BATIKS
PROCESS: In this group workshop (2 sessions) we create batik paintings on cotton fabric using a water-based resist. A resist is a substance that paint can't soak through, protecting the fabric underneath. Many traditional batiks are done with hot wax or mud, but there are child-friendly glue and paste options. In a two-part batik workshop, participants first design and then help outline their images in resist. Once the resist dries, they are invited to paint over it with colorful dye or thinned acrylic paint. Finally, I wash out the resist to reveal the finished image.
"Willow Pond Watershed"
2018
Children at All in the Circle nature camp created these 8 collaborative banners in groups of 5-6. The landscape they sketched and painted represents local freshwater ecosystems in which beavers are a keystone species. I traced their sketch lines with water-based resist before their painting session. We had many fun conversations about which species live in this ecosystem (sharks? no...but muskies also have big teeth! not dragons, but what about bears?) and the finished banner contains many small stories and surprises.
For more information about All in the Circle camp and its interfaith ecojustice parent organization, MNIPL, see https://mnipl.org/
2018
Children at All in the Circle nature camp created these 8 collaborative banners in groups of 5-6. The landscape they sketched and painted represents local freshwater ecosystems in which beavers are a keystone species. I traced their sketch lines with water-based resist before their painting session. We had many fun conversations about which species live in this ecosystem (sharks? no...but muskies also have big teeth! not dragons, but what about bears?) and the finished banner contains many small stories and surprises.
For more information about All in the Circle camp and its interfaith ecojustice parent organization, MNIPL, see https://mnipl.org/
"Resistance"
2017
Created by a young child at South Minneapolis Ecumenical Day Camp. After a conversation about batik resist and resistance, they sketched their design on the fabric in pencil and traced it with a squirt bottle of water-based resist. During the next session the children painted their designs with bright colors of watery acrylic paint.
2017
Created by a young child at South Minneapolis Ecumenical Day Camp. After a conversation about batik resist and resistance, they sketched their design on the fabric in pencil and traced it with a squirt bottle of water-based resist. During the next session the children painted their designs with bright colors of watery acrylic paint.
Blessed are the Meek
2017
For these banner versions of the beatitudes, I did batik lettering with water-based resist and children at the South Minneapolis Ecumenical Day Camp splashed them with bright colors of watered-down acrylic.
2017
For these banner versions of the beatitudes, I did batik lettering with water-based resist and children at the South Minneapolis Ecumenical Day Camp splashed them with bright colors of watered-down acrylic.
Ordinary Time Banners
2016
Fellow artist Helen Collins and I prepared these 6 cotton banners with botanical outlines in Elmer's gel glue, a simple/cheap resist medium. Once the glue dried, our Sunday School children ages 5-10 painted over it with watered-down acrylic paint. I washed out the glue to reveal white plant outlines.
2016
Fellow artist Helen Collins and I prepared these 6 cotton banners with botanical outlines in Elmer's gel glue, a simple/cheap resist medium. Once the glue dried, our Sunday School children ages 5-10 painted over it with watered-down acrylic paint. I washed out the glue to reveal white plant outlines.
Life of Jesus paintings
2015
These 8 images from the life of Jesus were created with Sunday school children to use in storytelling. We were using the Godly Play (Montessori-style) Sunday School curriculum, which uses props to tell stories, but found that their props were both expensive and featured mostly white characters. Helen Collins and I worked with the children to batik, paint and outline our own images of Jesus.
Featured on the Radical Discipleship blog: https://radicaldiscipleship.net/2015/03/06/godly-play/
2015
These 8 images from the life of Jesus were created with Sunday school children to use in storytelling. We were using the Godly Play (Montessori-style) Sunday School curriculum, which uses props to tell stories, but found that their props were both expensive and featured mostly white characters. Helen Collins and I worked with the children to batik, paint and outline our own images of Jesus.
Featured on the Radical Discipleship blog: https://radicaldiscipleship.net/2015/03/06/godly-play/