I had been on the hunt for fun Halloween activities when I got a text from my friend, Lori Manoogian, that stopped me in my tracks.  She sent me an ebooklet from a creative art series she’s working on, “Beyond Words.” Her new addition? Little Monster marvels! I was so excited. Perhaps my Halloween activity search was over. This would be great for long-distance grandparents to do with their grands! Lori graciously agreed, and is offering a free download for our Smiles Beyond Miles readers.

Getting to Know the Artist/Author

Lori is a multi-talented artist, who is also an amazing teacher.  We got to know each other when she taught for our Lifelong Learning department at Anne Arundel Community College. Her students adored her, and it was no surprise. Her passion for teaching was obvious, and her enthusiasm contagious. The instructional handouts she created for each class were legendary. They were always fun, colorful, and easy to follow.  Lori designed our logo for Smiles Beyond Miles, too!

The ebooklet, “Beyond Words: Little Monsters” continues her earlier work. It’s a step-by-step guide to drawing one-of-a-kind mini monsters. We’ll tell you how to use the booklet in a bit. But first, Lori, in her own words.

A Chat with Lori Manoogian

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Lori: I am a mixed media artist, which is a fancy term for someone who is creative but can’t make up their mind:). Although I’m a graphic designer by trade, I’m also a glass fusing artist, Zentangle® instructor, and jewelry designer. I love hand lettering and creating useful artsy things: however, my greatest joy is teaching others.

My favorite thing to hear? “I can’t believe I just made that!”

Me: What inspired you to develop a series of ebooklets designed to make art accessible for people young and old?
Lori: Everyone is creative. Some are creative in the kitchen while others find their creative joy in the garden.
When it comes to putting pen to paper, however, it’s hard to know where to start, so I made these little lessons during the early stages of quarantine to give my friends and family something fun to try. I realized that while some wanted to practice hand lettering techniques, there were others that just loved the tiny drawings. It was fun to see my 35 year-old niece and her 5 year-old daughter creating from the same lesson with completely different artwork.

Me: Do you have any special hints for long-distance grandparents when using the “Little Monsters Mini Lesson?”
Lori:

1. First and foremost, make it fun. Fun. Silly. Fun. Follow along with the first “Build a Monster” steps with your grandchild, making sure yours is equally as childlike:).
2. Giggle along the way as you make believe.  “Oh, my monster has silly eyeballs, I think I’ll name him Goofy.”
3. Ask questions. “What does your monster eat? Mine likes moldy bread.” Sometimes it can start unexpected conversations. “My monster is friendly but doesn’t like to share. Does your monster like to share?”
4. Cut out and tape monster (parent could help do this) on a Popsicle stick. Together you can act out a little monster show.

You know your grandchild best. If they want to continue and draw another monster, do that!
If they would rather act out another monster scene, do that! It’s all about your time together.

Additional Thoughts on Halloween Fun: Little Monster Marvels

The supplies you use for your little monsters are very simple. Lori spells everything out in her ebooklet.

Older grands can draw for themselves, young ones might need a little assist. Here are several options:

• Young children love to color. So, if they’re too young to follow the directions, you could create a monster drawing and email a photo for parents to print! Then, the grands can color as they like.
• Begin by asking your grands to choose each element of the monster. You draw the monster for them, and then follow the previous steps so they can color it in (that’s the idea I followed for my younger grandchild).
• Or, you could just ask them to pick out each element, draw it yourself while they’re watching , and then talk about it. For example, “What’s the monster’s name?” or “Where does your monster live?”

In any case, you’ll find using the gooseneck arm mount for your phone a great help for this activity!

In Appreciation

Thanks so much to my grandkids who created our featured image and had a blast doing it.

And, many thanks again to Lori Manoogian for sharing this wonderful, creative, Halloween activity with all of our grands. Please let us know if you try it out, and send photos!