Bubble Painting with Kids

After dinner and before bath time, I struggle to keep my kids busy in a genial manner. (I.e. they are cranky and fighting) SO, I started messy art time. The theory behind it, the toys must be picked up and put away, and the next stop is the tub anyway, why not get really messy?

In New York I saw a LOT of art.... and not all of it was masterpieces. At the Armory show, I saw a painting, where the artist had a Neon Green canvas, and they blew bubbles at it, and they left these delicate "jellyfish" impressions behind. My next thought- "My kids could do this"

So, I made bubble potion (it needs to "set") loaded the kids up, bought some tempora paint and more emergency bubble potion, and wands.

We used 18x24 canvas board, but I'm sure watercolor paper will work just as well.

I set up the kid easel in the yard, but it didn't get used. they sat in the grass and blew bubbles, ALL kinds of bubbles, sort of at the canvas, and a lot at each other. Laughter was had by all.

Here are some of our results~

The Great news- the kids had fun.
Word to the WISE- The Tempora paint we got did not actually wash out of their clothes, or off my sidewalk, even though it was advertised as "washable".
I think the kids got lots of special effects. I went in with a bottle of gesso, and used the lids from the gesso to add a few white circle "bubble shapes" to round out the composition a little bit.