Action painting aka action art. Oh Action art, how lovely are your paintings? Anyone heard of action art before?   It’s not a new form of self defense. It’s a cool vibe that incorporates movement of objects or materials to create something artistic. According to Britannica.com Action art or action painting is:

“Action painting, direct, instinctual, and highly dynamic kind of art that involves the spontaneous application of vigorous, sweeping brush strokes and the chance effects of dripping and spilling paint onto the canvas. The term was coined by the American art critic Harold Rosenberg to characterize the work of a group of American Abstract Expressionists who utilized the method from about 1950. Action painting is distinguished from the carefully preconceived work of the “abstract imagists” and “color-field” painters, which constitutes the other major direction implicit in Abstract Expressionism and resembles Action painting only in its absolute devotion to unfettered personal expression free of all traditional aesthetic and social values.

Let’s Explore “Blow Painting” with Straws

About a year or so ago I found this really cute blog that has to do with watercolor blow art. It was cute and very abstract and the kids were into it. However I felt like we needed to take it up a notch.

So using the same concepts of placing watercolor droplets onto the paper we decided to turn them into characters, animals or other cool things that the students could identify with.

To start with we had the students draw a head or an animal or something else on a large piece of paper. I told them to save room on their paper for the fur, hair or other parts of the animal or creature to be decorated with watercolor paint.

Step 1. Draw the image on the paper. I start with a pencil and then when I finish the drawing I trace over it with a sharpie so it stands out.

Step 2. Add drops of watercolor paint. I include a link to my favorite liquid watercolor brand further down in this blog.

I asked them to put droplets of the colors that they chose in place of where the hair would be on a person; perhaps a beard even. Some of the kids chose to do a horse or unicorn and they were dropping the water colors strategically where they wanted the unicorn or horses hair to fly from.

Step 3. Blow the paint thru your straw (I recommend cutting the straw in half for better blowing action. It will be more effective and get the air closer to the paint. If you’re doing this with young children, poke a hole halfway up the straw with a pin. This will prevent them from sucking paint into the straw by accident.

Here is where the “action art” comes in.  Hand each artist a bendable straw (cut in half) and tell them to point the straw at the watercolor droplets and blow the droplets in the direction they wanted them to spread.

During covid-19 this is a really fun and engaging activity however due to current concerns about spreading water droplets from person to person we now do this project outside or have everyone blow into a cardboard box that then gets sprayed with Lysol after each use.

You can also check out this Youtube video to see how it works. 

However you decide to do it, during a pandemic or otherwise it’s a really fun and creative activity and the kids really get into it. One person drew an old man and made crazy hair flying out from the top as well as a beard coming out of the bottom of his chin! It reminded me of Albert Einstein. 

I Prefer to use the liquid watercolor paints that you can buy at your local store or online. I like to buy a case pack at discount school supply. It’s a lot of watercolor and they last for a really long time. Just make sure you shake them up pretty good before you use them,  the silver and the gold tend to settle at the bottom of the bottle.

See what you can get your kids to come up with and we hope you have as much fun doing it as we have.

Another Form of Action Painting is “Splat Painting”

This is off the chain super cool!  Yep, SPLAT PAINTING!   This style reminds me of the famous artist Jackson Pollock and his GIANT HUMAN sized canvases he used for this style of art. Granted Pollock’s work was on a much grander scale and he used layer upon layer of paint but his process and the intention are similar.   Here is one example of his “splatter art” 

This one is called Convergence and he created it during the Cold War and was a direct response to freedom of speech and expression.  Now our little ones are probably not protesting the current climate in our government right now or things happening across the world, but we are encouraging them to work outside the mainstream art box and go for something chaotic and free.

Here is how you get started in Action painting; with splat painting. There are different ways to do this action painting activity, but the way we’ve done splat painting with kids couldn’t be simpler, or more fun!

  • Dip cotton balls in paint.
  • Place paint-soaked cotton ball on paper.
  • Hit it with a small wooden mallet.

And watch as paint splats and splatters out of the cotton ball.

MATERIALS

  • Cotton balls
  • Small cups or jelly jars or whatever you have on hand that has a wide enough mouth for kids hands to grab their cotton balls from.  You need one cup per color. 
  • Liquid watercolor paint (or food coloring)
  • Watercolor paper or card stock
  • Small wooden mallet* 

*Anything you have on hand with a large head and is easy to swing up and down for the artists participating.”

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP #1:  Set up for splat painting I am sure just by the look of the artwork that this can get messy! This definitely an outdoor activity  Since you will be pounding with a mallet or other heavy object , a hard surface works best.

To set up, water down those liquid watercolor paint in small cups. You could also use food coloring (might stain things) or even tempera paint (the bottom of the barrel in terms of quality paint).


You might consider taping down the corners of the watercolor paper to hold it in place while the kids pound on the cotton balls.

STEP #2:  Dip cotton balls in the watered down paints   You can do them one at a time, as you’re going to use the cotton ball. Or you put a cotton ball into each paint cup to soak at the same time.

STEP #3:  Place a paint-soaked cotton ball on the taped down paper. You can transfer the cotton balls from paint cups to paper with a spoon, tongs, or fingers. I prefer fingers so you get the full sensory experience. And if you know anything about me you know I like to get messy. 

STEP #4:  Hit the cotton balls with a small wooden mallet or other heavy tool you selected. (perhaps consider using a smock or apron.  The watered down paint can splatter in other places than the paper! 

Watch as paint squishes and spews out of the cotton balls. Everyone gets such a kick out of watching the paint splatter everywhere. Not to mention the act of pounding the cotton balls is cathartic as well. 

STEP #5:  Repeat with other colors until you have the desired effect.