Episode 4: Pot of GOLD (and bonus project, Heart of GOLD)

You will need:

• Paint pour medium

• Metallic acrylic paints (at least 4 different colors)

• White acrylic paint

• Craft sticks/popsicle sticks

• Small cups (with lids, if possible), for mixing  

• Terra cotta flower pot

• Dishwasher-safe Mod Podge

• Wood canvas

• Wood shape (heart or other shape)

• Freezer paper
• Cookie sheet
• Two pieces of scrap wood
• Permanent adhesive
• Paint brush
• Paper towels
• Fine glitter (optional)

Curator’s Talk and Gallery Tour with Lauren Taylor

Curator’s message

Hope is Golden…and Art is Hope.

This exhibition is the culmination of the Art is Hope art competition sponsored by The Faris Foundation in Houston, Texas. As Faris’s art teacher, I had the great joy of spending many golden moments creating art together during his cancer journey. Faris understood the power of art, and even at the tender age of 9, he declared that “Art is my Life.” I personally saw how creativity brought Faris joy, peace, and hope.

The idea for this competition came in a divine spark of inspiration and indeed, that spark yielded over 60 submissions from all over the world. Artists from India to Australia, from Ireland to Bahrain, from South Korea to the United States, heard our golden call and answered. Their responses are what you see in the gallery before you.

While none of our artists worked together on this project, interestingly, certain themes began organically appearing within the work. As a curator, I could not help but notice the golden threads connecting all of these pieces together.

The main themes of our exhibition are:

Wings of Hope – Birds and Butterflies

Hope Must Be Cultivated and Tended – Plants, Flowers, and Trees

Hope from Help – The Helpers, The Things That Spark Joy

Hope’s Form in the Soul – Abstractions & Landscapes

Joy of Creativity – Work with The Colorful Vibration of Children

Art is My Life – My Life is Art

How did we all connect? How did those threads get woven so far and wide? Golden hope is the answer.

– Lauren Taylor

Art is Hope.

In this workshop, we are guided by two extraordinary artists and creative powerhouses, Lauren T. and Krissy V., who lead us in an art making and community service experience, with plenty of room for your own adaptations and creative remixing along the way!

Your volunteer opportunity is to create an original piece of art. It will then be left to be found as a random act of kindness to another person. This helps promote the idea that “Art is Hope!”

Basic materials needed:

– pencil

– felt tip black pen (ballpoint is OK if that’s all you’ve got)

– white drawing paper

– Index cards or card stock paper

– colorful construction paper

– scissors

– glue stick

Extras: markers, crayons, glitter, and any other special materials that speak to you!

You can participate by making your artwork during the workshop alongside us in real-time, or watch, learn, and create after the session with your family. A recording of the workshop will also be made available afterwards, so you can go back and refer to it any time. 

RESOURCES + Inspiration

Download: Pop Up Card Art Kit [pdf]

Download: Workshop Presentation Slides [pdf]

Download: Share Card [png]

Download: Drawing Patterns [jpg]

Download: More Drawing Patterns [jpg]

Download: Motivational Words [jpg]