Today we read Eric Carle’s story Pancakes, Pancakes! We have always been a huge fan of his imagination and his technique of painting on tissue paper and using that as collage materials for his illustrations. We are also bug fans of the amazing Claes Oldenburg and his giant soft food sculptures.
These two master were perfect inspiration for making our own soft food sculptures.
You can watch the Story Time read aloud and project video at our collaborator page, Sea of Visibility, today on FB starting at 3pm .
Here are some soft sculptures made by some of our students. they used repurposed materials like fabric scraps, old clothes, paper, aluminum, plastic etc.
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Today we made a giant pancake using paper, glue, markers and napkins –
Click on this link to see an amazing video of Eric Carle creating his illustrations –
Today’s video features a very popular activity in my house – drawing on the wall!
No, I am not advocating drawing on walls BUT there is a way for your little ones to be able to feel a little subversive while keeping your walls clean.
There are also wonderful muralists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring that can inspire you. Excellent, age appropriate resources on these wonderful artists, just for kids, can be found here –
Visit @artoutofanything on FB or Instagram for the complete video how-to.
Here’s what you will need to make your very own “mural” –
Paper– any paper including, but not limited to; construction paper, copy paper, wrapping paper, drawings that have outgrown the fridge, old magazines, paper bags, recycling etc.
Tape – masking tape, scotch tape, first aid tape – you get the idea.
A wall– I used the wall in my studio next to the guest bed (formerly my son’s room), but you can use any wall in your home that is easily accessible.
Things to draw with – the usual suspects will work, but why not try out something new like old lipstick or chalk dipped in water for a new experience?
Using things other than for their intended purpose, allows you and your kiddos to be creative thinkers and explore different approaches to problem solving. These are very important skills that are beneficial to understanding traditional subjects and navigating through life.
Process –
Attach all the paper together with tape so it resembles a quilt. You can make it as long and as wide (high) as you like.
Tape the paper “quilt” to the wall. Experiment with taping it higher on the wall or lower.
Begin your mural! Have you ever noticed how children tend to draw small images, regardless of how big the canvas is? Encourage your child to experiment with scale/size and create larger images. What happens when the paper is high on the wall and they stand to draw as opposed to when the paper is low on the wall and they can sit and draw? What do they enjoy most?
This mural wall can be left up for children to add to whenever they need a break or feel like adding some drawings to it. This is a very popular activity at our summer camp, we usually end up with at least 5 or 6 collaborative murals by the end of the season.
In keeping with out motto – “work with what you have” we have also found a great use for our completed murals. Once the paper is full of your stunning artwork, you can take it down and use it as a tablecloth or drop cloth for more art play. You can also cut it up and frame smaller pieces of it or make cards out of them! Why not experiment with using an old tablecloth or sheet instead of paper?
A brand new mural wall is then only a few minutes and some paper and tape away 🙂
Have fun, stay safe and follow us on FB and Instagram @artoutofanything for more videos and activities.
Today was the first day of our “Work with what you have” video series! You can visit us @artoutofanything on FB for the full video.
Nail Polish Marbleizing explores science and art concepts by focusing on surface tension and the Japanese art of Suminagashi, with which you can create beautiful designs by using ink and water.
Working with what you have in this case means using nail polish instead of ink.
Here are some fantastic websites that explain it all in more detail:
Geeky Nail Polish – a fun post about nail polish marbleizing for your actual nails with some really good follow up questions and answers from scientists!
Suminagashi.com – all you need to know about this beautiful art form.
Be sure to watch my video @artoutofanything on FB for the how to’s and be sure to follow and post your own versions of nail polish marbleizing. I would love to see what you come up with!
artoutofanything.com 