All Over the House

In a house no bigger than many bedrooms, Maud Lewis, a folk artist, created delightful paintings of her beloved Nova Scotia. Craft a model of her bright, happy, little home.

1. Find out about the life of Maud Lewis. Look at her art work and at pictures of the inside of her house, which was only 9 x 10 feet (2.7 x 3 m). To make a model of the inside of her home, start with a small, square, recycled box. With Crayola® Scissors, cut out the top and one side, leaving three walls and a floor.

2. Use the box sides as patterns. Trace the interior walls on light-colored construction paper. Trace the floor on darker paper. Cut the paper to size.

3. Maud Lewis loved flowers, birds, and butterflies. Use Crayola Gel Markers and Crayola Washable Markers to draw them on the walls, windows, and door of her little house. Or you could cover the house with patterns of things that make you happy. Draw a colorful rug for the floor.

4. Use Crayola Classic Fine Line Markers to add tiny pictures like those Maud Lewis painted. She often used humor in her paintings. Her oxen had long eyelashes and her spruce trees had blossoms. Her bright, daytime scenes often contained no shadows. Have fun playing with nature in your own way. Glue the house walls and floor to the box using Crayola School Glue. Air dry.

5. Fold and cut cardboard to make steps, a table, a chair, overhead beams, or other furniture. Decorate with markers. Glue in place. Air dry.

6. Use markers to draw and color other house items such as a broom, mittens, or clothes to hang from the overhead beam. Draw curtains for the window. Glue in place. Air dry.

7. Draw and decorate your own tiny Paintings for Sale sign. Prop it up in your scene. Glue and air dry.

Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.

Color Trios

Pretend You're a Cave Painter

Brilliant Butterfly Kite

Crafts

crayola supplies

• Fine Line Markers
• Markers
• Gel Markers
• No-Run School Glue
• Pointed Tip Scissors
• Construction Paper

household supplies

• recycled boxes
• cardboard

"This inspired our son to paint an old headboard from his grandparents' attic with dogs, cars, and sailboats--his favorites! "
Ruben F., father of 10-year-old.

"Our girls made and furnished tiny cottages. Each one was decorated with folk patterns commonly found in the country the girl chose."
Marianne B., scout leader.

Maud Lewis, the Grandma Moses of the Maritimes, was a self-taught folk painter who lived in Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada, from 1903 to 1970. She was a tiny woman, quietly charming, and extraordinarily talented. A sign propped up outside her house proclaimed Paintings for Sale. The community and tourists who stopped to buy were thrilled to purchase her bright outdoor scenes including fishing boats bobbing on water, horse-drawn sleighs, dreamy-eyed oxen, and her beloved cats. She used leftover marine and house paints on particle board or cardboard and painted with crude bristle brushes using sardine cans as a palette. Inside her house, she painted every available flat surface--steps, front door, windows, walls, stove back, and table with joyous, brightly colored flowers, birds, and butterflies. Her little house has been on display in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax.