Today, I have listed the next in my series of email PDF play guides, 31 Days of Process Art. This brand new collection has been such a joy to create, as I've been able to share some of our very favourite tried-and-tested Process Art invitations.
WHAT IS PROCESS ART?
In short, it is a creative invitation to play that is primarily about the process, not the end product. Materials are presented simply, to captivate the child and invite them to explore. With no preconceived ideas, no ‘sample’ to look at or outcome to work toward, no right or wrong. Process art is the best way to encourage children of all ages to experiment and engage with art materials.
YOU WILL NEED:
- ready mixed paint
- small jars with lids, or a plastic craft box with lid (a lid is crucial if you want to preserve the paints for any length of time)
- wooden lollipop sticks
- paint brushes
- paper of your choice
- a glass of water
INSTRUCTIONS:
Gather your materials and prepare your work surface. You may wish to cover the table with large sheets of sugar paper, or a roll of paper, so that your child can test out the paints as s/he creates them.
Place a few glass jars (with the lids removed) or an open plastic craft box, at centre stage on your table. Using small jars, or a plastic craft box with small sections, naturally limits the quantity of paint your child pours, reducing waste. Arrange your ready mixed paints close by. Ideally, you want to offer the primary colours (red, yellow and blue), plus white and black, at the very minimum. The more colours you are able to offer your child for mixing, the less potential there is for spoiling the colours they have already created.
Invite your child to mix their own paint colours in the glass jars/craft box provided. Your child can pour the colours for mixing directly from the bottle, and stir using a paint brush or wooden lollipop stick.
Allow your child to explore freely.
Bean is quite experienced with colour mixing, having had many opportunities over the years to explore colour through water play, sensory play, painting etc. To begin with, she was keen to make a pastel version of each colour of the rainbow, inspired by her favourite YouTuber, Moriah Elizabeth. Moriah has carved out a full time career for herself on YouTube, upcycling damaged 'squishies', and shares lots of reviews of art and craft materials. Her channel was also where I got the inspiration for using a plastic tool box for paint mixing.
Bean then moved onto making shades of brown because she wanted to paint a picture featuring cakes and doughnuts, and various other shades of colours with no predetermined plan.
Once your child has tired of colour mixing, s/he may enjoy using their new paints to paint a picture. Or, you could challenge your child to name their new paint colours. Show them a paint chart online for inspiration. They can write the names on a sticker or lollipop stick.
If you think your child would enjoy this, and you are interested in another 30 similar (but different) process art invitations, you might like to sign up to my 31 Days of Process Art email PDF play guide.
Here are all the materials you will need:
Please share your child's creations using the hashtag #31daysofprocessart to feature in my Instagram stories, or share them on my Facebook community page.
With love,
Rowan x