Painting with Nature
Ages 3 and up
Impressionist art is named for its ability to capture the artist’s impressions of a scene. In the 19th century, photography was becoming more common and so artists no longer felt the need to create art that captured a scene in accurate detail. Instead, they wanted to show what the artist felt or experienced in the moment.
As the weather warms up, it is the perfect time to go outside and capture some impressions of nature. As a fun twist, we are going to be using plants as paint brushes. These brushes are not only a fun experiment, but will give our paintings a unique look.
Materials
- Acrylic or Craft Paint
- Sticks, twigs, flowers and leaves
- Rubber bands (optional)
- Paper and clipboard or canvas
Directions
- Gather natural materials to turn into brushes. Optional :Use rubber bands to gather some items together to form brushes
- Look at nature or a scene in your home, paint the scene, and try to add details that demonstrate what your impression of the place is, Here’s some tips:
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- Using warm or cool shades can help convey emotion
- Vary the sizes of objects to demonstrate a feeling of being far away or close
- Use quick brush lines to show movement
More Fun
Learn more about impressionism here.
