Scribble Art by Maryann Kohl

I have been trying to do an official "art project" with Lia every Wednesday during Eden's nap. Eden is 2 1/2 now and into EVERYTHING. She's like a busy little raccoon, leaving a trail of torn paper and crumbs wherever she goes. Anyways, it's nice to spend some time with just Lia, and the baby, and do things that would be difficult with busy 2-year-old hands in the mix.

I checked out several art books from the library at the beginning of the year and fell in love with "Scribble Art" by MaryAnn Kohl. The projects in it were perfect for Lia because they focus on the process, not the product. There were several that I vaguely remembered from my childhood that I loved but couldn't remember in enough detail to replicate. Our project yesterday was especially successful, and Eden was even able to join in when she woke up.

SALTY WATERCOLORS

For this project you will need:
Table Salt

Shallow dish or tray
White Glue (Elmer's)
Watercolor paint (Prang works well)
Thick watercolor paper or matte board (It needs to be thick enough that it won't bend and crack the glue/salt after the painting is dry
Paintbrush and water

Step 1: (Optional)
I cut our watercolor paper down to 9" x 6" and then 4.5 x 6 so that Lia could do several projects without me feeling like we were burning through all our watercolor paper.

Step 2:

Make a design on the paper with the glue.

Step 3:

Place paper in tray and generously shake salt over the top. It's important to make sure all the glue is covered. Shake excess salt off and place paper back on table.

Step 4:

This is really magical. Load your paintbrush with water and paint, then very gently touch it to the design on the paper. The paint will spread a bit through the design. Repeat. Seriously, I wish I had more time to do this myself. It's really fun.

I actually bought Scribble Art brand new from Amazon, and I almost never buy new books. It's that good.