As featured in
The New Zealand Listener & Sussex Life magazines
C r e a t e d b y
Activity 1: Crayon melting
This simple activity involves melting wax crayons over a canvas using a lighter.
*This might be a project to do outside when the weather is good. Lighters can burn fingers so be careful!
Activity 2: acrylic splash!
Acrylic paint can also be splashed on a canvas. Make sure that you water it down slightly before splashing it on a canvas with a large brush.
For this piece I was inspired by the words 'Rust Never Sleeps' and corrosion, from an album by Neil Young.
Acrylic on canvas by Richard K. Potter.
Activity 3: Bubble paper/art
1. Mix 1 part black ink to 4 parts bubbles in a container.
2. Lay a piece of white paper (or watercolour paper) in the bottom of a sink.
3. Start blowing bubbles over paper. These will burst, creating a piece of art.
Idea from DIY Maven.
*This activity can also be done outside when the weather is good on a larger piece of paper perhaps. Make sure you wear an apron or overalls and tie back your hair!
Activity 4: Ink Blot Art
1. Use masking tape to stick watercolour to a wooden board or table.
2. Use inks to create a piece of abstract expressive art, using straws to blow ink, creating different effects.
You might want to lightly wet the paper first with water, before you ink it with a paintbrush.
*You could combine this with a discussion about colours and their meaning afterwards and colour therapy.
'Colour on the Move 4' 2012 by Roger Gregory.
Activity 5: swirl painting in water
You will need a bucket, water, kitchen string, OIL based enamel paints and a paint stick for this activity.
1. Fill bucket with water.
2. Drip enamel paint onto the surface of water.
3. Gently swirl paint and then dip canvas or paper into the bucket.
4. The swirled paint sticks to the canvas or paper, creating a unique piece of art.
Between batches of different paint colors, use a paper towel, laid on top of the water, to absorb any leftover bits of paint and clean up the water surface.
Idea by Lisa (shineyourlightblog.com)
Making a splash!
Activity 6: watercolour expressions
I wanted to create some colourful and intuitive backgrounds for C4W and I'm pleased with the results. To do this yourself start with:
1. Sticking some watercolour paper to a board with masking/sticky tape. (I managed to find a cheap watercolour pad for £4).
2. Mix 3 or 4 colours separately.
3. Wet the surface of your paper with a thick brush and water.
4. Pour your colours on top in different areas and add more at different stages during the drying process.
Watercolours by Richard K. Potter.