It's only quite recently that Orla has shown any interest in any artistic ventures. For a while, crayons kindly provided in family restaurants formed a key part of her lunch menu, and paint was just for squeezing in her hands. Now, however, she likes to sit on my lap with a piece of paper and a pencil or coloured pencils, has a go with fat crayons and a large piece of paper - or we clear the kitchen floor, strip her down to her nappy and get the paints out!
We use Crayola poster pots, though in the future we're going to have a go at making our own fruit and veg colours - watch this space! Cheap Chinese calligraphy brushes are ideal for little hands - the thick handles are easy to grasp and the hairs are soft and make good, sweeping strokes on paper and baby alike! Try a Chinese supermarket if you have one near you. Another useful tool is a washing up sponge, cut into four - can be used to apply paint to hands or feet, or for your little one to stamp blobs directly onto paper.
We've had a go at a few different painting projects. Our first success was Easter cards - rather Mummy-directed, as I had to paint her palms and fingers different colours to make the chickens' heads... Since then we have tried hands and feet - I had to help Orla to stand up steadily so that she didn't slip on her painty toes - and have used our fat brushes to paint her and me as well as the paper!
Finish off with a nice bubbly bath or shower! The finished projects can be stuck on your fridge, obviously, and are great for sending to Grandmas for Mothers' Day, too...
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