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The Best of Art Bar 2016

January 2, 2017 by Barbara Rucci 2 Comments

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Art Bar Blog top TEN posts of 2016 // art with children

This is my favorite part of the year, when I get to go back through all of my posts and analyze which ones did the best. It gets me so excited and geared up for the new year, because now I know what you want more of – colorful and simple ideas with few supplies, and ideas that transcend age!! It’s so cool.

I do have a confession to make, though. Even though I titled the main collage “Top Ten”, there are really sixteen!! It was too impossible for me not to include more.

Are you ready? Here we go, starting from the beginning of 2016…

kids use tissue paper and a spray bottle of water to create bleed paintings

1. Bleeding Crepe Paper Art // Using streamers and a spray bottle of water, the kids learn that water makes the color leak out and transfer to the paper.

the simplest technique for making the prettiest watercolor hearts

2. Watercolor Valentine Hearts // This simple technique makes for the most beautiful watercolor hearts.

Children use their feet to draw, opening their world to a different perspective

3. Drawing with Feet // Children use their feet to draw, opening their world to a different perspective.

Children learn about circles and squares as they make shape collages from tissue paper.

4. Shapes Collage // Children learn about circles and squares as they make shape collages from tissue paper.

Use leftover mismatched socks to make the cutest caterpillars! No sewing needed.

5. Sock Caterpillars // Use leftover mismatched socks to make the most darling caterpillars! No sewing needed.

Turn TP rolls and beads into the cutest animal marionettes!

6. Collage Animal Marionettes // Turn TP rolls and beads into the cutest marionettes!

Decorate paper plates with wash tape and seal with mod podge to make a little tray.

7. Washi Tape Plates // Decorate paper plates with washi tape and seal with mod podge to make a little tray.

Kids spend a whole week at art camp making all sorts of potions and messy play.

8. Potions Week at Art Camp // Kids spend a whole week at art camp making all sorts of potions and messy play.

Cardboard and paint is all you need to make these eclectic and delicious donuts.

9. Cardboard Donuts // Cardboard and paint is all you need to make these eclectic and delicious donuts.

Turn a paper plate into a party crown!

10. Paper Plate Party Hats // Turn a paper plate into a party hat with some inventive cutting and colorful collage.

Set up an invitation to draw with a basket of drawing prompts, some paper, coloring markers, and a big old tree! A wonderful community project.

11. The Drawing Tree // Set up an invitation to draw with a basket of drawing prompts, some paper, markers, and a big old tree.

Children learn about acrylic paints by just digging in and experimenting on fabric. Their paintings are then framed in an embroidery hoop. Inspired by artist Kindah Khalidy.

12. Acrylics with Kids // Children learn about acrylic paints by just digging in and experimenting on fabric.

After using this one trick, the kids paint vibrant and colorful pumpkins using temperas and collaging with tissue paper.

13. Painting Pumpkins with Kids // The kids paint vibrant and colorful pumpkins using temperas and tissue paper.

Kids use rollers and acrylic paint to make print from the bubble wrap tree

14. Bubble Wrap Tree // Kids use rollers and acrylic paint to make prints from the bubble wrap tree.

Children paint dried leaves and wrap twigs with yarn to make beautiful mobiles.

15. Painted Leaf Mobile // Children paint dried leaves and wrap twigs with yarn to make beautiful mobiles.

Children make patchwork houses from cardboard and fabric scraps.

16. Patchwork Cardboard Houses // Kids make patchwork houses from cardboard and fabric scraps.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

And that’s a wrap!! Hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane. Can’t wait to show you what’s in store for 2017!

xo, Bar

PS: To foster creativity in your home, add these Beginner Art Supplies, and Favorite Craft Supplies to your art shelves.

PSS: Follow me on Instagram to see what I’m up to at the moment, and Facebook for tons more creative and artsy ideas.

 

Filed Under: Recycled, Open-ended Crafts for Kids Tagged With: best of 2016, top ten, Favorite posts

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Santi Sterley

    January 8, 2017 at 9:40 am

    OOO what an awesome year!!

    Luved using your tips and ideas – a favourite of ours was the potion making during our Craft Camp in September – my first ever – and what an awesome success – all kids want is fun mess fun fun!

    thanks for all your awesomeness!
    Luv
    santi x

    Reply
    • Barbara Rucci

      January 11, 2017 at 10:59 am

      thank you so much for leaving a comment, Santi!! I’m so happy that you have been following along this year, and especially that you made potions in craft camp!!! that is one of our favorite summer activities. xoxo Bar

      Reply

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I have been thinking lately about so many big idea I have been thinking lately about so many big ideas. They seem to be stuck, though, in the cogs of my brain. I need to articulate and connect these ideas together, but I can’t find the right words, or medium. It feels like trudging through thick mud, and then making the choice to set up camp in the muddy place. Maybe this is always what motherhood + living a creative life will be. And I am ok with that, too. Life is mucky, and even though I crave clarity, I am also acutely aware that this is why I also crave art. Music, books, museums, film, gardens… these are the mediums humans turn to when they need to find connection and, if we are lucky, clarity. But I feel more protective of my human-centered ideas these days and less willing to share them in spaces like this where they are open source. I don’t even know what is real sometimes. And how am I contributing to this landscape of creative and intellectual robbery. I think I am headed in a different direction but I don’t know what that is yet. Meanwhile, I am camping in the mud and looking for beauty where I am. 

Some moments new and old, lately…

1. Painting at my easel, age 4 when we lived in England before moving to the US. 
2. I tried making a video of motherhood on mother’s day inspired by this song 🌙 but never finished. 
3. Planting dahlias 🌸
4. Year 2 of my veggie garden. It is not going well. 
5. We diagnosed our garden problem as not enough sun so cut down a tree to give the sun a little path but then the sun moved. Also failing at science 😳
6. When you see your habits in your children ❤️ 
7. My mom’s caretaker gave me a cake and now I am a whole year younger 🙏🏼
8. Thank you James for the treats, mom dreams of traveling to visit your bakery but this was the next best thing 🥐
9. Finding 50 bucks in jeans from 20 years ago 👏🏼 Always check the pockets!
10. The newly graduated makeup artist with her kit off to a job 💋 
11. When the birthday kid isn’t home it’s too sad. must make art. 
12. When I am so dumb and share it on the internet 🙃
13. My heart, my clarity ❤️
14. Another round of silkscreening! Things are happening. 
15. MUA by Ava, and hanging out with the help 😍
16. Reminder.
Happy Earth Day! Can we agree that every day is Happy Earth Day! 

Can we agree that every day is Earth Day? The older I get, the more I change my habits to be kinder to this beautiful planet. Lately, seeing the photos from Artemis II of Earth from space has really moved me to make even more planet-friendly choices. Here are some things we do at home, and of course, we could always be better, but I also think small changes are more doable and sustainable, and if millions of us did just one of these things, it would make a difference.

Ok, here goes! My hope is that someone reads one of these actions and thinks, I can do this! We cannot reverse the melting ice caps, but we can stop further global warming… humans can do this if we work together. It starts small and is community-driven, so share this with friends!

1. Eating less meat, eating more veggies (this is also called eating low on the food chain). A vegetarian or vegan diet is a low-carbon diet. Did you know switching to 2/3 vegan reduces your carbon footprint by 60%? 
2. Grow our own veggies. Save on emissions and packaging, and find joy in gardening.
3. Less food waste. Eat leftovers, clear the fridge.
4. Buy less. Buy local.
5. Repurpose, fix, mend, thrift.
6. Make homemade gifts.
7. Drive less, fly less. (This one is harder, but being conscious of it is really important.)
8. Moderate, steady thermostat settings can save so much energy. Try 67/68 F in the winter and 72/73 in the summer and don’t touch it.
9. No pesticides on our lawn. It may not be pretty, but we have never had a beautiful lawn, and I’m fine with that. We also live on a river so the thought of polluting that water so I can have a perfect lawn is crazy.
10. Using non-toxic cleaning products or making our own from vinegar.
11. This year, we will do “no-mow May” to promote biodiversity, help the soil, and reduce emissions.
12. Vote for candidates who take climate change seriously!

Add some things you are doing in the comments. This is a judgment-free zone, so no preaching! But for real, we all can do a little bit better. 

The blog post about these signs is on artbarblog.com, link in bio!
New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite New blog post! It’s about time I share my favorite materials that I bring to the library. Read the post for links and tips for how to pair these materials to foster deep engagement. Children have always needed time in childhood to use their hands to make things and play, but now more than ever, the skills they develop through these experiences are imperative for their future well-being and success. I’ve been reading everywhere about children’s “lost skills” in this new ed tech world where screens have replaced so much hands-on learning in the classroom, even as young as preschool 😞 Communication skills, flexible thinking, regulating emotions, building empathy for others, innovating, even core strength and pencil grips are a struggle. Offering time and materials for making things and playing with ideas should not be a challenge; it should be as essential as filling bodies with fresh air and food. Play is how children learn! Anyway, I hope this post will inspire you to collect some things for making and maybe even join our Materials Matter course over on @the.creativityproject so that you, too, can become an expert at cultivating creative thinking through art making!
It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or It’s almost impossible to concentrate or sleep or work or enjoy anything these days. I know joy is resistance, art is resistance, kindness and empathy are resistance, and I try and practice all of these things every day, and also boycotting and shopping local and volunteering and making calls and checking on my neighbors and bartering and keeping our big tree lit for the community. And still, it doesn’t feel like nearly enough. I know we probably all feel this way. And maybe the collective small things really do add up to bigger movements, I don’t know. It’s Sunday and my mom is in the hospital again and I miss my one at college and I had such a bad dream last night. My headspace is not in cheerleader mode which is my usual default. And yet… going through my camera roll to find photos of things I made did actually help today. And I have made a plan for future things to make. When I wake up in the middle of the night, the way I get myself back to sleep is by envisioning this one big installation idea I’ve had for years, it takes place in a forest and involves textiles. So maybe 2026 is the year for me to bring this to life, or begin the process. I think about this quote, and it helps, too: When you make art, you rebel against a world that fears vulnerability. Ok, I’m better. Thank you for listening 🤪❤️

Ps: It weighs on me that Meta should be part of the boycotts. If anyone has any ideas for building community and sharing somehow somewhere else let’s discuss.
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