I have always cringed at the idea of painting over someone else’s art work. I think about the time and energy they put into it, and the thought kills me. I never draw on a student’s work and don’t allow others to in art class. But… a while back I ran across Meri Cherry’s blog post Repainting Thrift Store Canvases, and the idea stuck with me. Those sad canvases were tossed out, why not give them a new art life? And then I said, “Amber, stop your hoarding ways.” We always use recyclables in art class to make art. Why not use art.. to make art? So, I started to keep an eye out for large used canvases when I thrift store hopped. One day when binge shopping at Austin Creative Reuse, a local reuse center, I found Patrick’s collection of Bob Ross inspired landscapes. Patrick’s decade of work! His signature evolved over time, and so did his talent.
This lesson began with the class and I discussing what collaborative art is. Then, I had the quietest mouse in the room choose painting after painting. (I had to throw some extra landscapes in there to choose from.)
I asked the kids what they would like to see exploring in their scene.
I gave them paint pens and they got to work. Most of them started out signing next to Patrick’s name.
It was so fun to see how different they all were from start to finish.
I suggest you hit the thrift shop and see what you can find. I would love to see what you add to found masterpieces. -Ms. Amber