Traveling this week for the Thanksgiving holidays found us in my cousin’s house near Portland, Oregon. Many of us California family members visit every couple of years to the Pacific Northwest for some family holiday time.
A former teacher, my cousin is now an elementary school vice-principal and has always had a soft spot for the arts. Her home is full of her children’s painting and drawings, as well as her own, her husband’s and other family members’ creations.
One way she fosters this love of painting in others is to provide creative opportunities while family is visiting during the holidays. She brings out the acrylics, brushes, blank canvas and other goodies and challenges, urges, encourages us all to paint something.
Sunday she provided a 3-foot by 3-foot blank canvas.
It sat blank for a couple of hours until her sister painted a jellyfish in the corner.
Once that gauntlet was thrown, we had a sea life theme.
Soon, everyone slowly and courageously added their own interpretation, and magic was created!
The weekly photo challenge theme is Magic.
We all had our chance to make some magic as a family. See the gallery for close-ups of the mural.
Everyone contributed something, all differently inspired and painted freehand. I discovered I could “erase” my mistakes (see the octopus) with a dry wedge brush and some pale blue paint. Whew!
Although, we all have some art background, the real talent lies with my cousin’s son. His scuba diver is insanely amazing and all painted from his own brain.
His diver is truly magic!
Below is the magical gallery of the mural close-ups:
When we left on Tuesday for our 6-hour drive to Spokane, Washington, the next leg of our journey, there was still a large, blank space in the middle of the canvas.
What would you add if you could?
I was thinking of adding a whale shark right in the middle, looming into the picture with his great baleen-filled maw…
When we head back there next weekend, we shall see.
I hope you enjoyed this magical art show and that your family holidays are amazing and blissful!
Second Wind Leisure Perspectives 
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