Our Natural World - FRAME project

Ice and its colours and sensations

DMA activity

Emily Wiskera, Manager of Access Programs at the Dallas Museum of Art, invites you to discover a landscape painting depicting icebergs. Let your senses carry you into this great work of art, and then create a painting with coloured ice cubes.

This activity is specially designed for people on the autism spectrum but is suitable for all audiences. Adult assistance is suggested.

Note: Preparing the materials the day before is recommended, as it takes time for the ice cubes to set.

Frederic Edwin Church, The Icebergs, 1861. Oil on canvas. Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Norma and Lamar Hunt. 1979.28.

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Frederic Edwin Church, The Icebergs, 1861. Oil on canvas. Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Norma and Lamar Hunt. 1979.28.

Frederic Edwin Church's "The Icebergs" on the Move at the DMA

For this activity you will need: Food colouring, water, ice cube tray, paper, popsicle sticks or dowels, plastic wrap or aluminum foil, newspaper, an old shirt or smock to avoid staining clothes

Add 2 to 8 drops of food colouring to each ice cube cup. Fewer drops will result in paler colours. Encourage children to explore mixing primary colours together to make secondary colours: Red + Blue = Purple; Red + Yellow = Orange; Yellow + Blue = Green.

Fill each ice cube cup with water, leaving some space at the top for the ice to expand.

For children who dislike getting messy or who avoid tactile stimuli while painting, cover the ice cube tray with a sheet of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Adults can use a knife to pierce a hole over each ice cube cup. Then, insert Popsicle sticks through the holes in the foil or plastic and place the tray in the freezer. Allow to freeze overnight. The next day, the children can paint by holding the sticks.

Remove the ice cube tray from the freezer and let sit on the counter for a few minutes before removing the ice cubes. Place newspaper or wax paper over your painting surface, be it the kitchen table or the sidewalk, outside. Place the paper that will be painted on top of the protective paper. If you are taking this activity outside, the children will have to paint quickly, as the ice cubes will melt faster.

Remember that the process of exploring materials and techniques is more important than the final product. If your child tends to feel too much pressure when making art, treat this activity like a science experiment.

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