Inspired Art

To see a world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower; to hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour–is inspiration.’

— William Blake

I had a working interview today and only a half hour to win over children, teachers, and a possible employer. So yesterday, I went for a walk. I was looking for something to inspire an art project for children I had never met and knew nothing about. The bark of this tree was all over the dirt path and I knew that the children would at least find painting on bark, using bark as a painting tool, and making prints from bark at the very least to be something different, and at most  might prove to be a good sensory experience.

So I found some unused chopsticks and some painter's tape, and created painting tools. I also gathered some small limes that had fallen from a tree in the backyard and tried rolling them around in paint in a plastic shoe box. I gathered the handmade tools, some paint and a long roll of paper and found the perfect basket to carry all the materials.

When I got to the school for the interview, chatting with the children was easy. Two and three year olds are mostly a friendly lot, and curious, and interested in everything. I asked them to help me roll out the paper and tape it to the table. Then they sat down and I passed out the golf ball sized limes for them to smell. We put the paper in the shoebox and then chose a few colors of paint to squirt onto the paper. Each child had a turn to drop in their lime and move the box around to create a paintng. I was happy to see the level of engagement and the questions and comments from children just learning to speak! We moved on to the nature brushes and explored the different strokes and marks the paint made on paper. We tried mixing colors. One child made several shades of pink and showed me each variation in hue. Another began painting her hand and made a print on the paper and on the bark. The half hour went by quickly. I was amazed that I still had time to read a book and sing a few songs.

So, whether or not I get the job, I had a joyful experience creating art with a handful of toddlers.

Maybe someday when they are grown, and walking in the woods, they will remember that they once painted with paintbrushes made from leaves and bark, and pine needles. Or maybe they will be grown ups and show their own children how a piece of fallen bark inspires creativity. Some experiences stay in our memory and we wonder how we know things. I am hoping the children who painted with me today will know that bark makes a perfectly good canvas, and that rolling limes make swirling streaks of color.