Picking Up Art For Family Activity
Where education systems are leaving art behind you may find an opportunity for family activity, bonding, and entertainment. There are family art ideas that can be used at home.
This is far better than everyone being isolated within their own world when society is doing nothing but promoting isolation.
Art helps to combat many mental ills which we face. It helps to fend off depression by stoking fires of creativity. It can help give beauty where otherwise things seem dark. Art can open doors by allowing children to see beyond what is and into the what could be of life.
Unfortunately many educations systems have forgotten these aspects of art. Yet within your home you can bring this element back to life. Share it as time together while you put away the noise of phones, tv’s, and Ipads. Get to know each other again.
As an artist of a far more professional leaning rather than an educator it may seem odd that I write about this. I have come to see how so many have become more distant with recent times.
At some point we need to turn off the doom and disaster around us and be a family again. Talking heads only sell the same theme each day and if there is to be light in the world we need to bring it out. Art therapy can help us.
Art Idea #1 Non Representational Art
This idea is huge especially for those who suffer from mental struggles in health. I have dedicated an entire article for its purpose and use. Yet here I include it not only for this importance but also how much fun it can be.
Essentially anything goes. The point is emotion, feeling, and depicting that moment without form or shape. Color is the narrative and the stroke of the brush the context. It is a great way to see into someones feelings more than their mind while having fun as a family.
Art Idea #2 For Those Who Cannot Art
There is always the tried and true paint by number. I know it may sound funny for an artist to suggest this but keep in mind I am a wood artist. If I had to paint make no mistake I would need numbers too. It is a simple but fun solution.
If the man in your life is too manly for this consider model plane or car kits. Okay it may not be exactly an art but he is trying. The point is not everyone must be involved in the same art project for this family event.
I have an added idea to toss in. If you have a little money to spend it can be fun to get into pottery making. The bonus is what you make can be used at home. Pots for plants or bowls for kitchen and dining display are always a plus.
Art Idea #3 For Those With Some Skill
If you have a little art skill you can consider art challenges. There are many to be found online which cover a wide range of arts. It can become competitive if desired between family members.
Typically art challenges are used for improving ones artistic abilities. Adapting them for family fun is easy but also serves an educational role for children. The best part is that they will not even realize its educational.
Art Idea #4 Three Dimensional Art
Paintable figurines are a popular thing. They can be had on the cheap from places online. What is more is that they are collectible. A huge bonus is behind the fact you do not need to have major art skills for this concept.
Often these figurines will follow a theme from popular games or movies that the kids would recognize. They can bring the fantasy world of dwarfs, elves, and other characters to life. This idea extends beyond fantasy figures though.
If dragons are not your thing then you can also find paintable ceramics. Eagles, owls, and other animals are very common. Small ornamental houses can also be had. Rather than buying an expensive Christmas Village set for display you can paint and make your own as a family.
Art Idea #5 Sand Art
This may herald back to childhood but it is still fun, and also it can be more advanced than the old days. There is still the older tried and true glue on paper then apply said colored sand to the glue. Interesting shapes and designs can be made for kids that are fun in this way.
For us older groups there is so much more. Decorative glass vases or bottles can be filled with varied colors to create designs for decor. For the more advanced who like to push the envelope moving sand art pictures can be made. Those are a lot of fun.
If you are a bit more Zen there is always the Zen Sand Garden. These date back to much older traditions and times but have been adopted for home and office use. Constructing one can be interesting and fun.
Art Idea #6 Wood Art
Yes I had to bring in wood art, it is my thing. At least I waited a little before bringing it up. Adult supervision is required for this activity. Within wood art there are so many possible combinations of art it is impossible to list them all.
For small children painting coasters can be fun and safe. If a little older constructing basic box art or a simple wood panel can be a beginning. Once completed using a dremel they can carve designs, names, shaped, and customize their item. Stains can be used to give color or paint as they desire.
For the more advanced one could attempt Japanese woodworking by creating self binding joinery. A more simple thing for beginners can be using a scroll saw to cut out shapes like hearts or make ornaments.
If you have access to a lathe for wood turning then bowl making or creating items like cups, ink pens, candle holders are all possible. The ideas here are literally endless and only limited by your imagination.
Art Idea #7 Stone And Pebble Art
I know an artist who specializes in this style of work. In its most simple form for kids, small and beautiful stones or pebbles can be glued to an object to create designs. Ceramic figurines used for painting can be adapted for this purpose.
For the more advanced it is more reminiscent of stone sculpting. Letters or symbols can be carved or etched into the stone then used in creative designs. These ideas can be used on items such as picture frames, mirrors, or decorative pieces for a room.
A throw back in time to days gone by it is easy for kids to paint on larger stones. They are easy to repaint again and again at ones choice. I remember doing this as a child with my grandparents who grew up with this activity within the Great Depression.
Art Idea #8 Silhouette Art Or Projector Designs
This idea comes from a technique I and others have used to create designs for wood art. A light source will cast a shadow onto a canvas of choice to be traced. Alternative shapes or designs from stencils can be use to create more intricate designs. Once completed the canvas can be painted or colored.
Projectors can at times be found on the cheap such as ones used in classrooms in the 1990’s. There are more advanced variations available that can project an image more easily. Yet once an image is projected it can be traced to a level of detail one desires. From here coloring, painting, or carving can take place.
This method is often used for larger canvases. It can be used for large scale pieces such as a bedroom wall. It is a tried and true method to get a design to scale of where one wants art to be used.
Art Idea #9 Sketch Art
I saved this for later due to not everyone being skilled with pencils in sketching. Many people can barely manage stick figures. Yet here you step beyond just landscapes and outlines. Creating caricatures of each other if you can is fun.
Even if you may not be that great at a carnival style rendering, it can be enlightening with a lot of laughter and good times. You may learn how much personality some family members can have in how they see you.
If one is more advanced you can step into more portrait like renderings. This though would be limited to those who have cultivated these skills. Representational Art of many kinds can open new abilities and talents never before known.
Art Idea #10 Monochromatic Art
This idea heralds back to the 1950’s. I have dedicated an entire article to this concept for historical and educational value. Yet painting a canvas with one color, then creating designs with a slight color variation within the piece is unique.
With this one can begin to expand into many aspects of abstract concepts. It does require more creativity than many other options I have detailed.
Why Would A Professional Artist Promote This?
There really is no way to express how important it is to stimulate creative activity. It is not just for kids. There have been many studies done pertaining to art benefits in mental health. Non representational art for example can be very therapeutic and also inspirational.
One of the great social issues we face today is forced conformity. This topic is an issue for discussion within its own right. The impact of this kind of culture stifles and at times destroys creativity, inspiration, and our very ability to dream.
Art is a form of speech. It will be at times troubling, dark, controversial, and even unfortunately insulting. Freedom of thought, ideas, and creation cannot exist within a culture of control. This problem existed as far back in time as Plato in Greek culture.
The problem always arises that those eliminating aspects of culture never know when to stop. Before it is over everything becomes erased irrespective of where it comes from in origin. Someone, somewhere, will always find something offensive.
Children should be allowed to dream. Family time should be about promoting what is most important to them. It should be about bonding and growing. Yet this too has been erased from much of our society and replaced by other forms of entertainment with value that is questionable at best.
Our children are our responsibility. Our family is our responsibility. The times that we have come to know within this world where things are so difficult, art is one way to bring family closer together. It fights the isolation and other ills that we find all too easily around us.
Educational Value Is Critical
Science and Math are important. Yet art is equally as important. There will be someone out there that screams after reading that statement. Nevertheless every culture of history is known for its representations through art left to archeology not their mathematics.
Art captures a people, its thinking, its time, and its direction. This is an additional component of why art is so unique in what it gives us. It is imperative that art captures the good and the bad of society. It must be remembered in order to not repeat mistakes of history. It must tell our story.
Children learn creativity through art. Yet they also learn how to express what they see. It represents their life through the window of their eyes. It also speaks to our culture today in how we raise our children in this changing world.
These elements have been forgotten by education systems. It is treated as being unimportant thus underfunded, or not funded at all. It is far easier for them to tell us what to think, feel, or what we can or cannot say rather than allowing children to express.
It would be wise to allow more expression and then remedy the real problems we face. As a family art can be an amazing barometer to know each other, share, communicate, and capture the heart and soul of those you love.