Artist’s Tools

• Collection of fresh leaves or flowers
• Construction paper, old painting projects or untreated canvas
• Wax paper
• Heavy books
• Scissors
• Coloured pencils, metallic markers or acrylic paint

Directions

1 Collect some freshly fallen leaves or cut flowers. Look for a variety of shapes, colours and textures. Your leaves will dry and crinkle up quickly, so don’t wait too long to use them.

2 Place your favourite finds between two sheets of wax paper and press them between to heavy, flat objects, such as books. Keep your finds pressed for a few days or even a week.

3 Carefully remove your pressed finds from the wax paper.

4 Arrange your collection of pressed leaves and flowers on a flat surface, What can you make? Animals? Insects? Silly scenes?

• Create contrasts by using leaves that are very different in size, shape, texture and colour.
• Layer your leaves to make a variety of details and interesting images.
• Cut some leaves for some detailed final touches.

5 Find a background that best shows off your fabulous foliage creation. Try

• brightly coloured construction paper
• finished painting projects
• pieces of untreated canvas

6 Piece by piece, brush a bit of white glue on the back of your pressed leaves and flowers and glue your organic collage onto the background. After the glue dries, draw or dab on colourful details.

 

Text and illustrations from The Jumbo Book of Outdoor Art, written and illustrated by Irene Luxbacher and Avenue Road Arts School is used by permission of Kids Can Press Ltd., Toronto. Text and illustrations © 2006 Irene Luxbacher and Avenue Road Arts School.