#kidartlit

#kidartlit

Megan Lingo of www.chickadeelit.com and CutOuts Kids (@julialinsteadt on Instagram) host a weekly challenge on Instagram all about sharing the love of excellent children's literature and children's process art. Learn about our weekly challenge and sign-up to be a guest judge . Click the button to learn more. 

 

Hi! I'm Julia. I love to teach art to children and help families bring more creativity into their daily lives. I am a mom to two little artists, and I do my best to embrace the mess that comes with life as a parent all while doing our best to live creatively. 

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Instagram: @julialinsteadt

We’re going on a flower hunt...we’re going to find a BIG one!🌸🌼 . . Have you come across this beautifully sweet new alphabet book, ‘A,B,C Flower Safari,’ from @willowdaygram ? Every page is filled with her charming collaged illustrations and would make a gorgeous companion for alphabet learning . 🌸🌼 . . Another bit of inspiration for you and all that cardboard, too...😉😂 Go to @willowdaygram and give her a follow. You’re in for a treat. Add this book to your next book run. 😍🌸🌼
Remember when I shared one of my top secret (okay, not so top secret) art teacher hacks with you? You know, the one about making cardboard canvases? Well, with a little encouragement and some creative prompting we turned one of those canvases into this happy and spring-inspired 3D blooming creation. I added the black lines to the canvas first as a starting off point, and then, things just flowed. Resulting in this rather stunning hanging piece of art! Looking for a fun art prompt? Create yourself a cardboard canvas (see previous post), add some vertical lines, and then see what happens! Have another idea? Tell us bellow!
Let’s talk art teacher hacks for a moment, okay? If you’re like me, you have a ton of cardboard. And even after you have recycled a ton of it you still have a TON of it left. One of my fave tricks is to use extra cardboard as canvases for kid art. My top secret trick, well maybe it’s not so secret, is to cover the cardboard, after I’ve cut it down to size, with white matte acrylic paint. The paint dries quickly and creates a clean surface for the kids to draw and paint on that won’t distort their colors. Such a quick win, easy set up, and economical and environmentally friendly approach to building our art supplies. So, what will you create using your cardboard canvases?
Dear Monday, thank you for the opportunity to start fresh and reflect on some of the fun from the past week. Bike decorating station at the park equals a #parentingwin like no other. Seriously, just a bit of washi tape, streamers, and ribbon goes a long way and makes for an extraordinary twist on a regular activity. Here’s to more simple ways to making life extra special. And, if you have not offered a bike decorating station to a bunch of kids at the park before...well, add it to your list because it was a rocking good time. 🙌🎨✨ . . Here’s to another week, everyone! 🎉🌈🎨✨
Do you ever get giddy when you go all in on something new? Yeah, me too. It’s been a while since I’ve allowed myself time to play with curiosity and it feels oh-so-good. This week we tried our hand at boiled image transfer with natural elements. We tried holly leaves, pine needles, manzanita leaves and flowers, toyon leaves. Some results were dramatic and others, were, well, subtle. We’ve got new ideas of what to explore next and how to get even better results next time. We have been loving exploring eco dyeing and printing, as it’s something we’re finding our whole family can do together. Plus, we all love happy surprises and this form of art results in a surprise every. Single. Time. Check out my stories to go for a walk in the woods with us and watch as we try out our first batch.
Pretty little things all in a row. I haven’t stopped weaving since last weekend. AND—future KidArtLit boxes will be featuring some weaving fun, too this spring. Here’s to new ideas and patience as those ideas bloom. 🌸🌼
The things (creative) dreams are made of. Day two of Weaving with Intention begins today. It feels so good to reconnect with my creativity. ⚡️🎨⚡️
Something very blue and fun is in the works! One of the best ways to explore color is through hands on experiences. Mixing, stirring, and then, applying colors together is never short of magical. Even ta rather reluctant young artist can’t resist the enticing allure of the process for long. Sometimes all it takes is watching someone else model the actions first. This is a far cry from “doing the work” for a child, and instead paves the way, or revs the creative engine—as I like to say—showing the child what is possible. The fun part is backing away and watching the child fall in love with a process. Pure bliss. Whether you’re a parent or an educator, providing a simple lesson, or invitation to create, and then, stepping back allowing the child to fully engage is often all that is needed to ignite a deep curiosity. Try it with your next art time with your kids. Let me know how it goes.
I was looking for design inspiration and came across this beauty at my local library. I loved it so much I bought it. I know there’s the internet...Pinterest... but there is something about holding an artists journey in your hands. It’s a work of art on its own. I love the visual and written instructions of how to create charming folk art illustrations and the photography is transportive. Plus, the project ideas will have you itching to take a printing class like no body’s business. Welcome to my shelves, sweet book. Welcome home. ❤️
Love Bug Patrol! 🦋💕 . . We’ve got Valentines fever over here and we’ve been crafting up a storm, well, maybe more like throwing a Beetle Ball. These little love bug finger puppets have our hearts swooning. See our stories for more details, so you can craft your own bug-inspired Valentine! 💖