Studio Red: daily do & draw 6/1

Watch below for a Brief hello from Emily.  Then scroll down for the do & draw!

Dear Studio Red,

This week will be our last week of do & draws!  We want to think back to some of the tools and materials we have enjoyed together this year.  Today we will begin with Tree Blood!  What more might we figure out and ask about this substance as we play?

Love, Lauri and Emily

do & draw

DO

How can we make paint with Tree Blood?

While Emily was out on a walk in the woods, she noticed Tree Blood that looked different.  She was particularly drawn to the different colors she saw!

1. Gather Tree Blood.

2. Smush the Tree Blood into smaller pieces.  You might use a tool like a rock, mortar & pestle, hammer or your hands!

3. Collect the smallest pieces in a container by sifting out the larger pieces.

4. Crack an egg and separate the yolk from the whites. Save the whites for another project (frying! meringues!) and save the eggshells to make chalk!

5. Fill a jar with water for use.

6. Begin experimenting with these three ingredients: Tree Blood, egg yolk and water.  What happens with you mix some egg yolk with the Tree Blood?  How does the texture change if you add a little water?  

We were inspired by this recipe in A Green Guide For Artists, by Karen Michel.  Note: the pigment is the Tree Blood!

In Studio Red we discovered a material inside a hollow tree.  It was soft and crumbly and reddish brown.  We named it, Tree Blood.  Some of us also called it Tree Dust.  When we did some research online, we discovered some people also call it Wood Decay.  We invite you to go on a search for some if you have not already.  When Louis encountered some Tree Blood at home, he saved it in a jar.  You will also need a tool to hold your Tree Blood.  

Today we invite you to create paint from nature!  We welcome you to experiment with your own recipes.  In our research we came across a recipe that called for egg yolks and water!  If you would like, we invite you to mess about with these steps, with these tools & materials —

A note for parents:

Creating the perfect paint is not our goal, rather we hope to invite your child to experience the process of what it is like to try and create paint from nature.  Mixing and mark-making can be fun and exciting no matter how the consistency turns out.  Help your child see this as an experiment!  Try out dirt or other natural powders to extend the learning!

DRAW

How will you paint?

Today we will extend the word drawing to include paint!  How will you use your paint to make marks?  Testing the paint may become a part of your making process.  Will you use a paintbrush?  Your hands?  A stick or other tool?  Will you paint on a surface outside?  A rock perhaps?  Or will you try out your paint on a piece of paper or cloth?