Our Storytelling Tree: A Collaborative Mixed Medium Process Art Project Perfect for Tu B'Shevat!

Storytelling, small worlds and dramatic play are a pretty big deal here, and I especially love involving the family in creating some of our own props. We also had so much fun on our last multi-medium process art experience over the winter break that even though school is back in session for S, I wanted to include more activities like this in our afternoon routines together.

The after nap hours during the week are often a little hectic. Everyone's energy is low. It's the end of the day. This time of year, it gets dark out quite early. We've been away from each other at work and school and everyone is eager to share this limited time together, but the pace can feel a bit rushed for big afternoon activities or outings. Engaging in art together is one way we are able to slow down the pace a bit, tune in to each other and be creative as a family. Even better if what we're doing isn't a project that is intended to be completed in one sitting. When I found this wooden tree sculpture on super sale post holiday season at our craft supply shop, I knew it was the perfect foundation for a collaborative art experience. I didn't exactly know yet what we would do to it, but it was going to make the perfect storytelling tree for our home and perhaps, in drier seasons, even our playgarden!

A few tips before you begin, should you decide to undertake this project or something similar:

• Choose a work space that will accommodate all of your family members comfortably. Our dining room table is the best option for us in terms of having enough space, being a good height for me and the boys alike (Y uses a high chair, S can sit or stand). 
• Cover your work space; this will get messy! I finally dedicated an old bedsheet to this purpose after throwing away the last of our super cheap shower curtains last month. It was on its way to the donation pile, but now its making its final stop in a new venue.
• Cover your artists if you wish. I have an apron I wear for messy art. S is willing to don an old t-shirt of mine over his clothes and Y loves his "sah-mock," a vinyl long sleeved child's smock. When our paints are washable, I give the option to cover up or just take precaution and push up sleeves.
• I try to have all of our materials gathered together and readily accessible at our work space. Sometimes when my plans are a bit more spur of the moment and spontaneous (as you will see), that means I take the risk of darting upstairs in the middle of a painting project knowing I could come down to a colorful surprise... 
• Include wet wash cloths in that list of materials! These will be handy for hands that are averse to being sticky or painty mid-project.
• Let loose and let go. This is a big one for me. Especially with a collaborative art project, know that everyone is going to have their own vision and ideas. It helps to slow down. To breathe deeply and take your time. To put on some soothing background music if you wish. Make sure you have a space of time and location that can accommodate this. It is as much about the experience as it is about the end results. 
• Clean up can be daunting, but I like to tackle it right away when we're done for the day. It's easiest to wash trays, bottles and brushes before everything has dried and caked on. What I've found to be true is that having spent a chunk of quality and intentional time with the boys beforehand, they are more willing to busy themselves for ten minutes without being (too) underfoot while I wash up dishes and hang up smocks. They can also help carry in materials or even wash them given some rags and soapy water in their sensory table or at the sink. I generally opt to do this part myself for the purpose of saving time and sanity at that point. If transitioning from messy art together to the clean up process and routines that follow is challenging, I highly recommend having a transitional activity set up for afterward--even if that's an ice pop or favorite TV show. Yes, you read that right.

On Day 1 I set out recycled sushi trays of acrylic paints in green, teal, white, black and brown. Some laminated paint sample cards helped us to visualize shades and hues of our colors. I also got out our textured roller sponge brushes. These are a favorite brush for both my boys--even S, who is not such a painting fan in and of itself loves to paint with these. I think I found them at Five and Below several years ago and we really can't get enough of them here!

I have to say that even after that first day, the tree looked so incredibly lovely with the colors blended as they were and the unique textures and designs left by the roller brushes that it almost seemed a shame to change it at all. But on Day 2, I had squeeze bottles filled with green, white and black washable tempera paints and empty ice cube trays plus a selection of thin paint brushes ready to go. With our shades and hues of green laminated paint sample cards out and ready for viewing, the boys (especially S) got busy squeezing and mixing colors. S made sections of white and green, black and green, and even black, white and green. Squeezing and mixing the colors definitely took precedent over anything else for him and he was not as interested in painting with them using our brushes. Y, on the other hand, loved dotting and dabbing and doodling with the paintbrushes and was eager to use up S's abundant supply.

Seeing how much joy both boys had in squeezing the paint right from the bottle made me think that it might be fun to squeeze it right on the tree. Our tempera paints are rather thin, though, so to thicken it a bit, I added a generous squirt of glue to each bottle (and an equally generous squirt of green paint to the black and white bottles) before letting them loose at the tree!

Unsurprisingly this resulted in some painty puddles! And then, in my typical If You Give a Mouse a Cookie fashion, I had a spark of inspiration. Combs would be a super fun way to spread and scrape the paint around. I'd like to say that I have a set of inexpensive plastic combs just for such occasions. Yes, I'd like to say that, but I can't--because I actually just have an inexpensive set of 3 combs total. For all of us. Myself included. So please don't judge the shades and hues of green you may or may not see in our hairdos over the weeks to come--I think I washed all the paint out. Y actually was so amused to see his comb at the table that he immediately grabbed it up, painty bristles and all and proceeded to comb his own hair! Oh dear...

Yes, this is truly the joy and excitement of art together here. Having little to no plan but infinite amounts of spontaneous ideas and inspiration. I took one last squeeze to the tree before setting it to dry and washing out our bottles, brushes, trays and, um, combs.





S was eagerly recalling the day we used glue to paint and pour on small loose parts on our Frozen Mixed Medium Paintings when I first introduced this project, so I promised him our final step would include copious amounts of glue, glitter, baubles and bits. Day 3, our final day of painting brought us a tray of beads, glass gems, wooden letter tiles and rhinestones along with a couple of jars of clear gel glue mixed with two shades of green glitter and some wooden craft sticks for stirring, scooping, drizzling and scraping. Once our tree was bedazzled and be-dried, I took it out front to apply a coat of spray acrylic finish for added protection against the elements and we were done! But for this storytelling tree, that is not a means to an end, but rather its beginning. It shall be part and parcel to many a day of action and imagination here. And until then...

ta da!

Happy Playing!