You will need:
- a large bottle of liquid starch
- severaal colors of acrylic paints
- two large flat baking dishes or dish pans
- a few custard cups
- small bowls or empty margarine containers
- paint brushes
- a variety of tools to create patterns in the paint (such as a feather,
nut pick, ice pick, coiled rubber cord, wire whisk, potato masher, fork
or wide-toothed hair comb)
Fill one baking dish or dish pan with starch to a depth of about 2 inches;
fill the second one with cool water. In custard cups or other small containers,
dilute each paint color until it just barely drips from a brush. Then
drip colors on top of the starch until the surface of the starch is nearly
covered.
Create a pattern in the starch with one or many of your tools. Move
the desired tool through the paint in straight lines, at geometric angels,
in circles, or in rays. Even if you leave the dots undisturbed to produce
a pebble pattern, no two patterns will be the same. Feel free to experiment
and be creative!
Hold a card or piece of paper by opposite corners and bend it gently
so the paper sags slightly. Lay it gently on top of the paint, but do
not allow the paper to sink below the surface. Immediately lift paper
back out of the starch. Hold it over the dish and allow the paint to drip
off for a few seconds.
Rinse paper in the dish of plain water. Lift paper out of water and
allow it to drip for about 15 seconds or until most of the water has dripped
off. Lay the paper flat, paint side up, on a work surface to dry.
Thanks to Karen T., queenpow@angelfire.com
for sending in this project!
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