by Erin Livermore
Are you interested in creating art projects for your children, but fearful of the mess it will create in your home? Fear Not- Mess is OK, it’s part of making art. We all have our own tolerances for the amount of mess we can handle. However, if we don’t keep the messes under control, it will get out of hand quickly. I am a firm believer of the Organized Chaos approach. You will feel more in control with organized materials, well laid out plans, and a final envisioned project for an end result. I have 3 secrets for Managing the Art Mess!
1. Plan ahead :
You really need to think through the process in advance. Gathering the supplies, organizing tools, subject matter, and a solid clean up plan. For example, when I have my students create a watercolor and oil pastel mixed media piece, I break the lesson down into steps.
Step 1: Oil Pastel: Create the Horizon Line in white, using white, create snow falling in above horizon line, add details of small evergreen trees on horizon line (background)
Step 2: Watercolor Paint the sky- above the horizon line
Step 3: Tempera Paint on brown paper using a variety of tools- toothbrushes and racecars
Step 4: Rip brown paper vertically to make tall trees, glue to Evergreen paper (foreground)
Step 5: Shadows of the brown trees onto the snow using chalk pastels
Step 6: Glitter glue final details and PLAN where the glitter goes so it adds dimension and interest
2. Demonstrate, teach procedures & fill in with Art History or fun facts
Creating an project with multiple materials requires specific directions and an organized approach. Materials need to be applied in a certain order to have a successful project. All materials should not be set up in the same area either, they can be damaged this way.
I love to set up stations. Students can explore in each station, work at their own pace, and move around as needed. I have a Dry Station for pencils, crayons, markers, oil pastels etc and Wet stations for painting. I also used “messy mats” or placemats to transport materials just in case.
Demonstrate each step to students, talk about the qualities of the material. For example, I tell them the white oil pastel is magic because we can’t see it very well right now, but when we add another dimension to it, it will show it’s powers. Show them how to create an evergreen tree by incorporating different shades of green or adding the colors that make green (blue and yellow) layering the colors will give a more advanced look.
Teach how to use the materials appropriately. Press hard with the white oil pastel, by doing so it will create a solid line with the oils that are in it. Add the fun facts and vocabulary. We also talk about vocabulary and facts, in a conversation. “This is the horizon line- separates the _______ from the _______.” Have the students fill in the blanks (sky from the earth). “The evergreen trees are the in the background, see how they are smaller? We can add the large trees in front- what might this be called?” (Foreground). It’s easy to engage the kids, bring factual information, and keep them involved in the project, by including techniques and facts if the lesson is well planned with intent. Teach procedures- in order, so kids know which part is next. While they work, talk about the artists that also used the same mediums or painted pictures of nature. Have an ipad with similar paintings so students can create their own variations of your vision.
Station 1: Oil Pastels (white, green, yellow, blue, brown and black), watercolor paper cut to size
Station 2: Watercolor Paint, watercolor brushes, water
Station3: Tempera Paint (dark brown, gold, white in a long tray; watered down white paint in a small dish), brown paper (cut to size), race cars, toothbrushes
3. Allow for ample time
Part of the beauty of art is stepping back and letting the process happen. Let kids explore what happens when they run the race car through 3 colors of paint, and then onto their paper. Let them explore with holding the toothbrushes close to the paper, and far away. They might spray their neighbor or themselves, but it’s part of the fun!
Watch them light up when they add the dark blue paint over the “magic white oil pastel”. It resists the paint and you have snowflakes and a solid horizon line of “snow”. Allow for dry time for the painted materials. If you rush the process, the end results will suffer. You don’t have to do this lesson in one day. I do this project over a period of 3 days, with other projects also being created at the same time. Give your children time to explore and learn the techniques you’ve shown them.
Art is exploring- through the mess and paint, let each child find “their way” to creating in your organized mess. Having it on your terms, organized and planned, it will allow you to enjoy the time with them as well insteading of worrying about what might happen next!
Example of Student work
Erin is a local artist who resides in St. Charles. She is a certified Art Teacher with a Masters in Education. She taught Elementary and Middle School Art and Language Arts classes 8 years locally in schools. Erin stopped teaching in the schools to stay home to raise their young family. But Erin couldn’t stay away from teaching Art- she’s been teaching over 11 years now!
She started teaching classes from her home art studio, and enrichment classes at a few former elementary schools. Her business continued to increase, and soon her art studio was too small to fit all of the classes…We’ve moved 3 times as business grew. We started in Geneva for a year and a half, then moved to St. Charles, and have been 2 locations in St. Charles! As our business keeps growing, and we have happily been able to hire 3 more art teachers in addition to Erin, who also offer a variety of Art Classes. We also have several amazing artists who have been offering private lessons and teaching our ever famous Wine & Canvas & Cookies and Canvas classes.
At All Things Art Studio, Erin teaches Everything Art, Clay Classes, Drawing, Painting, Many of the Girl & Boy Scout Troop badges, Birthday parties and Wine & Canvas events, as well as Private Lessons several days per week. Erin is looking forward to continuing to share her passion for art with many new students who also have that creative spark!
Are you interested in creating art projects for your children, but fearful of the mess it will create in your home? Fear Not- Mess is OK, it’s part of making art. We all have our own tolerances for the amount of mess we can handle. However, if we don’t keep the messes under control, it will get out of hand quickly. I am a firm believer of the Organized Chaos approach. You will feel more in control with organized materials, well laid out plans, and a final envisioned project for an end result. I have 3 secrets for Managing the Art Mess!
1. Plan ahead :
You really need to think through the process in advance. Gathering the supplies, organizing tools, subject matter, and a solid clean up plan. For example, when I have my students create a watercolor and oil pastel mixed media piece, I break the lesson down into steps.
Step 1: Oil Pastel: Create the Horizon Line in white, using white, create snow falling in above horizon line, add details of small evergreen trees on horizon line (background)
Step 2: Watercolor Paint the sky- above the horizon line
Step 3: Tempera Paint on brown paper using a variety of tools- toothbrushes and racecars
Step 4: Rip brown paper vertically to make tall trees, glue to Evergreen paper (foreground)
Step 5: Shadows of the brown trees onto the snow using chalk pastels
Step 6: Glitter glue final details and PLAN where the glitter goes so it adds dimension and interest
2. Demonstrate, teach procedures & fill in with Art History or fun facts
Creating an project with multiple materials requires specific directions and an organized approach. Materials need to be applied in a certain order to have a successful project. All materials should not be set up in the same area either, they can be damaged this way.
I love to set up stations. Students can explore in each station, work at their own pace, and move around as needed. I have a Dry Station for pencils, crayons, markers, oil pastels etc and Wet stations for painting. I also used “messy mats” or placemats to transport materials just in case.
Demonstrate each step to students, talk about the qualities of the material. For example, I tell them the white oil pastel is magic because we can’t see it very well right now, but when we add another dimension to it, it will show it’s powers. Show them how to create an evergreen tree by incorporating different shades of green or adding the colors that make green (blue and yellow) layering the colors will give a more advanced look.
Teach how to use the materials appropriately. Press hard with the white oil pastel, by doing so it will create a solid line with the oils that are in it. Add the fun facts and vocabulary. We also talk about vocabulary and facts, in a conversation. “This is the horizon line- separates the _______ from the _______.” Have the students fill in the blanks (sky from the earth). “The evergreen trees are the in the background, see how they are smaller? We can add the large trees in front- what might this be called?” (Foreground). It’s easy to engage the kids, bring factual information, and keep them involved in the project, by including techniques and facts if the lesson is well planned with intent. Teach procedures- in order, so kids know which part is next. While they work, talk about the artists that also used the same mediums or painted pictures of nature. Have an ipad with similar paintings so students can create their own variations of your vision.
Station 1: Oil Pastels (white, green, yellow, blue, brown and black), watercolor paper cut to size
Station 2: Watercolor Paint, watercolor brushes, water
Station3: Tempera Paint (dark brown, gold, white in a long tray; watered down white paint in a small dish), brown paper (cut to size), race cars, toothbrushes
3. Allow for ample time
Part of the beauty of art is stepping back and letting the process happen. Let kids explore what happens when they run the race car through 3 colors of paint, and then onto their paper. Let them explore with holding the toothbrushes close to the paper, and far away. They might spray their neighbor or themselves, but it’s part of the fun!
Watch them light up when they add the dark blue paint over the “magic white oil pastel”. It resists the paint and you have snowflakes and a solid horizon line of “snow”. Allow for dry time for the painted materials. If you rush the process, the end results will suffer. You don’t have to do this lesson in one day. I do this project over a period of 3 days, with other projects also being created at the same time. Give your children time to explore and learn the techniques you’ve shown them.
Art is exploring- through the mess and paint, let each child find “their way” to creating in your organized mess. Having it on your terms, organized and planned, it will allow you to enjoy the time with them as well insteading of worrying about what might happen next!
Erin is a local artist who resides in St. Charles. She is a certified Art Teacher with a Masters in Education. She taught Elementary and Middle School Art and Language Arts classes 8 years locally in schools. Erin stopped teaching in the schools to stay home to raise their young family. But Erin couldn’t stay away from teaching Art- she’s been teaching over 11 years now!
She started teaching classes from her home art studio, and enrichment classes at a few former elementary schools. Her business continued to increase, and soon her art studio was too small to fit all of the classes…We’ve moved 3 times as business grew. We started in Geneva for a year and a half, then moved to St. Charles, and have been 2 locations in St. Charles! As our business keeps growing, and we have happily been able to hire 3 more art teachers in addition to Erin, who also offer a variety of Art Classes. We also have several amazing artists who have been offering private lessons and teaching our ever famous Wine & Canvas & Cookies and Canvas classes.
At All Things Art Studio, Erin teaches Everything Art, Clay Classes, Drawing, Painting, Many of the Girl & Boy Scout Troop badges, Birthday parties and Wine & Canvas events, as well as Private Lessons several days per week. Erin is looking forward to continuing to share her passion for art with many new students who also have that creative spark!
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