Painting At Halloween
I love the colors and temperature of fall. The beautiful gold, orange, burgundy and brown tones really warm my spirit. With Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas coming, I find myself drawn to all of the ways I can express myself during these next few months.
Halloween is the perfect time for us as artists because there are so many fun ways to use our craft.
Costumes blur the boundaries and we find ways to express ourselves without limits. Traditional painting surfaces take the backseat at this time because we have new canvases of fabric, faces, props, decorations and our homes.
Our painting chapter begins the month of October with a face painting event for a local charity. The children stand in line patiently waiting for their chance to have a pumpkin, bat or spider web on their cheek. Our love of football and sports in Boise has the kids asking for Blue and Orange banners, and BSU Broncos painted along with footballs, soccer balls and rainbows. It is the perfect way to begin the month. I think we have as many “older” kids take part in this event as we do children. Add a little dish soap to your regular acrylic paints and you have the perfect face paint for any costume. It is safe for even the smallest toddler and can enhance any costume.
Local shops have their porches decorated with scarecrows and windows painted with pumpkins and fall leaves. It seems that the stores are not the only ones that are a little overboard on this holiday. Our city sponsors a scarecrow festival and local companies work hard to be the most creative in their displays. Signs, hay bales, wheelbarrows and wagons filled with corn, squash and pumpkins, and painted wooden displays are everywhere. It is so much fun to walk on the crunchy leaves and revel in the craziness of the scenes. There are very few rules and inspiration abounds!
If you have been looking for a costume for yourself or child, you know how expensive it can get. Take a minute to really look at the components of the costume and think about how you can paint or assemble your own. A cardboard cereal box is the perfect painting surface and can be transformed into a shield, mask or belt. Milk cartons, soda or soup cans, cardboard boxes and aluminum foil are great for creating any shape and you can pat yourself on the back for your “green” recycling efforts. Painting on fabric to create a specific mood and theme are the perfect way to save a few dollars.
Do you remember your own trick or treat nights out? Our neighborhood had one of the best haunted house displays around. They created a walk though with elaborate faux finished walls painted to look like stone complete with mouse holes and dimensional scenes. It created lasting memories, ok…and some nightmares for this little girl!
Our pastel and crayon line make it easy to get the kids involved with minimal clean up. Get them involved in their own costume and you will also be creating special memories and a lifelong love for art
The power of painting and creative thinking are alive this month like no other. Why not take a little trip on the wild side this Halloween?
