Our last Family Day, in January, focused on our reinstalled Kress Gallery of Renaissance art.
In the early 1900s, Samuel H. Kress began collecting European art. He then gave almost 1,000 paintings to museums and colleges all over the United States. The Georgia Museum of Art was lucky enough to receive 12 of these paintings, some of which are on display today.
Most of the works of art in our Kress gallery are from the Renaissance (REH-nuh-saans) period. The word “Renaissance” means “to be born again.” About 600 years ago, Europe experienced a “rebirth” of learning. At this time, many artists studied math, science and nature to create new ways of making art. Renaissance artists used very thin sheets of gold (known as gold leaf) in their paintings. It made their art look
eye-catching and heavenly.
Now it’s your turn to create your own golden masterpiece.
You will need the following supplies (included in the art kit unless marked with a *):
- black cardstock
- gold leaf (you can get this at most craft stores)
- school glue
- thin paintbrush
- fluffy paint brush
- cup of water
- pencil
DIRECTIONS:
- Cover your work space.
- Use a pencil to lightly draw a design on the black cardstock. Keep it simple, like stars, hearts
or swirls. - Squeeze some glue onto a washable surface. Add a few drops of water, and mix it with the thin paintbrush. The glue should be smooth, like thinner paint, but not too runny.
- Dip the thin paintbrush into the glue and use it to slowly trace over your pencil lines.
- While the glue is still wet, gently press a piece of gold leaf onto it. Use your fingers to lightly press it down.
- Wait 5 to 10 minutes for the glue to dry, then use the fluffy paintbrush to brush away the extra gold leaf. The gold will stick to your glue design.
- Hang up your masterpiece or give it to someone special.