Modern Times

Challenge: Using the Freeform Select, draw lines on the painting and then move the strips.

SHE

Challenge: Create a comical character.

Isn't She something? Such attitude!* My husband swears she looks like the late comedienne Imogene Coco - and one of his clients.

It's so much fun to experiment with the Paint application.

Creating art is like brainstorming: Playing with absurd ideas can lead to all kinds of possibilities. One line, step or thought explored may result literally in a myriad projects.
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*To see a larger, true version of this painting, left-click on it.

Circle Series #1

Challenge: Sign your work.

Where and how you place your signature may be another element of the overall design of the painting.

Click here to see more in the 'Circle' series.

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To see a truer version of this painting, place your cursor over it and left click.

Circle Series #2 -"Let's Get Going!"

Challenge: Focus on shape, using black, white and one colour.

Color and shape can be very powerful elements of design in a painting.

Blue Study #1

Challenge: Focus on using only one shape in a variety of ways. This is the first in a new series. Palette colors are restricted to black, blue, red and white. Circles are dominant.

For an explanation of series of paintings and for possible challenges, see http://magicalmousepainting.blogspot.com/2006/08/star-series-1.html

Blue Study #2

Challenge: Create a border and have parts of the illustration come out of it.

This is the second in the Blue Study series. To see other series illustrations, click on titles in the column to the right.

Gift Bouquet

Challenge: Try drawing an object/still life in your home.

A bouquet of flowers arrived as a gift to our home. It was so vibrant and beautiful, I tried to capture its spirit.

Selena Priscilla James

Six year old Selena and I collaborated on this painting while I was teaching her how to use some of the tools in the Paint application.

This skills learned and challenges offered in Magical MousePainting TM book and/or workshop provide a wonderful, fun way for generations to learn from each other, work and create together.

Sondra Ezrin

In the summer of '05, while Creative Consultant Sondra Ezrin helped me develop my first Magical MousePainting TM workshop (entitled "How to Paint with a Mouse"), she had fun experimenting with the Paint application tools.

"Gravenhurst Abstract" is the result.

Sandy Tobias Offenheim-Words

Words of wisdom created by Sandy is the result of another practice exercise following instructions in Magical MousePainting. For an enlarged view, click on any of these illustrations.

Sandy Tobias Offenheim - "Another Fish"

"Another Fish," the result of a practice exercise by Sandy, bears an uncanny resemblance to work by renowned artist Calder.

Sandy doesn't consider herself an artist. Her creativity typically is demonstrated in other forms. She is known world-wide as a poet, children's songwriter and entertainer. Sandy also teaches English as another language to New Canadian adults and among her exciting, diverse projects, she is currently completing a unique book to help people learn English.

For more information, visit her website www.sandyoffenheim.com.

Sandy Tobias Offenheim - "Primary Colors"

Until recently taking up the mouse, Sandy never thought of herself an artist, yet this experimental piece "Primary Colors" has so many elements of world-renown artist Joan Miro's work.

Sandy Tobias Offenheim - "Untitled"

Following this simple MousePainting TM exercise in my book, Sandy created her wonderful painting "Untitled," which just happens to be in the style of the famous painter Alexander Calder.

DesertScape

I love the serenity as well as the unusual color combinations of this painting.

Selena's Painting

This is one of several illustrations created by 6 year old Selena by the end of just one hour of instruction.

Rave Testimonials for Magical MousePainting:

Self-discovery:

"I have discovered through Paint, that I have a great sense of design and colour, which I didn't know."

"Funny. The drawings you chose for your blogspot are the ones that I thought were my worst and almost erased. "

"I have still been experimenting with Paint and have created so many different things just for fun."

Audience:

"This is an amazing tool for people in business to access and free up their own creativity."

"I would endorse and recommend it to anyone who is interested in beginning to computerize graphic design in many fields."

"It would be great for fashion and interior design, cartooning, scrap-booking and so much more."

"What a fantastic creative activity for shut-ins and people with disabilities!"

"I think it is something that my grandchildren will enjoy doing when they come over. I can just hear them saying , 'cool'."

"Suggest it for parents, grandparents, babysitters to use with children. Stop playing electronic games for a while and be creative together. "

"I even showed it to my parents' caregiver in hopes that he can get my mother involved using it in a simple way."

"My granddaughter even did a couple when she stayed here last weekend."

Process:
"I'm much happier using the already made shapes so that my lines are straight"

"I get a real kick out of filling in the spaces with paint."

"Find it very relaxing."

"I am not playing Solitaire any more as this is much more creative and takes only a few minutes."

"It really is a lot of fun to create and fill in the blanks."

"We have been playing with various patterns and colours."

Preview testimonials to Magical MousePainting book:

"As I was going through the different parts of the book, I could hardly wait to see what other possibilities would unfold."

"I think that it's a wonderful, fun book."

"I am astounded by the amount of work that this must have been for you to do."

"I loved the illustrations. "

"It is really an impressive work."

"It is an easy-to-follow guide to artistic use of the computer to further and enhance methods of expression through colour and design."

"It looks great."

"It worked easily for me. Your directions are clear....."

Forwarding 'experiments' for posting:

"If you like, I'll send all of mine to you. I have had fun with the titles, as well."

Red, Green, Black & White

Bold colours: I believe the design does work. What do you think?

Lighting Your Creative Fire!

Here's the cover I designed for Lighting Your Creative Fire! book in progress, one element of the 4-part "Lighting Your Fire!" program. How creative are you? Click here to read my 'Igniting Imagination' blog.

Mouse

Challenge: Create your own challenge.

To keep my creative juices flowing, I try to set a challenge each day. This one was to simply illustrate distance perspective.

Conversation with Sondra

This computer drawing developed out of a conversation about intuition I was having with my creative friend Sondra.

Talking with Barbara

Challenge: Doodle an abstract.

I'm a compulsive multi-tasker who needs to be always creating something.

So, while speaking on the phone I usually doodle with a pen on paper or paint with a mouse. Here's an illustration created on the computer while talking with my friend Barbara.

Flower Pot

Challenge: Create your first computer-generated drawing.

This is one of my earliest experiments with the Paint program. I was learning how to use each of the tools as well as incorporating elements of design.

Loads of information, techniques, tips and scores of challenges are offered in Magical MousePainting.

By learning how to paint with a mouse you'll ;
1) develop a practical skill: either basic or more complex computer use and applications;
2) explore your personal creativity
3) discover fundamental art principles, and
4)possibly unleash a different approach to life and problem solving.

One more step to creativity: Comment on, describe or write a short story about "Flower Pot."

Chatting with Mom

Challenge: Draw a memory.

Talked with mom about my niece forgetting to take along a sweater for the cool air while visiting an ashram in the California mountains.

Talking with Tona

Challenge: doodle.

Here's my 'doodle,' drawn with Paint while talking with Tona.

Lightness of Being

This is painting is included in Magical MousePainting TM. While developing it, I fractured the parts, moved them around, dropped in color, cut and pasted parts and fractured again. Experiment with these steps.

Flag

I love color. This painting was an excuse to use as many colors as I could.

Challenge: Create a painting using at least 4 colours.