Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Oct / Nov 2017: The Travel Issue | Page 52

Kids & Education
DISCOVERING
T R AV E L W I T H A R T
Forget photography. International
contemporary artist Amy Diener shows
us how kids can draw inspiration from
their last vacation and create beautiful
artwork as a lasting memento.
Instructions
1. Pick a flower, landscape, or animal
from your travels, and select five
of the colors you find incorporat-
ed within it. You can look through
photos of your trip for inspiration,
or reminisce together about your
time away. For example, a mem-
ory of an elephant bathing in the
sea might evoke shades of grey,
yellow, green, blue and white.
2. Pre-mix the specific colors
you need as well as their
varying tones and use
a fine paintbrush to
drop the first dot
onto the stone.
Activity: Mandala dot stone painting
Goal: To alleviate stress and anxiety
through painting mandala dots on
stones using colors from your travels,
preserve memories of a family trip,
and to decorate your child’s room.
Materials: Acrylic paints, paint mark-
ers, smooth stones, round brush-
es, towel
Age Level: 7–10 years
3. Begin from the
center and radiate
outwards, creating
a widening circle
that will eventual-
ly encompass your
rocky canvas.
4. Encourage children
to play around with the
scale of the dots and how
they combine the colors to
create a striking mandala in a
rainbow of shades.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Diener is a Bangkok-based American artist and art teacher who
believes children learn art best when given the freedom to create within a
structure. Amy is known for her vibrant paintings and frequently exhibits
her art in Bangkok. Learn more about Amy at www.amydiener.com
52 WANDERLUST
WWW.WANDERLUSTMAG.COM