that comes from creativity is truly something I want to foster in both my children.

Alessandra, Rita and the Raising Artists team were unbelievably amazing! Yes, they were that great! We felt welcome from the moment we stepped in the door when we were greeted by Angelo, who told us how to make our way up the elevator to the bright and airy event space. The team was so helpful with our little ones and encouraged them to explore. I didn’t even realize that our youngest was old enough to try painting… well you learn something everyday, right? He started off with some crayons and a paintbrush, and by the end of the afternoon he was in his diaper painting with his feet and having a blast! Alessandra read stories to our oldest about art history and “the greats”. It turns out his favourite is Vincent Van Gogh (we have more in common than I realized … the arts are a beautiful language) and he then picked colours to make his own palette and painted a beautiful mess of a masterpiece that we will cherish for a long time.

Raising Artists, founded by Alessandra and her mom Rita, is a company that promotes meaningful artistic experiences through workshops that encourage creative expression. Catering to children of all ages, these workshops take place in Artscape buildings around the city of Toronto like Daniels Spectrum. The workshop we attended was a Parent & Child Workshop (for children 8-months to 5- years-old). These workshops are focused on promoting positive relationships between parent and child, fostering the bond at the heart of early learning and child development. In a fast-paced world, it’s sometimes hard to find the time to slow down and just be with your little ones. These workshops provide the perfect opportunity for this and our experience on Saturday has ignited a bit of a creative spark in our home that hope stays lit.

On the drive home my husband and I talked about how great this experience was. We walked away feeling like our family had a chance to slow down, to play and to create together. Our toddler was so proud of his work and our little one painted for the first time. On top of all this, we now have gorgeous keepsakes from the event and many memories. Weekends with our family are always my favourite!

If you missed this Mother’s Day workshop and wanted to try one in time for Mother’s Day, on Sunday May 14 Raising Artist is offering a complimentary Painting Workshop at the 2nd Annual Regent Part Artisan Market on the Mews at Daniels Spectrum! Check out the details here.

Raising Artists is also offering a Father’s Day Parent Child Workshop on June 10. Head on over to the Raising Artists’ Workshop page to register.

Thank you so much to the Raising Artists Team for such an amazing afternoon, you’re doing some awesome work and we are so happy we got to be a part of it!

xo

Vanessa