Welcome to My Messy Art Blog

I’ve been working on getting this blog up for over 9 months now. During the holidays last December, my daughter Sarah had inspired me to start my own blog. Sarah had become an avid blogger highlighting all her interests and projects and had told me how great blogging  is in keeping friends and family informed.  She encouraged me to start a blog where students and parents can come and see what fabulous creations are being made in all of my art classes. So with much fear and a leap of faith into the world of computers, here it is, the official Messy Art Blog, highlighting the talented students I have the privilege of working with.

Please take the tour through my blog and let me know what you think,  comments, thoughts, ideas, send them my way.  While in Utah visiting Sarah and her husband Tim, we had so much fun doing a photo shoot with the very talented Justin Hackworth who was able to capture our family’s essence.

Enjoy the fabulous black and white photos!!!!!

Here are some samples of work we did when we studied about the American artist, Jackson Pollock .

Jackson Pollock, born in 1912 and died in 1956 was well known for his splatter painting. Using brushes, sticks, and whatever he could find to  paint with, he threw, splashed and dripped paint onto large sheets of canvas on the floor of his Long Island  barn studio.  His action paintings were vibrant and unlike anything anyone had ever done before.

Homemade Playdough

I love this recipe because it is so easy and foolproof. I have used this for my program for many, many years. Since so many of you have asked for the recipe, here it is. It lasts a long time too if kept in the fridge.

2 cups white flour

1 cup salt

2 tbsp. cream of tartar

2 cups water

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a pot and cook at medium heat.  Stir often and when the mixture thickens to the point when it’s difficult to stir, pour the ball onto the table. It will be warm to the touch and still a little sticky. Knead for a few minutes and the when the stickiness disappears, it will be ready to use.

When not being used, put into a container and cover. For longer life, put container into the fridge.

I like the natural color of playdough, but if you want some variation, separate the playdough into different balls and add several drops of food coloring into each ball and knead to evenly distribute the color. Some parents suggested using kool aid as a coloring agent. I have not personally tried it yet.

It’s safe (doesn’t taste great, very salty), keeps a long time and so much more pliable and easy to use than the commercially made Play Doh.

Great to use with the playdough: garlic press, rolling pin, cookie cutters, plates, whatever your imagination inspires you to use.