Life Is Messy - Painting with your little one!

I struggled about writing this post because it's not exactly a "green" craft, but this is our life; we're not perfect. While we always strive for the most natural products, it doesn't always work out that way. So, we make the best choices for our family of what is acceptable and what isn't.

This project was one of those decisions...

Front and Back of Painting

I have always been into art, and have been painting and drawing my entire life. It's therapeutic for me. Because of this, I have a ton of acrylic paints (water based paints that can either resemble oil or watercolor - they dry very quickly and become water resistant, and they're very easy to clean with soap and water). I also had a few blank canvases lying around just waiting to be painted.

About a month ago, when the weather was horrible and we were stuck inside just about every day, I decided to experiment with Nya in hopes of creating a great abstract piece of art. We only worked with one color for a short period each day. The entire project took about 3 weeks, and I couldn't be more thrilled with it. Nya and I both had a blast, and it is a memorable experience that we will be able to share, look at each day, and pass on throughout generations. This is also a great sensory craft for toddlers!

This really was Nya's creation. I chose the colors and placed them where I wanted her to paint (and how much!), but I have to give her most of the credit!

The pictures show the process of layering the colors from start to finish. (In order to avoid a big brown piece of art, you need to take your time in layering your colors and allowing them to fully dry before moving on.) Below them, you'll find information on acrylic paint and how to create your own abstract piece of art with your little ones.

Blank Canvas Ready to Paint!

Day 1 of Painting

Day 2 of Painting (we added white to the original blue to create a lighter color)

Day 3 of Painting 

Day 5 of Painting

Day 8 of Painting 

Day 10: Finished and Displayed!

What you need:

• Acrylic Paint (You can find these at any craft store). I like acrylic paints because they are water based so you can easily manipulate them, they dry extremely fast, and wipe right off the skin. Many brands are non toxic. Here is one.

• Canvas (You can find at any craft store). Choose whichever size you prefer, and if you're new to this, I would get the cheapest ones you can find. The only big difference in price is the "thickness" of the canvas. Here's what to look for.

• Other materials you wish (paintbrushes, sponges, leaves, clippings from magazines or newsprint, etc - anything goes!)

What you do:

• Painting on the floor was much easier for us, so I laid out a large drop cloth first and made sure to have a paper towel handy (it does get a bit messy!).

• Squeeze out a bit of paint in the area on the canvas you want your little one working in (I did a few quarter sized dots).

• Let your little one have at it! We used hands, feet, paint brushes, plastic utensils, and sponges. Get creative and use other materials if you wish (I've used newspaper clippings in the past as they stick well to the paint and create a great effect). If you are creating an art piece for a new baby, use newspaper clippings from the day they were born to make it even more memorable. Or head outdoors and collect leaves and flowers to use texture in your painting. Anything goes!

• Let it dry overnight or whenever you feel like working on it again (We didn't paint every day). Then start over with a new color, and keep going until you feel it's "finished."

• Make sure to date and sign it either on the front or back.

Helpful Tips:

• Only work with one color at a time. This will save you from creating a big brown mess. Or, use two primary colors to create a third color.

• Allow your child to work in small increments, if you want the painting to have any texture or depth, and allow overlays of color. By limiting time, you achieve some amazing texture over colors, and really get an abstract piece. If I let Nya keep going, she would have painted over each color, and the end result would have been one dimensional. We spent anywhere from 5- 30 minutes each session. 

• Keep it simple. You don't need to go buy a ton of paint. Pick 3 primary colors that you can manipulate into more colors when mixed. Or stick to one color and get black and white to achieve different shades.

• If painting with little ones, always keep an eye on them. I felt comfortable the paint wouldn't end up in Nya's mouth. If she were younger and still in that stage, I would skip this and wait a bit later.

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