July Week 3
Baby It’s Cold Outside! Oops, wait. That’s the opposite of what I meant. If you’re in a part of the world that’s experiencing the heat of the summer, then it’s time for some Cool Art. Our prompts this week embrace that idea!
- Prompt 1: I scream, you scream….for ice cream!
- Prompt 2: A walk in the park
Both of these can help you cool off. Find a shady park or go sit somewhere that serves ice cream and indulge in that heavenly, cool treat. Then grab your art supplies and start creating!
I’m partial to thinking of both prompts for their coolness because our A/C has been broken for a couple weeks. It’s interesting how quickly the pace of life slows down when it’s hot. It reminds me of hot summer days when I was a kid. In my memory everyone slowed down in the summer. We’d take breaks from the tobacco fields to have an ice cold coke from a bottle; we’d sit with our feet in a kiddie pool or puddle or just splash each other with the hose. We’d also work a little faster in the afternoon with the promise of a trip to the river for a nice cool break in the water.
If there was a special occasion during those summer days, the ice cream maker would be pulled out and we’d play outside to the whirring of the motor while it churned home made ice cream. Who remembers the loud whine of the motor, the repetitive crunch of the ice and the smell of salty water dripping out from the side of the ice cream maker? Makes me smile with anticipation of that creamy sweet vanilla ice cream.
Moving on to an art tip. All of those thoughts make me think of whimsy and summer fun. For the first prompt I’m going to use a technique introduced to me by a lesson from Jenni Horne. She uses black gesso, white chalk and acrylic paints.
- Cover your page with black gesso and let it dry.
- Outline your main designs. For me that’s going to be ice cream cones. Remember if you’re going for whimsical, think simplified shapes.
- Paint your background and use colors to paint inside the designs. Try not to paint on the chalk lines, but if you do, that’s part of the charm of this technique. Let it dry.
- Use a wet cloth or paper towel to wipe away the chalk. “Instant” black outlines are added to your page.
Whether you try this technique or not, Tami and I look forward to hearing from you and seeing what you do for this week’s prompts. Be sure to check out Tami’s blog post about how she uses Dylusion Ink Sprays for her “walk in the park prompt.” Share your memories of hot summer days with us!
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Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
