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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Sept 10 2010 at 8:08am | IP Logged
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Sounds like a disaster doesn't it? 
Actually, I just read this inspiring post and was thinking about how I planned to make Fridays our "fine arts day". We have piano lessons on Fridays and I incorporate classical music into our week by playing the cd's from the composer we are studying on the way there and back.
Now I'm thinking about the amount of time we are there while the kids cycle through their lessons. Because the studio is small and there are drums and things in the room that is designated for waiting, I find it easiest to keep my kids who are too young, or who are waiting for their turn, out in the car with me. Sometimes, on nice days we play in the field next to the building, but there isn't a whole lot to do. Sooo, I'm wondering about some possible ideas for art in the car while we are waiting. The little water color kits from the link above sounded like a great idea for days we can be outside but I'm trying to think of more ideas, especially for days when we actually have to sit in the car because of bad weather. Sketching comes to mind as the simplest. I could equip each child with a clipboard for a hard surface on which to draw. I'm just wondering about other ideas/products. My hope is to be able to keep a supply of art activities in a box or bag in the trunk so I can pull it out when needed.
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Becky
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Sept 14 2010 at 6:30am | IP Logged
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... Yep, that's what I thought too! 
I'll think of a "plan B"!
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Becky
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DominaCaeli
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| Posted: Sept 14 2010 at 12:12pm | IP Logged
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I don't think you're crazy, Becky! 
I have to say that doing art in OUR car doesn't seem that comfortable a prospect as there's nowhere in our minivan for all my littles to spread out and have any room.
That said, I think that something like a crayon roll (very easy to make!) would be a good way to keep writing implements from being dropped and lost--one for markers, one for colored pencils, one for crayons. They have lapboards at Dick Blick that would be useful as a bigger surface that just a clipboard, though I think a clipboard would be the perfect size for smaller work.
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DominaCaeli
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| Posted: Sept 14 2010 at 12:14pm | IP Logged
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I forgot to add that I think art appreciation would be very easy to do in the car too--give each of the children a few minutes to look at a print and then chat away!
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Sept 16 2010 at 7:10am | IP Logged
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Thanks Celeste! I agree that art appreciation is a great idea. We are just there for a long period of time and I was trying to think of something else we could do. Art came to mind.
You addressed one of the issues I was having when you mentioned the crayon roll. I was thinking, how can we do anything in the car without getting crayons or markers or whatever all over the place. But if each child had a crayon roll, or something similar that would help coral their supplies it might not be such an issue.
I also went searching and came up with a few other non-messy ideas, just in case anyone else might have this crazy idea too!
-Knitting, crocheting, or small hand sewing projects
-Calligraphy (my dd in 6th is doing this and while I wouldn't trust my boys with pens in the car, it works fine for her.)
-Drawing pads, pencils and instruction books (like Mark Kistler's). My younger ds likes to trace so adding tracing paper to his clipboard would also work.
- Colored pencils for coloring. We really like alot of the Dover coloring books. I find colored pencils to be less messy in the car, as long as there is a place for the shavings when they are sharpened. Using a crayon roll for the pencils would keep them coralled.
I'm wondering about a couple of things I haven't used:
Beeswax? I've never used it but I'm wondering if it's as "smeary" or "crumbly" as play-dough can be? Would it work to use it on a hard surface like a clip board?
The markers that Crayola sells that only mark on the special paper? I'm wondering if they really work like they say?
Anybody have experience with these items that can give their opinions?
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Becky
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ekbell
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| Posted: Sept 16 2010 at 2:49pm | IP Logged
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I've found that watercolor pencils/crayons with waterbrushes can be used anywhere (including in a car).
Add some watercolor sheets cut down to art card (trading card) size or postcard size and you're set. [and such works of art can be kept in either trading card holders or photo holders]
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Sept 16 2010 at 8:29pm | IP Logged
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DominaCaeli wrote:
| I don't think you're crazy, Becky! |
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Me either! I just haven't had a chance to get over to your thread til now! 
I love this idea, and the possibilities are really quite endless. It would take a little planning and gathering together on your part, but I don't think it would need to be unreasonable. You could even do your picture study in the car - just bring your piece of art with you!
I love the sketching/drawing lesson idea...I think mainly because it could be accomplished so simply - clipboard, pencil, paper. I know I've mentioned it before, but I'm a HUGE fan of Bruce McIntyre's simple Drawing Textbook. I can't believe how expensive a used copy is now - $48. They used to be around $5 or $6. Here's a search for the book at AddAll used book search.
I definitely think small and simple is best. I love Alice's post and idea! She's so creative and brilliant!!! Very inspiring! I'll keep thinking. I love all your other ideas, Becky!
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Sept 17 2010 at 7:11am | IP Logged
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Thanks Jen! I actually have the Drawing Textbook on my shelf! I can't believe it is selling for $48 now. I think I'll get a book cover or something to protect it. It's such a simple little book, but what great instruction!
And ekbell, I am really intrigued by the water brushes you mention but we've never tried them. I think the kids would really enjoy using them. I assume the amount of water that comes out of them is pretty minimal? I'm sure my dd wouldn't have any problems, but I wouldn't want my boys to be tempted by the opportunity for a water fight in the car.
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Becky
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ekbell
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Under normal use very little water comes out and my children haven't misused them. However my three oldest children are girls (ages 12, 9, and almost 7) and I haven't let my four year old boy use a waterbrush without supervision (he likes to take things apart).
The total amount of water in a brush is small enough (1 1/2tsp in the largest one) that it would be difficult to really get much wet.
Having just experimented with my brushes,you can't simply pour water or squirt water out of the brushes but it is possible to flick a brush fast for water droplets fly out.
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lapazfarm
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For easy organization you could use a 3 ring binder. Put in some of those zipper-pocket pencil holders, with a different set of supplies in each. Colored pencils and eraser in one, crayons in another, a small watercolor set and brush in another, beeswax in another, dry erase marker and a set of activity cards in another, etc. Then hole punch some drawing paper and put it in the binder and you are all set. This way you could just hand a zippered pouch and some paper to each child to use with their clip-board.(or use those clip-boards that open up and keep the paper in there.) Keep a pack of baby wipes in the car for quick clean-ups.
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SeaStar
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You could also use the time to do some read alouds for artists and musicians. Does your library have the Mike Venezia series?
Or you could listen to some of the books like Beethoven Lives Upstairs.
The Can You Hear It and Can You See It? books would work well in the car.
Also- the Lucy Micklethwait art books. My kids are loving those right now!
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Sept 23 2010 at 7:04am | IP Logged
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Finally getting back here to thank you all for the suggestions!
Last Friday went really well and I wanted to share what we did. I packed this book which I had purchased along with a few others by the same author, into a bag. I also put in the kids sketch books, pencils and a pencil sharpener, our Mark Kistler drawing book, and the Drawing Textbook mentioned above.
On the way to the piano lessons, I popped the CD that comes with the book in, and told the kids it was Haydn. Then, while my oldest dd took her lesson, I read the story to my younger boys. After that, I let them listen to the CD again, this time with more understanding of what it was about, and they sketched while they listened. Soon, my dd came out and I let her read the book to herself and then she did some drawing. Talk about a peaceful experience. It all went so well, and the kids enjoyed having some structure. I even had a little doodle book that my 3 yo scribbled in.
We talked about other things we could bring to work on while we listened to the classical music and the water brushes are most definitely on the wish list. I love the idea of a binder with the zipper pockets for storage Theresa. I can eventually see that some of the kids might want to work on other things like colored pencils with water brushes or beeswax.
The clip boards work really well for drawing and I think they would work as a flat surface for the other materials too.
Thanks for helping me figure this all out!
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Becky
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Sept 23 2010 at 10:04am | IP Logged
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Becky-
I'm so glad you linked to those music books. I had forgotten all about them, and they will be perfect for my dc this year. Amazingly, my library has 5 by the author!!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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Jenifleur
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Hi - I just ordered a copy (at a reduced price  ) of the Drawing Textbook. Thanks for recommending it. I have Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes. Has anyone used or seen it and if you have how does this one compare?
Thanks!
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4Real Forums : The Arts in the Everyday
Topic: Art in the car?
