In the next week (or two), we are launching a Kickstarter campaign and with that, a Facebook one. If you like us, we’ll send you a printable .pdf with art projects and ideas about the two most basic art elements – shapes and line. Stay tuned and enjoy the little preview.
Getting ready for Valentine’s Day? In the following weeks, I’ll introduce some really simple-to- do art-inspired projects… today it is “Dancer” card for your Valentine (inspired by Henri Matisse). Enjoy.
You need: black, blue and yellow paper, card (or card stock paper of any color), scissors, glue and 10 minutes of your kid’s time.
1. First let your child draw:
2. Cut it all out and glue it onto the blue paper and onto the card.
And if you want to learn more about Matisse and his collages, wait for the first issue of ArTree… the Kickstarter campaign is going to be launched in 1-2 weeks. Or click here in the meantime (it is the Pinterest page that features all the artists covered in the first issue)…
So, your child loves painting. You are happy. Your fridge less so. There’ only so many pictures it can fit… (I know, I have been recycling the pictures there every day now). I love the tack adhesive (or picture hanging putty) because it is fast and flexible (no pun intended). But there are many other ways you can display your kid’s art and still be able to change it quite often. Our Pinterest page has a lot of those ideas – cloth pins, cork-boards, trouser hangers, old shutters, book shelves, old picture frames, and much more. What’s your favorite?
There is a simple answer: “Ask the jar.” It is an old used-up candle jar filled with tons of things he can draw. Sometimes he chooses one word or two, sometimes he gets five and tries to combine them together into a one picture. In some cases, it proved to be quite a challenge.
Well, you can fill the jar with whatever you want. There can be just words or pictures of specific projects you find online. You can have two jars – one with stuff you want to draw (whale, superhero, lost underwater city) and one with how you want to draw them (watercolors, crayons, ink). You can have your kids write them themselves and add to them every time they have an idea but not enough time to execute it. Possibilities are endless. Have fun.
Isn’t it amazing how much the kids change between 2 and 4 years of age?
They move from scribbling to drawing with a purpose – from messy circles to people, buildings, animals, and basically anything they see around themselves. Their imagination is running wild and so are their artworks. Every art is accompanied by a story that just keeps going and going… Their pictures are filled with tons of symbols and hidden meanings (and even though these are often difficult for adults to understand, they make sense and are very important).
These paintings were done by a 2-year old and a 4-year old – at the same time, following the same instructions. There is a monochromatic night sky with snow, a metallic-crayon spider web (a project my son insisted on drawing this weekend), and butterfly/dragonfly collage on a dry-powder-watercolor-treated paper.
There is only so much one can squeeze into a magazine, even though it has over 30 pages. There is always more ideas out there and it would be a shame to ignore them. It only makes sense to me to share these with you too.
That’s why ArTree has a Pinterest page filled with amazing art projects. There are two boards for every issue of the magazine – one with more art projects, games and ideas that go well with the topic at hand (color, in this case) and one with featured artists – their profiles, portraits and paintings.
We are also collecting more famous paintings, art projects, art activities and techniques for kids. So, whenever you feel the need for art – check it out and let us know what you think.
I am creating a list of materials and books for the first issue of ArTree – about COLOR. There’s a color wheel, some kids books about mixing colors and featured artists, stickers, color paddles, and puzzles. Do you have any personal favorites you feel I should add to the list?
Who created ArTree?
I am an art director with background in child education and psychology. I love art and ever since my kids were born, I was trying to teach them how to appreciate it and, of course, how to create it. I created hundreds of projects and lesson plans and decided that this may be a good way to share it everybody who would find them interesting.
How does it work?
There are no good or bad ways to do art, in my book. I believe that art is a form of expression of ourselves, not just mere copying of others. I do not strive to teach kids to paint the same way Picasso did… I merely use the artists and projects to spark their curiosity and creativity. I introduce the artists to talk about concepts, techniques and then show numerous variations to strengthen it. I want kids to be confident in their skills and have fun in the process.
What is ArTree?
ArTree is a new art magazine for kids.
Every issue is filled with creative art projects, games, and activities. Every two months, it introduces famous artists, art techniques and concepts to your child (like this crayon resist + natural watercolors you can make youself).
Why was ArTree created?
With so many public schools not being able to offer art programs to the kids, art education can be challenging. There are many options for the parents: books, Internet resources, art classes… but these can be very time consuming or expensive. ArTree is filling this gap. For only $20 a year, you get 6 issues of a magazine that is filled with prescreened and heavily tested projects around one simple theme. It is easy, the materials used in the magazine are nothing fancy you need to mail-order, and there are NO ads.
Sounds good?
And to give you a fast preview, this is the title page first issue – about Color.
ArTree 