Like everyone else, the Girl Scouts have been meeting virtually this past year. I was honored to be a part of Troop 4991’s first in-person gathering at a local park and help the girls (ages 6-9) earn their Painting Badge. I love helping children explore a new medium and sharing the works of artists past and present.
The requirements for the Brownie Painting Badge are:
Get Inspired
The girls learned a little about my experiences and inspirations as both an art teacher and graphic designer and got to see some of my work.
Paint a Mood
We discussed how colors and shapes portray the different moods. I showed them several pieces of art (including one from Picasso’s Blue Period) and we talked about the mood of each piece.
Paint a Mural
The girls learned about murals and how to create one. The girls were given an assignment to design a mural at home, but we easily could have created one with markers using the 3’x6’ “canvas” of craft paper on one of the tables. The girls saw the work of San Diego muralist Rafael Lopez.
Paint without brushes
I shared the ways many painters paint without brushes, such as with rollers, sprayers or sponges. Jackson Pollack is very famous for his splattered artworks. But you can also paint from nature.
The girls to got to run around the park and collect sticks, leaves, grass, pinecones, etc. that can be used create a work of art.
Paint the real world
The remainder of the gathering was painting a landscape on canvas with acrylic paints. A eucalyptus tree made a nice subject, and some girls added flowers or butterflies to the composition. Which is pretty awesome… imagination is what makes any piece of art fresh and unique.
I hope to help many other Brownies earn this badge in the future!
