Art Series: Mom & Me

Do you have a desire to connect with your child in a fun, non-threatening way?  A desire to go beyond the "nothing" and "stuff" when you ask what your child did at school or an event?  Lacy Mucklow has  produced a book intended to help you out.  Draw out the conversation as you do an art journal together.

 I opened this lovely art journal and it immediately brought me back to the days when my son and I were having fun doing art with an art prompt book.

We'd search out an art prompt ... such as  "tree house" and we'd sit down and draw whatever popped into our brain about what a tree house would be like.   We had so much fun coming up with ideas, drawing and just talking to each other. Each doing our own thing, but spending time together talking and laughing as we did an art project together.

THAT is exactly what this mom and me art journal is supposed to.   Instead of looking up art prompts in a book and then using our own art papers. we can just use this journal.  A perfect time for a mom and child to chatter away with each other.

You have to check out some of these pages.  They are really quite nice.

The pages follow different styles: from shapes to fill out, to large blocky shapes, to full pages.   Each two page sets is unique from all others in this book. Printed on a nice thick paper so you can colour or draw in whatever way the prompt moves you to do so. 

Author Lacy Mucklow (MA. ATR-BC, LPAT, LCPAT) is a registered, board certified, and licensed art therapist who has been practicing art therapy in the Washington, DC area since 1999. She has experience working with a variety of mental health populations and settings, including schools, home-based counseling, and hospitals with adolescents, families, and adults. Lacy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Studio Art from Oklahoma State University, and a Master of Arts degree in Art Therapy from The George Washington University.

She wants moms and their children to connect with each other in a meaningful way. So she has intentionally included feelings like happy, sad, angry.  She covers topics like family and friends, heros, and imagination.   Hopes and dreams are always fun to discuss together.. drawing whatever you feel inspired to do, knowing that there is no right or wrong, just a responding to a prompt and chatting as you do so.   It is good yes?

One of the things I like in this book is the word prompts aren't just single words or ideas.

Do you see how this would be different for every person?   How it could provide excellent talking points?  The scene is set...how will you respond?   What is your happiness point?

128 pages of colouring, drawing, filling in fun while having a grand 'ole time with each other.  It would be great to display them as works of art, but also good to just keep as a keepsake to look back upon.

Illustrator Bethany Robertson has done an excellent job of bringing details into each page while allowing room for creative expression.

Bethany Robertson is an illustrator and designer based in Brooklyn, New York. She has a Master’s of Fine Arts from Rutgers University and a Master’s of Science in Art Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Bethany enjoys drawing, pizza, flowers, ice cream, and the beach.

The only concern I have is this:
My son and I like elbow room when we draw.  Trying to share a book and both draw a picture at the same time would drive us batty.  :)  Therefore I wish the pages were perforated and one sided so I could pull them out and work with lots of space around me.  That way the lad and I could do what we like.  Sit side by side with a good foot between us, or sit opposite each other so we can surprise each other when we're done (after all the hints and clues we give .. guessing with clues is fun.. especially with art). 

Mom and Me - An art Journal to Share.
Author: Lacy Mucklow
Illustrator: Bethany Robertson
Pages: 128
Publisher: Race Point Publishing
Format: Trade Paperback
Reviewed for: The Quarto Group
Series: A Side-by-side book



Where can you find it?
Amazon.ca - Mom and Me: An Art Journal to Share: Create and Connect Side by Side

Amazon.com - Mom and Me: An Art Journal to Share: Create and Connect Side by Side (A Side-by-Side Book)

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