Among other things, I’m trying to redecorate my son and daughter’s room before I get too big to do anything. Part of the room design involves an animal art gallery, for which I am really geeking out over. My first plan was to buy prints on Etsy, but then when I realized how expensive that would be to buy and then frame all of them, I changed my mind to doing just canvases, and painting my own pictures. Then I remembered that I sort of have twin babies growing in my belly and making me hungry every hour and that painting 10 or more paintings would probably not be doable at this time. AND I get really tired of looking at my own art on the walls. So I decided to “commission” my friend’s daughters to do some paintings for me.
I have stretched my own canvases for fine art purposes which is easy and cheaper than buying one. But for kids to paint on I decided that a much cheaper and easier method would be to collect canvases from DI and white wash them.
I found mine for 2-5 dollars and gave them one coat of latex paint from my stash in the garage.
Here’s a TIP: Any texture from the existing painting will not go away unless you sand it, but for kids to paint on, or another type of craft project it should be fine. A coat of latex paint will suffice. But if I were repurposing a canvas for a more fine art project (which I probably wouldn’t do, I would just stretch my own or buy new) I would sand the canvas and give it a few coats of Gesso.
For about 13 dollars I bought craft paint in white and black, the primary colors, as well as brown and purple because they are a pain to mix. We spread ample drop clothes on the table, dressed the kids in old shirts, and let them at it!
The older girls had already planned out what they were going to do, because I had “commissioned” them to do so. But the little girls just painted, rather quickly, with A LOT of paint.
My son preferred just eating his.
I love the results! Kids have imaginations that are so unadulterated and I love seeing what comes out of them. They are going to go very nicely in the animal art gallery, except for the boy,
who will serve as the only living part of our exhibit. He looks quite like an Avatar, don’t you think?
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OH. MY. GOODNESS.
That first picture of Noah makes him look like a budding serious artist. The second picture of him makes me want to drive fast to your house and GRAB HIM! And the girls’ ART!! IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!
What a great idea..you are SO creative! Especially love the octopuss!