Tutorial Tuesday – Lettuce Stamping, Muses, Musings and More

As my kids got older and spent more time in school, they were less likely to make art for the pure joy of making art. They became more goal oriented. Whether that was a result of being genetically related to me, or unspoken societal cues, I will never know.

What I do know however, is that the process of learning something new, trial/error, and experimenting with old items in a new way contributes to brain development, which parlays into problem solving other life challenges.

As I sifted through the kids art bins (things that we had saved throughout the years), I discovered a pattern. I found that my daughters oftentimes would have a muse of sorts (a stuffed animal or a beloved character) and they would draw it a million times. In crayon, marker, pencil or pen, it was rudimentary at first, then it became smooth. There would be different backgrounds, but the muse was consistently in the picture.

I loved finding all of these pictures, and seeing their skill progression by their countless reiterations.

My favorite elementary school art teacher (shout out to Mrs. Burr Monaco that I still see in town from time to time!) made an indelible mark on me. Art was always one of my favorite times. We made potato stamps, reflective string art stamps, stamps out of styrofoam sheets, and it was so much fun. The process of printmaking stuck with me.

Smalltown Flats gives your kids the ability to see furniture in a different way. It’s a blank canvas, and they can experiment with it, making patterns and prints from a variety of things. Stamps from styrofoam, potatoes, celery, lettuce or apples can be exceptionally fulfilling, giving them experience using old things in new ways.

This Smalltown Flats 4-Poster Bed shown above is decorated using acrylic paint and a cut-off end of romaine lettuce. We painted the background blue, then used the lettuce stump as a stamp. Simple and beautiful!