the window

The children's rooms at CHOP all have large windows along one side, overlooking the central atrium, outside or, if you're very lucky like us, the emergency room. It spawns a lot of thought that I hope I'll write about...For many, especially in the oncology ward where long stays are standard, window decorating is big. I wouldn't say ours is an artistic triumph, but is organically growing, and Marian heartily approves.
Audrey's panel is on the left. She's getting quite adept at backwards writing.
The center is mine, I guess. Our What a Wonderful World silk scarf and Mare's name.
I'm documenting the making of the right panel below. Coffee filter watercolor flowers and painted-by-Marian vinyl window clings. Both new-to-us projects that you should try, too.
Art therapist Jennifer introduced us to coffee filter flowers. I think they might be a hospital standard, since we know another charming 6-year-old getting a bone marrow transplant in Minnesota who wrote about them on her Caring Bridge site. I know I've seen coffee filters in craft applications before, but I've never indulged, probably since I'm not a coffee drinker, so they weren't handy. I thought their allure was "hey, here's a round circle of white paper that you already have". But more impressive is their durability when wet, awesome for wet painting with young 'uns (look at how wet this paper is!), and (I know, surprising) filter quality: color travels on them in cool ways, even separating into its components. A very tie-dye effect. Materials:

Washable surface. Your painting turns out two-sided, which is awesome for windows, but also means bleed on the bottom. So make sure you can easily clean what you're working on. A paper towel or another filter underneath works, too (plus, cool effects).

Coffee filters. The grande size is great, if you can find it, but everything works. Since they have distinct ridges, crumpling up the filter first helps you to flatten it out before you start. Just go ahead and embrace it, like nice crumply linen pants :)

Watercolor paints. I have to admit this project was twice as cool because Jen brought us amazing metallic watercolors. They cover everything with great bitty mica-like bits of sparkle and I cannot believe I, with an eye out for all things new and kids'-art-related, didn't find them myself. One (there aren't many) upside of being in sterile isolation is that everything has to be new. So the watercolors are now ours!!! Prang brand metallic watercolors. You must find them.

Brushes & water. Oooo, guess why? Bigger brushes are better because you want to splash on a lot of color.

Process: Use plenty of water to work up a generous amount of paint, and let the colors run together.

another option: washable markers. The same water base that makes them wash up nicely also makes water a great solvent for these markers. I think this is a good technique for children whom you don't really trust with paint, but want to give them a chance to play with color--call it pre-painting :). Draw a line design or just scribble, then use a big brush to spread water around. Once you get the filter paper wet, the color will slowly spread by itself. Or brush vigorously (I love that word), and accelerate the process.

If you were holding these in your hands, you would get to enjoy all of the good shimmer :).

Seriously, get yourself some Prang metallic watercolors. Who loved this project most of all? My mom and I. Giddy.

Plenty long, this post. So vinyl clings later.