What are the Best Supplies for Art Play?

What are the best supplies for art play? Whatever is within arm’s reach! If you’re feeling a bit tricked by the headline, I was too when I started playing. I hunted for the best supplies to use but experience taught me that it wasn’t the supplies that made the difference. It was just diving in with whatever I had nearby.

Grabbing what was left out on my counter, I began creating on a big piece of brown paper cut from a shopping bag. Supplies don’t have to be fancy.The background was gel printed with the 8 x 10 Gel Press plate and the brayer was cleaned off there too. Why did I clean the brayer off on there? I didn’t have another piece of paper in arms reach.

The stencils left out from another play session, like Butterfly Journeys and Finding Your Tribe, created patterns. The biggest bonus to using what is within arms reach is that more time is spent playing and far less time looking for the “perfect” supply.

Playing around as I added lines and marks with the Woody pencils, I lost track of time. That happens frequently to me when I am watching the color build up layer by layer. Could I have used crayons instead? What about markers? What about rubber stamps? Absolutely! Because any supply within arms reach is the best one for play!

Next time you have a moment to play, use what you have within arms reach and see what unfolds!

Want more play, more freedom and fun when you create? Jump on in to the free workshop,Permission to Play, where I’m sharing 3 of ways I rediscovered how to play.

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Gel Printing Outside..a Spring Treat

The sun was in that wonderful late afternoon golden glow phase, the birds were singing, and I was playing outdoors. Springtime is my goldilocks time outdoors, not too hot & not many bugs. It’s just right for play.

A basket of fun was put together quickly, of what was on my counter, with absolutely no clear plan. A plan didn’t matter but what did matter was getting out there instead of gathering the “perfect” supplies.

Spending the afternoon gel printing and playing outside

As the afternoon was coming to a close…I took a few photos of the play. You can see how I made those fancy circle making pattern tools in the basket above for the Gel Press plate here.

The layers built up as I played with the rainbow, a gel plate, and stencils.

What will I do with the papers I printed? These will be cut up with some areas becoming art journal pages, some becoming quick cards, and others for collage.

What I will use them for isn’t the most important part to me. The most important part is that I spent some time playing. Hearing the birds chirp as I did it was a glorious bonus!

Here are the supplies I used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps keep the free tutorials coming!

InLinkz.com

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A Mixed Media Contract with the Universe

Stenciled mixed media art that turned out to have a special meaning for my graduating daughter.

The muse had me on a need to know basis for this piece of art. I only knew what was happening in that moment, without any idea of what the next layer would hold. I was so in the dark, I didn’t know that it would become a gift for my daughter as she graduates and heads out to build her adult life.

This started with an imperfect scrap of wood from the garage.

Once gesso’d, the rainbow was applied. Did I have any idea where it was going? Nope. That was need to know and the muse was positive I did not need to know that.

How was framing the corners with my Arched Fountains stencil, inspired by the fountains at Versailles, fit into the plan? Not for me to know. The muse probably made a good call keeping me in the dark. If I know too much too soon, my logical left brain has a tendency to over think it.

Since the plan was still a secret, I followed any impulses that popped up, like using the castle tower mask, from my Once Upon a Time stencil set.

Since it is a mask, the castle towers will actually be the color of what is below it. Logical left brain began to get dramatic and concerned that this was a big step and might mess it up since there was no going back from adding the teal.

As the mask was lifted off, my logical left brain really wanted to know where this was going. The muse was still keeping the plan to herself. I think the muse was enjoying torturing Logical Lefty with the secrecy.

The towers were just floating there, so I anchored them with a bit of the teal loosely sponged on the bottom. The muse was almost ready to clue me in on the meaning to this piece.

When the Sign Here was added, the muse finally decided it was time to reveal to me where this piece was going. As my oldest heads out into the adult world, I wanted her to remember that she is making a choice with every action, and that not making a choice is actually a choice.

There is a sort of contract that exists between us and the world. We have the power to make decisions to choose the way in which we live our lives, how we react to the world, and what we focus on day to day. We can’t control the world or others reactions and choices, but we can choose what we do.

The stars were a reminder to focus on the joyful things that make your heart shine since those things help you get through the tough times. Things are definitely not always easy in life, in fact some days they are incredibly difficult, but there is always a choice in how we react to what happens and where we put our focus.

With a fountain pen, I filled the center with my wishes for her journey along with the mushy mom stuff like why I love her and how proud I am of the young woman she has become.

When I gave her this gift, I had her take a pen and sign it. After all, she is now a full blown adult and can legally sign contracts. Every day as she walks by this on her wall, she is reminded that she can build the life she wants one choice at a time.

Here are the supplies I used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps keep the free tutorials coming!