Art & Artists in the Garden: Pablo Picasso

I honestly do not remember a whole lot about the decor in my childhood homes growing up. I do remember a few particularly unique needle-points handmade by my grandmothers and I also remember a poster print of Pablo Picasso's "Bouquet of Peace."

The artist originally did this piece in watercolor and it was later printed as a color lithograph. As a child, it's childlike simplicity really appealed to me. This was a wonderful piece to invite my own children to study Picasso as we simultaneously began to enjoy vases full of blooms and foliage cut from our own garden!

I wanted to include mixed mediums in our study. Since the piece depicts a set of hands, I also wanted it to be truly hands on. We used white card stock, a rainbow pallet of washable ink, a couple of shades of green marker and black tempura paint.

I prepped each paper in advance with green lines for stems. This is a step that older children can do independently and even Y can master a marker in his own right. If you want to keep it genuinely a process art experience, leave out this step altogether. I did set out a tray of dark and light green markers so the boys could add foliage and other details and accents. I set this out at the same time as the ink pad, but left the painted hand-print as a final step. You can also set out the ink and markers separately if you prefer. I did make a sample version of this (hey, a Momma's gotta have fun, too, right?) but I really encouraged the boys to use the materials as they wished. Fingers, thumbs, even whole hands in the ink pad were a-OK!

And on that note, here's my little shpiel about messy art. Y is a hands on and hands in artist right now. S is a bit more reserved with certain textures and materials, though given time and space and reassurance (and access to wipes or a wet washcloth), he will go elbow deep! Messy art is GREAT! It is good and healthy for children to experience textures and sensations associated with art and play. It can be overwhelming for the adults involved (particularly if you are sensitive to getting dirty or particularly cautious about messes in your home). Children sometimes intuit our adult anxieties over this and many children have aversions or reservations about messy play and art with or without adult input involved. As children grow, their feelings about these sensory experiences may change. A child who loved to fingerpaint at the age of 2 may be hesitant by the age of 4 and vice versa. Here are a few things to consider:

• Check in with yourself and your own level of messy art anxiety. If doing a messy project indoors is too overwhelming, take it outside. Summer is a great time to get messy, get out the hose and spray clean! I'm actually in the process of plotting and planning messy art afternoons outdoors for us at least once a week if I can. Alternatively, use a cheap shower curtain or vinyl tablecloth to contain the space in which you do messy art. And breathe! Talk yourself through it if need be so you can model the language about messes being OK and people and things being washable. 
• Prepare for the worst and expect the best! A little bit of mindful preparation can go a long way. Having a large space prepared with a drop cloth as previously mentioned can help. Having wipes or wet rags already set out so that messy hands don't need to reach far for them is also helpful. Smocks or cover ups for the children and for you can reduce stains on clothing. Dressing for messy art might also mean choosing something to wear that can withstand a few splotches of paint or ink. And think ahead! Where will children need to go to wash their hands when they are done? If your hands are also covered in paint, you might want to first wash your own, and then assist others. If a step stool is needed or assistance with the faucet, you'll want your own hands to be available for the task. I like to have children "hold their own hands" together as they walk to the sink so they don't accidentally paint the whole world within their path. Another thing to consider is where you will place wet artwork to dry. It is helpful to have an out of reach space already prepared and covered to contain finished work until it is ready to be displayed.

• Take your time. Don't do a messy project when you're short on time. You'll likely also be short on patience and there's nothing worse than feeling rushed. Allow time for children to dive in or slowly dip one toe (or finger) in at a time. Allow time for clean up and a smooth transition. And have something planned, perhaps even in another space, for when the activity is done so that you have the time and space to handle any residual mess.

I love that each of my boys had their own way to express themselves through the ink, markers and paint. S even dictated a little bit about his process and asked me to write it down on a sticky note:

"I am making green leaves. This is not a stem, it's a whole branch that fell down!" Y loved making dots with the markers and dragging his ink covered fingers across the stems. This is such a sweet little keepsake and would make an adorable gift or greeting card for loved ones. For now, our "Bouquets of Peace" are displayed in the family gallery and we will be back with a beautiful rendition of Renoir's "A Girl With A Watering Can" in our next post. Until then...

Happy Playing!