Splatter Paint

Our art playgroup has been growing in numbers now that summer is here.  And while I love having so many little artists to paint with, our house doesn’t exactly have a ton of space.  If only I had an art studio!  But as I’ve said before, I’m trying very hard to open my home to others, even though it isn’t the “perfect” house with the “perfect” decor and the “perfect” spot for art group.  Nor is it “perfectly” clean!

Right now, our “studio” is the kitchen table (and overflow on the kiddie table and breakfast bar, when necessary).  Last week I felt like it was a little too crowded inside.  This week, with the potential for even more kids to show up,  I decided to change things up and move to our “summer studio” in the backyard.  I’ve got quite a few extra messy projects I’ve been reserving for outdoors, so I thought this week might be the perfect week for one of those.  In addition to painting, I set up 2 kiddie pools, a sprinkler ball, and our sand and water table.

The kids all had a really great and messy time, and the splatter paint on canvas went well.  I thought using canvas would be better for this age group so they could each have their own space.  You could also splatter paint on a large sheet, drop cloth, or roll of butcher paper if you wanted to make it a group project.

We had some beautiful paintings, especially from the 3 year olds, who really seemed to get the hang of the splatter painting technique.

HOWEVER, we have absolutely NO shade in our backyard, and even at 9:30 in the morning, it was close to 90 degrees with no breeze.  Fun for the kids painting and splashing in the pools, but not so fun for the mommies and little babies.  We’ll be moving back inside next week.  For future outdoor projects, we may meet in the afternoon (when our backyard is shaded and breezy), or move to a nearby park with a large covered pavillion.