I’ve been meaning to write about this gorgeous branch painting for a while now. It’s been 12 years since I wrote my popular painted branch invitation, which is hard to wrap my head around. That means my youngest was eight… and now he’s in college! Sigh. This branch – really more like a driftwood log – was discovered on the beach in Rhode Island and brought home by my husband, an actual saint who has learned over our 28 years of marriage to see through my lens of reuse and repurpose.
In 2014, my branch invitation was set up for my art class in my home with six students all the same age. At the time, I remember feeling such an epiphany when I saw the branch in the yard after a big storm and thinking, why not use it? I think maybe my media/internet world was much smaller at the time and didn’t realize this is indeed not a fresh idea. But still, the photograph of the branch on the table with the paint pots resonated with so many.
For this latest experience that I set up and observed at my local library, the audience was much broader and included children as young as two, to parents, caregivers, and grandparents. I used different paint – liquid watercolor instead of tempera paint – and added more materials to explore around the log, like wire, beads, and paper bits.
It was a very different vibe and if you are interested in reading more in depth about this collaborative family day, check out the full story on my Patreon. I share my supply list, more photos of the day, and my thought process on setting this table up for success. Plus, a downloadable PDF of the post for you to print and save as an analog version.
xx Bar
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Did you enjoy this post? Here are some more open-ended art ideas using nature:
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