“Beets are basically made to be printed with,” writes East Montpelier artist, naturalist and author Nick Neddo in the Organic Artist for Kids: A DIY Guide to Making Your Own Eco-Friendly Art Supplies From Nature. The advice reflects Neddo’s practical approach to creativity. His February 11 release, a children’s companion to his 2015 release, The Organic Artist, combines Neddo’s love of the Vermont wilderness and his passion for art, offering readers easy-to-follow instructions on how to create their own art supplies from natural materials. One lesson shows kids how to make tempera paint from eggs. Neddo suggests using dandelion blossoms or pine needles as brushes. Other projects involve crafting pens from twigs, crayons from knotweed and beeswax, and inks from berries and walnuts. Learn how to mix up a batch of papier-mâché from flour, water and newspaper to make a mask or a handy box for your art supplies. Tie together sticks, pine cones or bits of bark to make a mobile. Glossy photographs of Neddo’s projects and his own artwork instruct and inspire young readers.
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This article was originally published in Seven Days’ monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.
This article appears in Kids VT, February 2020.
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