I first met the Haase family at The Grove, where Cameron and Leonnie and I connected art making and sensory play. Their mom asked if I would be interested in creating a painting alongside the girls for their new home, and I was so honored! Our time together had already shown me how capable and wonderfully free these girls were in their work — two darling, creative spirits with a natural ease in handling materials.

Something I already knew was how much the girls LOVE pink, so that was our main starting point. And our vision for the final piece was for it to feel soft and airy.

The girls and I met for two separate sessions to complete this canvas. Once at my home studio and once at The Grove. They were so delighted to have such freedom and such a big canvas to work on. The first day they immediately decided to make marks by tracing each other and their babies, I loved being able to follow their lead and provide the tools for their brilliant ideas. 

The second day was about using paint and tools to make a soft, glowy feel while letting their marks stand out. I wonder how often they look at their canvas and remember what fun they had and I hope that it gives them confidence that they are highly capable.

After they finished their painting, I took it to my home studio for finishing and happily delivered to their home. It is so fun and satisfying to see the look on children’s faces when such a large piece of art that they created takes center stage in their home. 

Our girls loved their canvas session with Miss Heather! Not only did the canvas turn into a beautiful piece of art in our home, the girls had a really fun time creating it. They have asked when their next canvas session will be several times ever since.

Joan Haase