This program was inspired by the overflowing amount of quotation art on Pinterest, and it is one of the few of my programs that actually follows the cooperative summer reading theme “Beneath the Surface.” The program is very easy, but it does involve spray paint, which is always nerve-racking.
Supplies needed:
acrylic paint (if using plain canvas)
paint brushes
cups of water
plain stretched canvas (wait for a sale. JoAnn Fabrics had theirs 50% off) or thrift store canvas paintings
spray paint in various colors (who knew glitter spray paint existed?)
rulers
pencils
vinyl letters of various sizes and fonts
Directions:
Step One: Paint the plain stretched canvas a variety of colors with your acrylic paint to create a completely covered base layer of paint. It can be a sunset blend or dabs of a variety of colors all over. The base should be strikingly different than the chosen spray paint. Let the paint dry (takes approximately an hour). If you are starting with all thrift store paintings, skip step one.
Step Two: Use vinyl letters to spell out your quote.
Step Three: Spray paint over the quote. Let dry.
Step Four: Let the paint dry.
Step Five (optional): Use acrylic paint to add some original art to the piece.
Because this event involves a lot of waiting (because of step one), this event really requires food. I brought in an iPad for the teens to search for ideas using Pinterest, GoodReads, lyric sites, and Internet Movie Database. Suggestions for inspiration include teens’ favorite songs and lines from movies or quotation by notable people. Since choosing the quotation can be quite stressful for some teens, next time I will pull more quotes ahead of time for the teens to choose from.
