Easter Basket Collage Art

Here is a paper collage project suitable for any kid who looks forward to Easter, loves making things, and especially enjoys being super-creative!

This process art project utilizes cut paper and glue in new and exciting ways. First it's a collage, but really it's a whole lot more because it features some three dimensional elements. 

(Plus, a few chocolate bunnies and marshmallow peeps to make this basket really special!)

Once they catch on, young artists will figure out on their own how to add texture and other 3-D elements to their collages. 

Various scrap booking papers, stickers, and gold wrapping paper (for the ultra-desirable golden egg) can add to the fun!

We employed some interesting paper-working tools such as our handy grass-maker (okay, a paper shredder), a butterfly punch, and a paper crimper. If you have these, great, but kids can always figure out how to create their own special effects once they get going with their own ideas. 

We also used a variety of pre-cut cardboard egg templates, which were traced on various papers and cut out to make awesome decorated eggs!

One particularly challenging process is that of weaving paper. In the past I have had 12-year-olds who had never woven paper before! So below, I am including some basic instructions for teaching kids how to get started with weaving, until eventually the light will come on and bingo!  

"Oh, I get it!"

Basic Paper Weaving Instructions:

We start with 8 strips of construction paper, any color. Choose 4 to weave through the other 4, one at a time. It's okay if they are messy. Use these to practice until artists figure out the over-under-over-under process.

Next the paper strips are squished together until they touch and form what looks like little squares. Wow! This looks cool!  Next, weave more paper strips along the edges to make a larger shape or to change the square shape to a more rectangular shape.

When done weaving, artists carefully cut around the shape like the one below. To keep it from unraveling, put a spot of glue beneath each loose flap along the edges. We use glue sticks because they dry fast! If you want to, you can carefully flip the weaving over and do the same thing on the back.

A bit of texture was added to the top and bottom of this basket using crimped paper strips.

For more Easter Basket collage ideas, take a look at our previous post:

                                                    Awesome Easter Baskets 

Backyard Birds in Oil Pastel

American Goldfinch  by Jackie, oil pastel on black paper

In February we created these sweet bird paintings in oil pastel on black paper. 

Wait, did I say "paintings?" 

Yes! Pastel artwork is generally considered a painting, not a drawing. Did you know that? 

Dark-eyed Junco or Snowbird, oil pastel on black paper 

These portraits of backyard birds are first lightly sketched on 9" x 12" black sulfite paper using either black or white soft pastel (which can be brushed off easily with a soft cloth as the sketch is being adjusted).   

Rose-breasted Grosbeak, oil pastel on black paper 

Northern Cardinal, oil pastel on black paper

Black-capped Chickadee, oil pastel on black paper

Since our intent was to learn how to work with oil pastels, we did not want to spend all of our time attempting to draw anatomically correct birds. So a shortcut was available.

First, artists chose a photo of a bird from my large file of resource photos (from calendars). They could use the photo to observe and draw their bird freehand, or, with tracing paper, they could trace the basic outline, eye placement, and main markings of the bird. 

Then a piece of carbon paper was sandwiched between the tracing paper and the black paper and the bird was retraced onto it. 

A natural element, such as a branch, was also sketched in the scene for the bird to perch on. The background was left black. 

Now artists selected a pallet of oil pastel sticks to be used for the painting. They held up each possible color to compare to the resource photo. Once chosen, this pallet was kept until the painting was finished. 

Artists learned that oil pastels can be blended, mixed to make new colors, and used lightly or heavily to create shadows, highlights, and textures.

If you have a set of oil pastels that you would like to get to know better, give this little bird portrait a try. You will likely be pleasantly surprised! These samples were painted by adults, but I have also had great success with teens and children (ages 8 and up).

Winter Scene in Watercolor

 

A small group of adult artists came by to paint this lovely little winter scene, a perfect subject for this very cold January! 

This is an easy watercolor painting that works well in a small format. Our artists chose either 9"x12" or 7"x10" watercolor paper. (90# works for the smaller size, 140# is better for the larger format.)

Want to paint your own? You can do it! First, tape the paper down to a watercolor board to keep it from curling and to ensure a nice white border when you are all done. 

Next, sketch a basic scene, starting with an uneven horizon line. Try to keep it below the center if the paper. Sketch in the basic shapes of the birch (or aspen) trees in the foreground. Feel free to use resource photos of trees to help you. Just sketch the trunks and large branches - no need to include the smaller branches and twigs. 

Now, with an old brush, fill in the tree trunks and branches with masking fluid (or frisket) and allow to dry. 

To complete the painting, take a look at The Virtual Artist for detailed instructions. 

We found this painting to be easy and fun, and we loved the results! Everyone's painting was different, showcasing each artist's interpretation of this crisp, wintery scene!

To see more about this painting, see our previous post Winter Landscape.