The bird is the word.
For the second week for summer art camp at the studio I had some older kids, so my original plan shifted a bit. I knew I wanted to do a mixed media projects that started with ripping up newspapers, magazines and tissue paper to glue flat to a 16″ x 20″ recycled, gessoed canvas. I decided to give the kiddos a choice on either doing a the birds on a wire (an existing studio project from a previous camp) or resist words using contact paper cut out and placed to resist the paint, leaving the paper underneath visible.
The vast majority of kiddos chose to do the birds, so I showed a sample and did one along with them on a smaller canvas (rocking two project examples at once, sometimes requires modifications). For the other kids who chose the words I brought some examples from home.
{PRO-TIP} if you want to give options, but still need to demo, work on multiple smaller canvases.
MIXED MEDIA BACKGROUND
We worked flat without easels, and we all started the same way no matter which project the kids chose; each kid got a canvas, bottle of glue, paper plate (as a sort of pallet for the glue) and a sponge brush.
I put a variety of newspapers toward the center of the tables and also set up a table toward the back with more newspapers, magazines and colored tissue paper they could grab as they went. I showed the kiddos how to rip different sizes and add glue like paint slowly, and to lay all the paper flat. No feathers sticking up!
I let the kids get going adding paper and told them to go slow that we would work all the way to snack (about an hour). I reminded them to keep in mind they were going to be covering a lot of this project up with paint, and if they had a special picture they liked to put it where they would see it later in the process. As kids got done they could begin lining up to use the blow dryer to force it along.
{PRO-TIP} Hair dryers, especially ones with hot and cold settings are fantastic to speed up the drying process on paintings and mixed media projects.
I set out some pre cut contact paper I had pre cut in about 8 x 11 sheets (from a previous resist project lol) so the kids doing the resist words could go ahead and begin tracing out the letters and cutting them out. I reminded them not to put them on the canvas until it is completely dry. No paint out before snack.
BIRDS AND WORDS
After snack, everyone chose their paint. As per usual in my class, you can choose your own color scheme or mine; for the kiddos that chose words, I advised that a darker color would make it pop a bit more, and to make sure the contact paper (aka sticker paper) was completely flat.
I showed the kids that you want to leave a bit of the paper showing through the back if you are doing the birds, if you want to still see your images behind it. Otherwise you can do thinner layers of paint. The glue from before also often adds a bit of a crackle effect, depending upon how much they covered it. For the words, it was a bit more coverage to get the effect like mine.
I showed the outlines of the birds and had everyone practice them on the table paper at least once before they did them on the canvas. The head is a circle and the body is a football shape and then fill it in.
{PRO-TIP} Practice tricky steps on paper before putting them on the finished project.
The kids got going and we even did some splatter toward the end. Once the word paintings dry, the kids can peel up the contact paper leaving the mixed media below. The words turned out well, but I wish I had taken pictures of the EPIC painting after he peeled! It was epic, and he was very pleased. Also next time, I will show them simple shapes as well to take advantage of the empty space some ended up with.
The birds were so different kid to kid and even though a lot chose the same color scheme, I could see a lot of expression in each project.
This project went great for the most part. Glue can always be challenging, but overall the kid’s were happy. For a double repeat project, I’d say it was a win!
Next class: ripped paper silhouette collages.
Becca Does Art 