Dabble Art

PS. We have a bunch of new paintings added to our rotation. And if you’ve gifted your little artists with a cheesy sense of humor like Mrs Royle’s, then they’ll appreciate the puntastic vibes we’ve got going on.

A little note about our example paintings…

No, children are not expected to copy them exactly — in fact, the magic usually happens when they don’t!

At Dabble Art, we use examples as a springboard: a way to introduce new skills, materials, techniques and ideas. From there, children are encouraged to make choices, experiment, change things, problem-solve and let their own personality show up on the canvas.

So while everyone may begin with the same inspiration, no two artworks should look the same — because no two children think, feel and express themselves the same.

That’s the bit we love most! 🫟✨

🔔 So I (Mrs Royle) have been hard at work in the studio on a bazillion projects (that’s the actual number that comes after 3), one of which is a newsletter! Which has only been on my to do list for 4 years - I mean, you can’t rush these things… 🫠🫠😂🤷🏽‍♀️ (And I think this means I might officially be a grown up…)

Haha! Just kidding, I’m not falling for that trap! 🪤🤣😜

Anyway, the first one is due this evening. The content won’t be Earth-shattering, more of a test really, to awaken and dust off the cobwebs on my existing contact list and to see if my hectic creative brain can learn new systems… 🧠 🫣

Still, if you want to jump in and be part of history, you can join us by visiting the link in our bio. 🔗 ⬆️

Have a fab day, you legends! 🤸🏽‍♀️🧃🌻✏️🫟

View from the “office” this morning. 🌻🌻🌻

This week in the studio, things are going to get expressive…

To help children understand expression, we talk about:

Expressing = The doing.

—> When you let the thoughts and feelings inside you come out in your art.

Expression = The way & The result.

—> How you let the thoughts and feelings inside you be seen or understood by others.

Our focus question this week is:

How can we use colour, texture and movement to express joy and energy in art for celebrations?

Our artists will be exploring painting in a big, bold way, experimenting with brushstrokes, layering colour and building texture to create artworks full of life. Inspired by artists we study, they’ll discover how art can be used to show feeling, not just what something looks like.

Because sometimes… joy isn’t neat. It’s energetic, colourful and full of movement and even sometimes a bit messy! 🫟

You can join in, too by answering this:

What does joy feel like to you and what colours or shapes would you use to show it?

Now imagine painting that feeling... 😍

Let’s go!

This week, the studio was glowing… Literally!

Our artists explored how light, colour and combinations of flexible and rigid materials can be used to make light structures that create atmosphere and mood in a space and influence how people experience the space.

We began by learning about the effects of light sources on surfaces then moved into experimenting with structure, learning how to build simple forms and create openings to place tea lights in.

Then came the creative decisions - cutting patterns, layering materials and thinking about how light would interact with their designs.

As artists designed the frame for their lanterns, they were thinking about feelings, what kind of atmosphere they want to create and how their choices influence that. This aligns with emotional awareness and helps them understand how environments can affect mood.

Covering the frames with tissue paper proved to be messy and challenging - both of which we tackled with gusto! We have more to do on these next week!

Still, sessions like this remind us that art isn’t just something we look at, it’s something we experience.

Sometimes a room is filled with light and sometimes the light is a small glimmer but it can still have a big impact.

Today is Mrs Royle’s birthday! And she spent it doing lots of things she loves - Slow morning, coffee and word puzzles on the back deck, tinkering in the studio then art class with some little legends. 43 feels good! 🥳🫟🎵🎶

Little hands are so capable! Our studio space is about letting them shine their brilliance. ☀️ How cute is FVL’s version of Buddy McBudgington!? Was a fun and super chill morning, dropping into that magical creative flow state. 🙌🏽💚💛🩵💙🤍