Springtime Artmaking Ideas!

When considering spring, two things come immediately to mind: wind and rain. So how can these two seasonal weather events translate into artmaking? Consider shape, color, and a good assortment of art supplies. Kites? Rainbows? Umbrellas? Puddles? 

Here are some of our favorite Springtime art ideas that you can make at home:

Kite Festival Collage

This colorful painted kite collage is created from recycled painted paper (scraps left over from previous painting projects) or bits and pieces of other types of decorative papers, like scrapbooking paper or wrapping paper. You'll also need tempera paint for the background, scissors, glue, and a Sharpie.

Learn more about how to create this fun on our previous weblog post. You can also download our printable pdf instructions right here.

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

These little Dutch kites are made from nothing more than a sheet of paper, glue, scissors, string, and a plastic grocery bag (cut into a long tail). Surprisingly great flyers!

See our original weblog post to learn more about these kites or check out how to make a Dutch Kite from Margaret Greger's book Kites for Everyone. Another one-sheet kite is this easy-peasy delta kite. We've made many of these and they fly like a dream!

Painted Kites

This is an old fashioned diamond kite, like the kind I had as a kid, but with a twist!  This basic paper kite is painted with a realistic animal face in the style of Jim Thompson. (He uses acrylic paint on brown paper.) We painted these on white butcher paper with tempera paint, like this.  

Here's how to assemble your painted paper kite.  

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

Here's how to can create your own April showers and storm clouds and puddles and even lightening - or a rainbow! This uses a wet-on-wet watercolor and wax (or oil) resist technique. And a ruler. You can see more about this fun project at Elementary Art Fun. 

If you like, you can download out a printable step-by-step instructional pdf right here. 

Walking in the Rain

One of the best ways to celebrate spring with young children is to take a walk in the rain! Wouldn’t you agree? Children love feeling ‘safe’ under a big umbrella! This simple art project lets them enjoy a walk in the rain with drawing, watercolor, and a little imagination!

Here is a downloadable pdf with full instructions for this cute project. Super fun for pre-K through 3rd grade (or so).

Our Favorite Art for Easter & Spring

Here are a few of our Favorite Easter/Spring art projects.  You might want to try them too!

Easter Egg Hunt!

This is a mixed media project for all ages, even preschoolers! The secret is a cardboard egg template. Trace as many as your like, then decorate the eggs at will! Try to do something different with each one. Then hide your eggs in the grass by painting the background green, green, green!

Busy Easter Bunny 
Here's a fun painting of the Easter Bunny busily getting ready for Easter! We painted these on a large piece of blue poster board using tempera paint and LOTS of imagination! Include a vase of spring flowers and lots of spilled paint! Added various collage elements, like wrapping paper, scrapbooking papers, and newspaper make this a really fun Easter art project!!! 

You can find more details and see lots more  busy Easter Bunnies on our previous weblog post. 

A Wild Rabbit! 
This is a tempera painting of a rabbit amid tasty dandelions and sweet grasses. He is wary and watchful as he fills his tummy with yumminess! 

Our bunny is painted on 12" x 18" paper, starting first with a simple guided drawing. 

You can see more examples our wild rabbit painting here and here.

Pysanky Egg Pastel Resist Painting

This is a very large Pysanky-style Easter Egg painting that is created first with oil pastels and then painted with watercolor. The more detailed the drawing, the more stunning the results!

Visit That Artist Woman for step-by-step instructions.

Cheery Cherry Blossoms 
This beautiful spring-like tempera painting inspires happiness! Created in the style of Russian painter Natalia Goncharova, beautiful bright colors are painted on colored paper using simple and quick strokes of the brush! See our previous post for more details and samples of student work.

You can also download a pdf of detailed step-by-step printable instructions from Painted Paper Art.