Hello Friends!
How is everyone feeling today?
Are you happy, excited, and playful?
Maybe you're serious and thoughtful?
Is anyone feeling unsure, angry, or sad?
All of these feelings are normal! But sometimes it is hard to tell our friends and family how we are feeling. Did you know that art can help you do that? Art also can help us calm our minds and find peace when we feel like so many things are out of our control.
Are you happy, excited, and playful?
Maybe you're serious and thoughtful?
Is anyone feeling unsure, angry, or sad?
All of these feelings are normal! But sometimes it is hard to tell our friends and family how we are feeling. Did you know that art can help you do that? Art also can help us calm our minds and find peace when we feel like so many things are out of our control.
Let's discover two ways that art can help us with our emotions, big and small!
| This read-along story "In my Heart" helps us identify some of our feelings. Listen to the story and pay attention to the beautiful pictures on the pages. Let them inspire you and help you use art to share how you feel with others. |  |
Do you think different colors can show different emotions?
Grab a sheet of paper and write down as many emotions as you can think of! These emotions might be: excited, scared, bored, silly, nervous. What else?
Now take a look at this painting ...
What do you see?
I see a person wrapped in a blanket at a small table with an empty glass.
How do you think this person is feeling?
How do you think the artist who made this was feeling?
Do you think the colors in this painting help us know that?
How does it make YOU feel?
This painting is by artist Pablo Picasso. For a period of time, Picasso painted many works that were mostly blue. Why do you think he did this? Picasso began his "Blue Period" after he lost a close friend. He was using this color in his art to share his emotions with his friends and his family.
What do you see?
I see a person wrapped in a blanket at a small table with an empty glass.
How do you think this person is feeling?
How do you think the artist who made this was feeling?
Do you think the colors in this painting help us know that?
How does it make YOU feel?
This painting is by artist Pablo Picasso. For a period of time, Picasso painted many works that were mostly blue. Why do you think he did this? Picasso began his "Blue Period" after he lost a close friend. He was using this color in his art to share his emotions with his friends and his family.
Now take a look at this painting ..
What do you see?
I see a woman who is outside on a sunny day. Wearing a yellow and red dress with a matching hat, she looks like she is adjusting her hat, or maybe she is about to take it off. She is looking down a little bit with a slight smile.
How do you think this person is feeling?
How do you think the artist who made this was feeling?
Do you think the color of this painting help us know that?
How does it make YOU feel?
This painting is be artist Pierre Renoir. He often painted people who wore bright clothes and had happy or content looking faces. While this woman might not look very happy or excited, to me she seems content and at peace.
What do you see?
I see a woman who is outside on a sunny day. Wearing a yellow and red dress with a matching hat, she looks like she is adjusting her hat, or maybe she is about to take it off. She is looking down a little bit with a slight smile.
How do you think this person is feeling?
How do you think the artist who made this was feeling?
Do you think the color of this painting help us know that?
How does it make YOU feel?
This painting is be artist Pierre Renoir. He often painted people who wore bright clothes and had happy or content looking faces. While this woman might not look very happy or excited, to me she seems content and at peace.
Remember the list of emotions you wrote down? Add any more you can think of, and then write down next to it the first color that comes to mind when you think of that emotion. The colors that we assign emotions might not be like everyone else's. For example, you might get excited by the color pink, while someone else might think it's boring. This list is all about you and how YOU feel!
Art Break!
One way we can use art to help us with our emotions is to make something called a worry stone. Worry stones help us channel our big feelings into something small that we can hold in our hands to help us feel more in control!
People have been using worry stones since way back in history. They date back to ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Tibet, the mounds and bogs of Ireland, and North American tribes. The Tibetans rubbed them in between thumb and forefinger while chanting mantras. The Irish believed that rubbing on a small piece of Connemara marble will free your life from all worries and bring good luck!
Here's what you need to make your own:
Mix 2 parts flour and salt in a bowl. Add 1 part warm water and stir it to create a doughy paste.
If it is too dry, add a little more water until a dough is formed.
Tint the dough with the food coloring and mix in the glitter.
Form the dough into small cubes that will fit in your hands, let the curves of your palm and fingers leave indentions in the dough so it can be a perfect fit in your hand.
Let the cubs sit overnight, or until they are completely hardened.
once they are hardened, you can keep them in your pockets. Whenever you feel worried or anxious, hold your stone and try to name how you feel. Feel it with your fingers, take some deep breaths, and let it help you calm yourself and refocus.
People have been using worry stones since way back in history. They date back to ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Tibet, the mounds and bogs of Ireland, and North American tribes. The Tibetans rubbed them in between thumb and forefinger while chanting mantras. The Irish believed that rubbing on a small piece of Connemara marble will free your life from all worries and bring good luck!
Here's what you need to make your own:
- flour
- salt
- warm water
- gel food coloring
- sparkly glitter
Mix 2 parts flour and salt in a bowl. Add 1 part warm water and stir it to create a doughy paste.
If it is too dry, add a little more water until a dough is formed.
Tint the dough with the food coloring and mix in the glitter.
Form the dough into small cubes that will fit in your hands, let the curves of your palm and fingers leave indentions in the dough so it can be a perfect fit in your hand.
Let the cubs sit overnight, or until they are completely hardened.
once they are hardened, you can keep them in your pockets. Whenever you feel worried or anxious, hold your stone and try to name how you feel. Feel it with your fingers, take some deep breaths, and let it help you calm yourself and refocus.
