A “Trip” to the Beach with Art

Beach Scene Chalk Pastels

I’m loving chalk pastel art and the free tutorials over at Hodgepodge. We’re new to the scene, just dusting our fingers with it, but already in love.

Our latest project was a beach scene, a perfect beginner lesson. The tutorial is very step-by-step, and the results are impressive.

Chalk Pastel Art

So is the mess, but my little helpers have been very good about wiping up after the lesson.

I wanted to walk you through some of my reservations about using chalk pastels, just in case someone else out there is hesitant to take the plunge.

First, purchasing art supplies—real art supplies, not just crayola and elmer’s—made me a little skeptical. I mean, my kids are 6 and 4. It’s hard to justify the REAL stuff. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Chalk pastels and some newsprint paper were relatively inexpensive, definitely no more than the crayola/elmer category.

Then, there was the issue of taking care of the REAL stuff. I have to be honest, knowing the state of most of our crayons, I was very hesitant about REAL chalk. The kids did excellent during our first lesson; of course, I was harping at their elbows about being gentle. But our most recent lesson did in a number of our brand new chalks. Which is when I discovered that what I feared really wasn’t all that bad. The chalks broke, the earth kept rotating, and we all moved on.

Time was another factor. If dragging it out and cleaning it up took too much time, it just wasn’t going to happen very often around here. So I timed this last lesson, start to finish, to know just how long it took. To my utter surprise, it took almost exactly 20 minutes from donning the plastic GLAD bag aprons to wiping up the last specks of dust. Even I can do a 20 minute (including clean-up) art lesson.

Another question I had was wondering if my kids would be capable of this kind of art. And I’ve discovered what everyone keeps blogging about, that this art medium really is perfect for little ones because it is so forgiving. The kids have a great time with it. Oldest has a precise project that turns out very closely to the original we are following, and Middlest has lots of freedom to create. And I’ll admit, I’m having a blast, too.

Beach by 6 year old
Beach by my meticulous 6 year old
Beach by my creative 4 year old
Beach by my creative 4 year old

I am so glad I took the plunge into chalk pastel art. It’s going to be a great summer.

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Published by Tracy
Our life is creative and full, challenging and blessed. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschool mom to my crew of three kids with ADHD/dyslexia. I'm passionate about helping women find joy and hope in treasuring Christ, loving their families well, and finding creative ways to disciple and teach in their homeschools. Visit growingNgrace.com to find grace for the messes and mistakes, and knowledge to pick up the pieces and make something special. Let’s grow together!