Trust the Process

One of the most fun parts of art can be the process and experimenting with materials.  Art can just be fun to make.  

The artistic behavior or studio habit of experimenting, discovering new materials and ways of working with materials is STRETCH AND EXPLORE.

Let's look at a few ways you might explore in the art studio.

Grab a messy mat and see what happens when you add a few drops of paint to your paper and pull/scrape the paint across your paper with a square of cardboard.

A few dots of color can go a long way!  Just a dot not a lot!

Instead of a brush, scrape and pull paint across the paper.  Draw or collage on the colorful paper the next class.


Sometimes a material we usually throw away can create some very cool art.  Try the process of bubble wrap printing.  Choose colorful tempera paint and brush it across the "bumpy" side of the bubble wrap.  Press onto your paper.  Repeat!

So you have some dotted paper, now what?  Next class, make a collage with your dotted paper or draw on top.

this one definitely requires a placemat!  Liquid watercolors have bright bold colors.  

Try a TAPE or Oil Pastel RESIST.*Let paint dry before removing tape.
Lay leaves or flowers on your paper and spray a fine mist.  Let your paint dry before removing the leaves.

Take that colorful misted paper over to drawing.  Create a Silhouette.  Draw an outline in pencil and then fill in your drawing with Sharpie.  A landscape is a great possibility for a silhouette.

Take your colorful sprayed paper to the collage studio and cut it into shapes and glue them into a picture you have envisioned.

Add Paint with Kwik Stix and glue down construction paper shapes.

Splatter paint is a permission only painting technique.  You will need a box that fits your paper and a messy mat for sure!

Try splatter painting onto a drawing.

Will you explore with art materials?

Will you stretch yourself and try to make art with your exploration?