We traced coloring sheets onto plastic page protectors with permanent markers....
...to tape over a hole cut in a cardboard box...
...creating a shadow projector of sorts, to make traceable images outside on the pavement...
...for our sidewalk chalk.
The younger girls (ages 8 and 9) tried their hand at tracing, and coloring the Mona Lisa...
...while G (age 15) and I took a stab at Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring...
...sort of blowing the camera obscura, and optical theories of Tim's Vermeer out of the water (at least in our minds). The film, starring Tim Jenison, explores the possibility Vermeer might have used a camera obscura, or some sort of mirror set-up, to copy, and create his works. It's an interesting theory, and a fascinating film, but after just a few minutes of tracing the simple outlines...
...with the sun coming and going from behind the clouds, and moving across the sky, we decided Vermeer would have gone insane working that way. Using an image generated by the sun is great (really great) for tracing simple outlines on the sidewalk, but depending on natural light to create images for a full scale masterpiece...
...seems like an unlikely prospect, to say the least.
Resources (non-affiliate links):
Tim's Vermeer, a Penn and Teller Film
Color by Numbers Mona Lisa coloring sheet from megamonalisa.com
Girl With a Pearl Earring coloring page.
8 comments:
How very clever! Your neighbors must think that your children are quite sophisticated to have such chalk drawings on the sidewalk.
Phyllis - We moved to the back patio after the starbursts...when the Man of the House reminded me in a very worried sort of way, that we have the house up for sale, and never know when someone might be driving by to look at it. I guess a group of rag-a-muffin children drawing on the driveway, with an audience of neighbor kids is not good for curb appeal :)
I can see why you'd want simple drawings for this. At first I was thinking it would work for the more complex one, but you're right the sun moving would make it a nightmare.
Are you moving far?
Ticia - About a day's drive away - to the other side of the state. More of a cultural change, than a geographic one - from mountain life, to the edge of the prairies...makes it feel farther than it is - ought to be interesting :)
I love this!! (Again!) I've been wracking my brains about where we could do a similar activity. We just don't have anywhere which is smooth concrete like that. I so enjoy all the activities you do with your family.
What an awesome idea. Must try that once winter has left our fair shores.
Such a fun idea! We'll be trying this this summer :)
This is a awesome idea! My kids would love this...at least my more patient kids. :-)
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