Creative Resources

Art in Nature

Artist: Andy Goldsworthy

Resources to watch for inspiration

Introduction to Andy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqmUOk44A9M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7dnyedABYE

PBS Special on the walking wall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsezrORBFj0

Stick sculptures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPDH8yCnlk0

Ice paintings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DjCMqtJr0Q

HOMEMADE PAINT

I've been researching ways to make paint with supplies that a lot of us will have in our homes. Below are some exciting ideas to experiment with!

Homemade fruit and vegetable paint is recycling at its finest.

When you just can’t finish that bag of wilting spinach (hey, it happens to the best of us), DIY paint is a great way to make the most out of a droopy, potentially smelly, situation. Plus it’ll buy you time between trips to the compost bin and save you a bundle on toddler craft supplies.

So rather than trying to pass smoothies off as dinner for days on end, whip up a delicious family meal, pop an organic mint, and turn those old food scraps into chemical-free vegan paint for the kids.

The other nice thing about vegetable paint is it’s incredibly easy to make and it’s versatile, too. The instructions below are for making a veggie-based dye, which you can use for things like clothing or Easter eggs. With just one or two additional ingredients you can also make craft paint or face paint. Start with some boiling water and an assortment of veggies for color variety, and you’ll have the kids making all kinds of DIY crafts in no time.

VEGETABLE PAINT INGREDIENTS

Spinach, kale, swiss chard = green

Strawberry, beets, grenade, blueberry, raspberry = red

Blueberry, blackberry, red cabbage = blue / purple

Carrot, orange peels, yellow onion skins = orange

MAKING THE DYE

In a small saucepan, mix 2 cups of water with 1 cup of each fruit or veg. Bring to a boil over medium heat and leave to simmer for about one hour.

Turn off the heat and allow the water to cool to room temperature.

Strain the juice into glass containers.

MAKE VEGETABLE PAINT

Mix one teaspoon of dye with approximately six tablespoons of powdered sugar.

MAKE FACE PAINT

Combine equal parts corn starch and your favorite face lotion. Add about ¼ teaspoon vegetable oil to help smooth out the mixture.

Add a spoonful of vegetable dye to the lotion mixture. Repeat with all your dye colors in separate containers until you’ve got a complete set of face paints.

Paints made from herbs and spices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDAEz-wZiec

This is a great list of artcentric educational resources from TED-Ed. Check them out!

How to access the videos:

Arts (Visual)

  • The Amazing Math in Da Vinci’s ‘Vitruvian Man’
  • Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans: Why Is This Art?
  • Brief History of Graffiti
  • Brief History of Religion in Art
  • Bringing a Pop-up Book to Life
  • The Case for Andy Warhol
  • Cave Paintings
  • The Chaotic Brilliance of Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat
  • Complex Geometry and Islamic Design
  • The Dawn of Art
  • Doodlers Unite
  • Eye vs. Camera
  • Frida Kahlo: The Woman Behind the Legend
  • Gyotaku: The Ancient Japanese Art of Printing Fish
  • The History of Graffiti
  • The History of Tattoos
  • How Ancient Art Influenced Modern Art
  • How Art Can Help You Analyze
  • How One French Poet Combined Poetry and Visual Art
  • Inside a Cartoonist’s World
  • Is There a Difference Between Art and Craft
  • The Many Meanings of Michelangelo’s Statue of David
  • Math and Van Gogh
  • The Mathematics of Sidewalk Illusions
  • My Cat Could Make That (What Is Abstract Expressionism?)
  • Taking Imagination Seriously
  • What Color is Tuesday? Exploring Synesthesia
  • What Is Color?
  • What Is Minimalist Art and Why Does It Matter?
  • Who Decided What Art Means
  • Why Babies in Medieval Paintings Look Like Ugly Old Men
  • Why Is This Painting So Captivating? (Girl with the Pearl Earring)
  • Why Is This Painting So Captivating? (Las Meninas)
  • Why Is This Painting So Shocking? (Guernica)
  • Arts (Music)
  • A Different Way to Visualize Rhythm
  • Animation Basics: The Art of Timing and Spacing
  • A-rhythm-etic. The Math Behind the Beats
  • Beatboxing 101
  • A Brief History of Goths
  • Earworms: Those Songs That Get Stuck in Your Head
  • From Aaliyah to Jay-Z: Captured Moments in Hip-Hop History
  • How Bass Instruments Work
  • How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain
  • How to Practice Effectively
  • How to Read Music
  • Johann Sebastian Bach’ Life
  • Music and Creativity in Ancient Greece
  • Music and Emotion Through Time
  • Music and Math: The Genius of Beethoven
  • Music as a Language
  • The Physics of Playing a Guitar
  • The Secrets of Mozart’s Magic Flute
  • Why You Should Listen to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
  • Why We Love Repetition in Music


Arts (Theatre)

  • Development of English Drama
  • Did Shakespeare Write His Plays?
  • Does the Wonderful Wizard of Oz Have a Hidden Message?
  • The History of Social Dance
  • In on a Secret? That’s Dramatic Irony
  • Shakespeare’s Best Insults
  • Kabuki: The People's Dramatic Art
  • Poetry, Pentameter, Pirates (Shakespeare & Iambic Pentameter)
  • The Science of Stage Fright (and How to Overcome It)
  • Shakespearean Dating Tips
  • Slowing Down Time (in Writing & Film)
  • What's the Definition of Comedy?
  • Why Is Aristophanes Called the Father of Comedy?
  • Why Is This Painting So Captivating? (Las Meninas)
  • Why Shakespeare Loved Iambic Pentameter
  • Why Tragedies Are Alluring?