Last spring, our Middle School Chinese classes learned about the beautiful simplicity of watercolor paintings in the style of Chinese art. After completing their own painting on rice paper, students visited the Innovation Lab to build a custom frame for their artwork featuring laser engraved images that went along with the work. After using CorelDraw to design their frame graphics, they painted their frames and fully assembled the artwork to seal their peace into a mountable wall frame, completely crafted by their own two hands (and with a little help from our laser cutter...).

For this maker challenge, we encourage you to paint watercolors inspired by this style of Chinese Art. When we return to school, we will host a workshop for anyone to bring in their art and built their own frame. If you'd like to make a frame in our makerspaces, the maximum size of your artwork can be 10 in x 10 in. 

Though traditional Chinese watercolors use specific calligraphy brushes, ink, an inkstone, and pigments, and are painted on thin rice paper, you can recreate the looks of these paintings using a standard water color set and brushes you may already have at home. It's always a good idea to create a sketch or practice painting first before you try your hand at the real thing.