Hello everyone. Thanks for joining me.
I am one of your index card hostesses during this second week of
My toddler occasionally asks me, "What's your favorite question?" I'm not really sure why he asks that but I know he expects an answer. My favorite question is, "What if..?" It's always the question I'm curious about whether I am working in the studio, cooking or moving the furniture around.
From this weeks prompts I chose experiment. It is a good prompt for every card I do for the challenge. It's wonderful to see such a variety of approaches and outlooks from the ICAD participants.
For me personally its:
* another way of taking time daily to live out my creativity
* experimentation with new ideas, techniques or materials
* letting go and seeing what happens
In Keri Smith's book How to be an Explorer of the World, she discusses how scientists and artists are alike.
"Artists and scientists analyze the world around them in surprisingly similar ways, by observing, collecting, documenting, analyzing, and comparing."
Yes, exactly. I think that's the essence of what drives me to create. Why it's something I must do, it's who I am and how I look at the world.
A sampling of our crayon rubbings: (clockwise) Buckberry tree leaves,
tricycle tire, garden rake, toy mower, swing seat, and plastic crate
I'm also a mom. I'm trying to share this way of looking at the world with my children. But then I realize I'm actually letting them remind me of how do it. Children are the masters of this technique.
The kids and I took a stack of cards and a few broken, paperless crayons out in the back yard. We were searching for as many textures as we could find.
Phase two - experimenting with a variety of paints and ways to apply it to the card
Here are the cards that have resulted from our experiment:
crayon rubbing of garden rake, watercolor pencil, Golden airbrush acrylics
ICAD #7
crayon rubbing of toy mower, Golden airbrush acrylics, toothbrush,
postage stamp from Chad, machine stitching, number stamp
ICAD #8
crayon rubbing of pencil box, Golden airbrush acrylics, water spray bottle,
Russian postage stamp, black Jelly roll pen, number stamp
So what's your favorite question? Remember the scientific method? What discoveries will you make today?
Russian postage stamp, black Jelly roll pen, number stamp
Carlene, What fun cards! I love Keri Smith's book too. We found a box of old crayons yesterday and this sounds like a perfect summer project idea. Thank you for hostessing the challenge today!
ReplyDeleteNext we may take a washable stamp pad and go on the hunt for unusual things we can use to make a print. Thanks for the chance to share in the fun!
DeleteThese are such great cards! I'm going to have to do this with my kiddies this summer (if it ever stops raining!). Experiment is such a wonderful prompt!
ReplyDeleteA rainy day hunt inside could be fun too. We have had such lovely weather lately we can't resist being outside.
DeleteI love your experimenting and how you're including your kids. For me, relatively new to art forms as a way of being creative, every day is filled with experimenting and I love it!
ReplyDeleteNow you have me wanting to go out into the back yard and see? I am liking crayons for this too. I have been in crayon heaven lately. Humble is good. Now science, hmmmm. Have a good weekend. xox
ReplyDeletePerhaps I should have added a disclaimer. Once you start looking it's hard not to see all the things that could make good rubbings. Crayons are great fun!
DeleteCarlene, thanks again for the inspiration. I love the cards and esp. the quote regarding the importance of snacks and magazines. My hubby would add coffee to that. My favourite question is 'What was your favourite part about....'
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Carlene! I love how you truly brought the idea of experimentation to life with your cards, and how you get your kids involved in your experimentation...what a great lesson to share with them as they grow up! I have two little girls, ages 3 and 4, and you can bet that we'll be headed out into the yard soon with crayons and index cards! :-)
ReplyDeleteMy three year old had a lot of fun directing us around to things we should try. He also gets a big kick out of the "magic" of seeing colors mix to make a third color. I love to watch how excited he gets.
DeleteFun cards! I've been experimenting too on my cards. I find that just starting a little card gets me going onto other projects.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to keep up the ICAD habit:)
I love these cards. A good outside activity for the children when it isn't so wintery and wet!
ReplyDeleteI love Keri Smith, and that book. My favourite question is "what would happen if...?"
wonderful post. I love the way your cards turned out. I think you may start a trend - all over the world this weekend there will be artists sneaking about with crayons and index cards.
ReplyDeleteI do love my crayons and I used to like to *rub* ... wonder what happened to those days?!!! Great activity for children .. ICADs in the summer ... Woot! !
ReplyDeleteI do love my crayons and I used to like to *rub* ... wonder what happened to those days?!!! Great activity for children .. ICADs in the summer ... Woot! !
ReplyDeleteLove this. Gonna have to try to remember more of these old methods. Your cards turned out great.
ReplyDelete