Summer Pinterest Challenge 2019: Week 1

I love Pinterest.  So many ideas creative ideas in one spot that it can be a little overwhelming when you don't know what you're looking for.  On the other hand, when you have a general idea of what your looking for, it's a great resource!  Every summer, I choose a theme within the realm of Pinterest and spend one day a week conquering it.  Last year was Stem projects and the year before was just random Pinterest activities.  As the kids are growing older and getting farther along with school, I have noticed that art is the one thing that doesn't get taught as much as it should.  Allowing kids to be creative and explore the world of art . . . the lines, the colors, the artists, helps children of all ages express themselves, create confidence, and expands their education beyond the math and language.  I could go into more details on why it's so important, but that's just boring. 

This summer, we are really chasing quiet and savoring summer.  The time we are spending dedicated to art just might be the icing on the cake!  This summer, we are conquering 6 artists by reading about them in a beautifully illustrated picture books and then trying out the styles of each artist by creating our own masterpiece.  I am really excited! 

Our first book and art project is based on the art of Vasily Kandinsky.  Kandinsky is known for taking a risk and starting what is known as the modern art movement.  As a child, he was given a paint box and the heard sounds and music as he painted. He probably had a condition called synesthesia, where different senses trigger other senses.  Because he lived before much research had been done on this condition.  Regardless, his art shows the movement and color of the music he heard as he maneuvered the paint across his canvas. 

 One of his most famous paintings is his concentric circles and I found a printable via Pinterest for concentric hearts.  It was the perfect art project to follow our book on Kandinsky.  Basically, you just print out the template onto cardstock and have your child paint with watercolors (or any medium, really!) starting just inside the line working their way in.  We chose medium tipped brushes (we like the Kids Made Modern brushes or the IKEA brushes) and had them use whatever colors they wanted, cleaning their brush in the water on the table and wiping it with a paper towel. 

 I am loving how these turned out!  I think I am going to trim the extra space off the edges and mat it to some colored cardstock and stick them in our kids gallery frames. 

You can find the printable for these concentric hearts here.

I hope you will join us on this art challenge this summer!  Feel free to post to instagram and use #OOTRBsummerkidsartchallenge