Create

Ice and its colours and sensations

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.

Information

Type
Video Public
Neuroatypics, family, general
Although designed for people with autism, this activity is suitable for all groups. Adult assistance is recommended. Duration
8 minutes
Note: Preparing the materials the day before is recommended, as it takes time for the ice cubes to set.

Our Natural World, a FRAME project

Grounded in art therapy and well-being, this initiative grew out of the COVID-19 pandemic and is a response to a call for proposals from FRAME (FRench American Museum Exchange), a network of 32 French and North American museums.

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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Listen to the activity

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.

Other activities to create

Stephen Legari, art therapist at the MMFA, shares a variety of workshops you can do at home.

Juliette Barthélemy, from the Public, Mediation Projects, and Students Department at the Palais de Beaux-Arts de Lille, invites you to discover a piece by Sonia Delaunay.

Louise Giroux, Educational Programs Officer – Wellness, invites you on an exploration of an artwork in our collection, followed by a creative workshop.

The virtual Art Hive is a free online community-oriented creative studio.

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