Seems like Spring is the perfect time to paint. The sun is out more, the days are longer, there are flowers starting to bloom, and there is inspiration everywhere! So many painting activities involve the outdoors, which makes it easier and more inviting in the Spring, than in the winter months.

Painting (or dying) Easter Eggs, outdoor nature drawings and paintings, sidewalk chalk "painting," face-painting at outdoor festivals and faires, and even house painting!

In our classes we worked with watercolors in the last session, and we are currently finishing up the acrylic painting session. We have learned that all paints are made up of three things: pigment (dye), binder (glue), and the extender (liquid- water or oil). In this issue I have included a recipe for egg-white paint, which you can make at home. Have fun, and please send my pictures of the paintings you create with the egg-white paint. I'd love to see them!

One of the first paints to be used was Egg Tempura. Egg tempura started out as paint made from egg-whites with pigment added. Later the yolks of the eggs were used, mixed with natural pigments and dyes. Today you can find recipes for Egg Tempura Paint online, but it is a complicated process, and requires the egg yolks to be removed from the yolk sacs, pigment, and an emulsifier added to help the pigments mix with the egg yolk. Not only can the pigments be hard to find, but the whole process of getting the yolk out of their sacs seems difficult for the unexperienced. So, here is a recipe for egg white paint. It's easy to make!

Ingredients needed:

• 6 eggs (separated)
• food coloring
• cups, jars, or styrofoam egg carton
• paintbrush
• paper, or other eggs to decorate
• water (or sink close by)

After adding the drops of food coloring, mix them well! The egg-whites may still be sort of "clumpy" and it may apear swirly with the colors not wanting to mix in well. Just keep stirring/ mixing. You can blend the seperate parts together better with your paint brush.

Then, when you have all your colors mix, you can start painting! You do not have to add water to the paint, unless you want to. Notice how this paint can be layered, like watercolor. This paint won't "bleed" quite as much as with watercolor.

Nature Drawings! Get some paper and colored pencils, pastels, crayons, or paint- and go outside to draw. Draw the trees, flowers, birds, sky, houses. Try this in your own backyard, or at the park! You can draw everything you see, or just draw a close up of one flower.

Sidewalk Chalk "Paintings" Use "sidewalk chalk" or more vibrant chalk pastels. You can do free-hand drawings or find a photo you want to copy. Draw a grid on it (break it up into squares) and then draw a grid on the sidewalk, or use the lines/cracks in the sidewalk as your grid, and copy your picture one-square-at-a-time.

Paint or Dye Easter Eggs! This is an old-time favorite! Hard-boil some eggs. Use an egg-dying kit from the store, or use the egg-white paint in this issue to paint your eggs. Or use both!

Face Paint! Paint Spring things (flowers, birds, Easter eggs) on each other's hands or faces. Don't forget to take pictures!

Artwork by current students will be on display March 31st through April 10th, in the lobby of the Lake Sammamish Foursquare Church (14434 NE 8th Street, Bellevue, WA) This is the same building where our classes are held.

Open House On Saturday, March 31st from 3:00-5:00, there will be an open house for the student art show. come meet the artists and the instructor, Crystal Rea. There will be cookies, tea and juice- and an art project! Come find out about our classes! Kids of all ages are invited!