Captain’s Gecko turned out great…. Turn the color wheel (poking out on the left hand side) and the gecko changes color!!!
Once in awhile, when working with kids, we come across a project or idea that is truly remarkable. When a project really lights a kid up and makes them want to create something special, and they are willing to see it through to the end, it is a keeper. This project has it all! Captain has been working on a science project involving geckos and wanted to add an art piece to it, so I looked around online and found thisfabulous color wheel gecko conceived by Gail Bartel of that artist woman. Her site is incredible!!! She is a terrific artist, and educator, and we will certainly be visiting regularly as there are so many great projects.
I want to share photos, the materials list, and a general idea of how we put this project together. If you decide to try this, PLEASE use the link above to visit Gail and see the original project and photos. You won’t regret it. The moving color wheel-in-a-painting concept could be adapted in so many creative ways. The opportunities are endless! From this project, your child will gain an understanding of the basic color wheel, as they create one themselves, and understand how different components can come together to create an interactive piece that will wow family and friends. I want to add that we did this project in several sessions. This is not a super quick process, and I followed Captain’s lead as to how much we did each day, so you’ll want to plan accordingly. There were times that she was ready to keep going but the paint had to dry! Now, lets take a little peek!
After the circle was cut out, Captain painted her color wheel first.
Materials you will need:
Tempera or watercolor paint (we used watercolor)
2 sheets of watercolor paper (we used a larger size: 11×15)
Fine sharpie
Template: click here to use Gail’s, or make your own. I looked at Gail’s drawing and sketched one for Captain
Scissors, pencil, eraser
Paper fastener
Tape
Transparency sheet, optional but WORTH IT! (I found an old, clear report cover that worked great.) It just has to fit the gecko cutout.
Captain’s dad cut out the gecko template for her. Gail shows a way on her site that students can do this step themselves without using an exacto knife, which can be dangerous.
Once the gecko was cut out, Captain sketched her background using Gail’s example on that artist woman as inspiration. When she was done, we got out the watercolors!
She painted the sky in the background last and was really excited!
This photo shows the gecko painting upside down on the counter with both the fastener and transparency taped in place. Time to add the color wheel!
She lined it up and got the fastener up through the hole. This is the point when she realized why we put the color wheel “off center”.
This is a super fun step. After everything was attached, she turned it over and got to add the gecko’s details right onto the the transparency with the sharpie. Cute!!
Turn the wheel (showing on the left) and the gecko changes color! She took her piece to one of her classes to let her friends see it and turn the wheel.
Yay! This a terrific project and I want to thank Gail Bartel again for the inspiration. If you decide to do this project, we would LOVE to see the results!
Cheers and colorful-friendlieness to all!
Karen
Homeschooling mom on the loose, creator of natural body products, writer