KIDS
CORNER
With Carol Peters
CAROL PETERS is an
award-winning art
instructor who is highly
skilled at bringing
innovative, creative art
alive for both young
and old.
Art, Science and FUN!
Sharpie and Alcohol Tiles and Vases
Featured Artists from left to right: Giovanni “Gio” LaCorte, age
8, Francesca “Frankie” LaCorte, age 3, Fiona Courneen, age 5,
Sloane Courneen, age 3.
Questions to ask your child while you work.
Always praise their answer. You can offer the correct answer
but let them think and learn as they work.
What new color did you get when orange and red mixed?
Or the Blue and Yellow…etc.
What happened when you dropped a little drop on the dry
marker pattern?
What happened when you squirted out a lot of alcohol?
Was it better to use heavy marker, covering all the white
areas? Why?
What does the pattern remind you of in nature?
Did your marker pattern stay the same after you dropped
on the alcohol? It chemically changed when mixed with the
alcohol. Describe how it changed visually…what did your
tile or vase look like before and after?
Praise their individuality and their beautiful results!
Praise works wonders to motivate your child to be excited about learning.
110
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
april/may 2019
gmhtoday.com
After teaching Art for 30 years, I went back to school and
became STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art &
Math) certified. Art is integrated with all subjects and this
project is a science project as well as an art project. It is
easy and the results are beautiful for any age! There is no
right or wrong way to do this. Each person has their own
way of creating. This is a wonderful way to teach your child
color mixing, solubility and the movement of molecules.
Permanent marker is not soluble in water. However, the
molecules are soluble in another solvent called rubbing
alcohol. Get 91% alcohol, as the lesser strength doesn’t work
as well. The solvent carries the different colors in the marker
with it when dripped on and it looks like it is melting the
marker pattern. The children are fascinated watching the
colors bleed and mix in beautiful patterns. It changes the
marker to look like a vibrant abstract painting.
This project encourages understanding of the process
and thinking beyond just a “Fun Craft.” It develops critical
thinking: deciding where and how much alcohol to drip,
what colors to use side by side, how dense to put down the
color. It addresses problem solving in that you need to treat
the three-dimensional vases differently than the flat tiles. It
teaches the child hand and eye coordination: how to use an
eye dropper (a paint brush or a straw can also be used but
the eye dropper is easier) and how to control amounts.