Have you read Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor? This book is filled with colorful flowers. There is a page with an Illustration of a hill filled with beautiful flowers. It is a place that I wish I could roam and wander. On each page, a child introduces the next. Each child tells their story of who they are. Some kids have Down syndrome, others are in a wheelchair-you get the idea. The rhythm of the words-“be brave,” “be different,” and “be you”-is felt throughout the story.

In this post, I will share why the book Ask! is a must-read for every artist. I will share a project my students and I worked on. Together we painted beautifully!

My favorite part about Just Ask is that, as some of the kids are telling their story, they are drawing or painting. Inside, I jump with joy, yes, art unites us all!! We are all artists. At the end of the story, we get this question.

Imagine if all of the flowers in the garden were the same. Boring right!

JUST ASK by Sonia Sotomayor Read Aloud

Here are the lessons I learned from this awesome book and painting in general!

Because I Paint, I Learn Not To Care

The words be brave, be different, and be you are part of why I paint. I paint flowers because I am in love with nature. The other reason is that painting is my peace. The more I paint, the less I care about what people say or think of me. I will begin a project, thinking that my painting has to look a certain way. The more I paint, the more I realize that my voice is all that matters.

At times, I feel angry or sad. I paint, and then it all seems silly. The paper is yours. The paint is yours. You are free to do as you please. Your best art comes from that love, that spirit, that creativity that is you. I know there is an awesome artist who calls them happy mistakes. There are no mistakes. It will work out. It always does.

The Flower Pot Project

If you are looking for a project for your summer class or something for your kids to work on, this would be an amazing project! There isn’t a lot to putting it together.

How We Made This Project Together

I printed out a template of a simple flower that I had drawn.

I used poster paper to make the pot and leaves. We should have painted the leaves and the pot as well. You can! We’ll make sure to do that next time!

We had three colors to paint with. We had pink, purple, and blue paint, that’s it. I set out the supplies, and the students got to work. As I arranged each flower in the pot, I thought about how different each flower was and how each flower complemented the others. Together we make a masterpiece, right? Children have no preconceived notions of what art is. They simply paint. It’s the best! I see it every time I create with children.

With these words in my heart, I can say that this is my summer goal!

The flower pot project was two to three years ago. I had to repost it as it is one of my favorites. When I see the kids, they ask me if I remember them and when we are going to paint again. We did well! If you try this flower painting project, I would love to see it!

I hope you are well! Thank you for being here. I have a free ebook filled with flower painting ideas. When you subscribe, you will get the link to your book. Or you can check out my freebies page. Interested in the Always Blooming With You Art? You can purchase it in my shop.