Mixed Media Nature Art

By Julie GoldsteinThis week up in The Studio we had fun drawing in nature and using a variety of materials to create a colorful mixed media work of art.  First, we drew onto the canvas.  The children love to draw in nature, so we found a comfortable place to sit and draw in The Glenn.  Then we walked back to The Studio and added colored oil pastels to the drawings.  The children pressed really hard and applied vivid colors to the canvas.  Lastly, we created magic, by painting liquid watercolors to the entire canvas, focusing on the white areas left in the drawing.  The children love to see how the watercolors repel the oil pastels.  The very last step is optional, I usually add this step with the older children ages 3-5, they use embroidery needles and colorful yarn and stitch around the border of their drawings.  The result is a mixed media, colorful work of art that is inspired by nature.Materials:

Canvas
Pencils
Oil Pastels
Liquid Watercolor
Embroidery needles
Yarn
Awl (for poking holes into the canvas)Instruction:

1. Find a safe place in nature to sit and draw onto the canvas
2. Add Oil Pastels to the canvas over the pencil
3. Apply Liquid Water Color to go over the oil pastels and fill up the white space
4. Once it is dry, poke holes around the border
5. (Prepare the needles) Sew the yarn in and around the boarder to fill up with holes.
6. Have FUN!