Activity: Water Play

Our exhibiting artist, Allison Katz paints pictures using unusual materials, she likes to mix rice and sand into her paints to give them texture. This activity plays with creating artwork with unusual materials. Using water and an outside space, can you create ‘paintings’ that are larger than life.

You will need to choose a dry day to do this activity.

In an outdoor space, use water and paint brushes to paint your surroundings. A big chunky decorating type brush is good, but you can use anybrush, from a sweeping brush, to a scrubbing brush to a toothbrush!

What can you paint onto? Walls, paths, bricks, fences, grass? Where does your ‘paint’ show up best, where does it last longest?

Allison Katz often paints pictures that include people. Can you use your hands and feet in your painting, maybe footprints or handprints?

If you have a spray bottle, try putting some water into this, and using it to spray the water onto the outside surfaces. Does this look different to using the brush?

What else can you find to paint with? Look around where you are, what about leaves, flowers, a feather, a handful of grass?

Experiment and see if the water soaks in, or drips off, and what happens when it starts to dry and the marks fade, does it magically disappear? Do some surfaces fade quicker than others?

You will need to choose a dry day to do this activity. It doesn't have to be sunny, but make sure the surfaces you paint onto are dry, otherwise your water-paint won’t show up.

We love to see what you create, please send us photos of your artworks, or tag us on social media #NCMaking.

This activity was created by Play and Learn Facilitator, Susie Lambert.

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