I got this art idea from a blog momd referred me to. (Thanks!)
Feeling ambitious the other day (and regretting I'd decided to go all out) the kids got to have their first time dabbling in paint in ages! This time I put some thought into preparations, so I didn't have to worry about prep the day of, and things went very smoothly. I actually enjoyed it, which is a first for anytime we've done anything using art materials in the past! The kids enjoyed it too--who wouldn't want to paint!
They all went about their projects in such different approaches--and had little guidance from me--I only stipulated that they had to make their own colors from what was lacking, and they had to save posters for others to paint too!
Nathan was the best at holding and manipulating his brush. He had to paint stuff. None of this modern art nonsense for him!
He did end up making a "firework" painting though, since Matthew's were all called fireworks when Nathan insisted that he was painting someTHING. I guess Nathan felt Matthew had done them all wrong, and showed him how fireworks ought to be painted.
Matthew had fun mixing up pink and orange. And painting color on top of color. What fun! I had to restrain him from panting all of the posters since I thought the others might like to do more than one each!
Matthew loved trying out all the different sized brushes too, and made sure he experimented lots!
Melanie was, by contrast, the slowest painter. She spent a fair bit of time planning her works of art. And her first piece had the all important pink paint on it!
But she got tired of filling the largest size poster, and I had to encourage her to finish her project.
Daniel woke up when everyone else was finished, but I saved him one to do. He was so cute to watch, still bleary eyed, crouching and painting, and trying every color twice!
He needed help to wash his brush between colors, and to wipe himself clean on the designated cloth, and not on his clothes!! But he really enjoyed it, and his picture turned out to be my favorite since it's the most cheerful looking! (I didn't tell the other kids that of course!)
And here they all are, brightening up the playroom downstairs.
The rows in order from the top down, left to right;
Matthew's fireworks
Nathan's fireworks
Matthew's fireworks
Melanie's red van (just like ours Mommy!)
Melanie's person outside
Matthew's dark fireworks (imitating Nathan's imitation of his fireworks)
Daddy's train, by Nathan
More fireworks, by Matthew
Dog and doghouse, by Nathan
Daniel's picture
Nathan's coal train and tender
Matthew's mess
Melanie's dirt and grass (she was having a hard time mixing a nice brown)
Daddy's train, by Matthew
Elephant and zebra, by Nathan
