Week #3 Creative Practice – Take a Line for a Walk

Colors Frolicking with a Meandering Line

I love this exercise. In fact, it is something I have my primary school age students do frequently as a means of loosing up. I rather enjoyed creating this piece and let my mind wander while drawing the line. I became intensely focused on selecting the colors and planning which color would or should go next to the one I had just placed. I started to leave it as watercolor pencil, but couldn't resist trying water on one of the colors and before I knew it, I had taken the brush to all of it. Looking at it now, I am pleased that I made that decision as the colors are much more vibrant, especially the bright green that frames the meandering line.

This is such a simple project that anyone can do it. The best part is that it has no right or wrong outcome. Coloring with colored pencils or crayons also feels child-like and familiar so it is non-threatening. This makes it perfect for use in a hospital setting. The time spent "walking" the line is freeing. The time coloring is very relaxing and satisfying.

For added dimension, one could add various Zentagle patterns or could collage some areas. Or it could be fun to glue it to a lightweight poster board and cut it up to create a puzzle.

Here are a couple of examples of ways to use line to make an interesting painting.

First you create a crazy grid, then draw your image. Once you are happy with that, you can paint it. In this case with watercolor. Every time you cross a line, change colors. Then embellish as you wish.