Painting Collaboration (or how to paint with your teens!)

 

---  update: this post is originally from Feb 2014 - a snow day- like today so I thought it was a good day to repost it!  ---

 When my boys were little - we made art all the time.  Quickly of course, but still, it was always a part of our week and they were always eager.  Teenagers are a little harder to get involved in one of Mom's projects but it's not impossible!

 Finding myself with yet ANOTHER snow day, a wall that desperately needed something new and antsy teenagers hanging around - I decided to give a group art project a whirl.

 

So, out came the acrylics and the big inexpensive canvas from the craft store.  I set things up and said "Hey,  I need you guys to help me do an under-painting, I need it to be random colors, grafitti -ish, with drippy paint.  Go to town."  They took the bait...

 Naturally, agreeing to not show their faces was a requirement...  

And there may have been a little bribery involved.  Teen boys think of food as currency.  

Breakfast sandwich it is.

    Shooting from behind was allowed too. At least I think it was - I may have snuck this.

 The colors they used were suggested by me but how they used the paint was all up to them. The messier the better and printing, stamping,  painting over, splattering, and dripping was all encouraged!

 

   

A friend who showed up got in on the action too (Loving it! - my plan is working!!) 

 

 

When everyone had added what they wanted and they were happy with it, we set it aside to dry.

 Then it was Mama's turn.

 Inspired by drawings in my sketchbook, I used my new white Sharpie to draw on top. 

 

 Love how it turned out.

 Loved collaborating with my boys. 

 Proudly hung in the heart of our home.