Friday, March 21, 2008

Adding Colors of Hope

Once again I find myself in charge of something for which I have absolutely NO credentials. When my husband (in charge of the Darfur weekend at Temple Micah) asked me to be responsible for getting a tent painted as part of the Tents of Hope project, I said yes without thinking this job through. At this point I have more questions than answers on my assignment, which includes painting an 8' x 10' tent and 150 small squares that will be sewn together (by someone else fortunately) to make part of a tent.

Questions on the tent part like:
– What should our overall design be?
– Do you really have to apply (white) gesso to the tent surface first before painting it?
– What grade of acrylic paint should I buy, given the tent will eventually be used outdoors?
– What type of brushes do we need?
– Where can I find quality art supplies at an affordable price?
– How much of everything should I buy?
– Who is going to do this? (I had hoped for teenagers who are artistic and love to paint.)
– Can we find a mutually acceptable time to do it before the April 23 Darfur weekend?

Questions on the canvas squares part like:
– What brand of fabric markers will work well on canvas?
– Where can I find them at a good price?
– Can I find sufficient parental help to be able to oversee 150 kids coming in “waves” during religious school on Sunday, April 25, to paint squares?
– Are parents going to be incredibly pissed off if their children get permanent markers on their clothes?
– Should I just use a hot iron to set the color after the completion of these small squares?

I welcome any and all suggestions you might have! And if by chance you are from Temple Micah and are reading this, I will most definitely welcome your help in this project, which is stretching my abilities!

4 Comments:

Blogger Kristin said...

I wouldn't know where to start. What a great use of your creativity, though. My two cents would be trying to seal it before using it if it's going to be outside, but that's probably the least of your concerns.

7:02 PM  
Blogger mouse (aka kimy) said...

I wouldn't worry about credentials, who in the world would have 'credentials' - by raising such informed questions it is obvious that you have a handle on the requirements of the project...

my advice and suggestions is to not worry, get a bunch of stuff that can mark canvas (go to the local michaels - they have affordable art supplies - and ask them what they recommend) and just HAVE FUN... the tent will be raising awareness about a very important issue...

p.s. if parents get pissed off if their kid gets marker on their clothes that is their problem, definitely not yours.

hope to see the tent if it's still up in early may!

9:21 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Kristin -- I don't think rain is much of an issue in Darfur. I would wonder if having the tent be "breathable" would be more important than sealing it. I have to look into this a little more...

Mouse -- We will collectively pull this off and it will be FUN! I'm sure the finished tent will still be around in May when you are here. I think it's destined for a rally on the Mall sometime later this year before the tents are all shipped off to Darfur.

11:25 PM  
Blogger Old Lady said...

My mother used acrylics exclusively in her painting and she Gesso'd all her mediums prior to painting. A tent is much like a canvas, so try a test spot, then use the acrylic varnish after the paint to water proof the paint.

8:26 AM  

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