Get Outside and Get Creative!

CBD and Artwork!

Can CBD get the creative juices flowing? There are many studies that show that the use of CBD can help cognitive brain function and help sustain focus. CBD can help relieve stress and provide relaxation, which allows us to feel more open, comfortable, and even creative! Using our Full Spectrum or Broad Spectrum Tinctures or even our Capsules could help inspire creativity. If you want to feel more of a psychoactive effect, you could try our StrainSnobs products, too. So pick up some paints, and let’s go outside and create some art!

Outdoor Summer Artwork:

Summertime is the perfect time to get outside, get some fresh air and vitamin D. So why not get a little creative in the sun? Grab a bottle of CBD Living Water to stay hydrated and some sunscreen and let’s get messy in some paints! Below are some fun artistic outdoor activities for you and the whole family! 

Acrylic Pour Paintings: 

One fun and exciting art project that is great for outdoors (it’s messy!) is Acrylic Pour Paintings. This is a fun and popular trend for people trying to get artsy. Basically it is a really easy and cool way to make abstract paintings really quickly, and there’s endless possibilities. It’s good to remember that there isn’t a wrong way to do Pour Paintings, so experiment with different colors and ways to apply the paint and move it around. 

What you’ll need:

-Acrylic Paints: You’ll need a lot of paint for this kind of project, so buying cheaper acrylic paints is totally okay. Pick colors that you like and that work well together- this is where you can get really creative!

-Plastic cups or squirt bottles (not spray bottles): Plastic cups are the cheapest method when doing pour paintings, however squirt bottles give more precise application. 

-Canvas: You’ll need some kind of canvas for your painting. You can splurge and get a really nice stretched and framed canvas, or you can go cheaper and get a Bristol board canvas, which will work just as well. You could even use finished wood, scrap wood, or even experiment using plexiglass! 

-Pouring Agent/Medium: Acrylic paint is typically pretty thick, so you’ll need a pouring agent to help thin out the paint and make an easier and more efficient application. Popular pouring agents include Floetrol, Liquitex:Flow and Additive, and DecoArt Pouring Medium. Some artists use silicon oil as well, but that can be a little pricey. Some craft stores also have premixed Acrylic Pouring Paint, so you wouldn’t have to mix your own pouring medium, however these can be hard to find and also are a little bit on the pricey side. If you’re finding that your paint is still too thick to have an easy flow pour, you can always try adding a little water as well. 

-Stirring Sticks/Popsicle Sticks: You’ll need some kind of stirring stick to mix together your paint and pouring medium. Even plastic spoons or knives would work. 

-Tarp or Plastic Sheeting: This is a messy project! You’ll want to cover your work area by laying down a tarp or plastic sheeting. 

-Gloves/Old Clothing (Optional): If you don’t want to get paint stains on your hands or clothing, pick up some gloves and run to Goodwill or rummage through your closet for some old clothing you don’t mind getting dirty or ruined. 

-Hairdryer (Optional): Using a hairdryer after pouring the paints can create really cool organic textures and patterns. 

-Straws (Optional): Using a straw to blow through on to the wet paint can help move around the design. 

-Chains/ String (Optional): Using metal chains or string/yarn to drag through the paint can create really cool patterns. 

-Finishing Spray (Optional): You can grab a can of finishing spray, matte or glossy, to spray onto your canvas once your project is dried completely. This can add a layer of protection to your artwork and also add a glossy or matte finish, depending on your preference. 

The cool thing about acrylic pour painting, is that there really isn’t a wrong way to do it. It’s all about experimentation and having fun. So here are some basic steps you can follow to start your painting!

1. Fill up the plastic cups or squirt bottles with your desired acrylic paint colors. You can choose 2 or 3 colors or get crazy and do a bunch of colors! You’ll want to mix your pouring medium with your paints now and mix them up very well. Typically you’ll want to add about 3 parts pouring medium to 1 part paint, however you can play around with this ratio to find out what you like best. You can either do just one color in a cup or bottle, or you can layer colors (you want to make sure to mix each individual color with the pouring medium before layering paints if you chose this method). 
2. Lay down your canvas of choice on your tarp or plastic. It’s good to have paper towels or a rag close by for quick clean up if something spills or gets on your hands. 
3. The next step is to prep your canvas. This isn’t 100% necessary, but can help the paints move around and also provide extra aesthetics. You can prep your canvas by using any color paint (I prefer white or black to give the pouring colors the most POP!), or you can even layer on Gesso to create more of a textured/raised look. You can either let this layer dry completely, or pour right on top of the wet base. Like we discussed earlier, it’s all about experimentation! 
4. Now it’s time for the fun part! Start pouring! You can pour your paints right in the middle on top of eachother, or you can put them in different spots. Once your paint is on the canvas, there are lots of different techniques you can use to make unique designs. Try lifting up and tilting sides of the canvas to help the paint run around and mix with the other colors. If you have a lazy susan board you can place the canvas on it and spin it around to also create cool designs. This is also when you can blow through a straw or use a hairdryer to move the paints around. You can also use a small torch to manipulate the paints, however this can be dangerous and should only be done with adult supervision. Some artists like to use chains or strings to pull through the paint to create cool designs. Another fun technique is to drip or splatter extra paint on top of the design. 
5. Once you’re happy with the design you’ve created, let your canvas hang out in the sun to dry. You’ll use a lot of paint for this project, so it could take quite a while for the whole painting to dry, just be patient. While it’s drying, that’s the perfect time to take some CBD and relax in the sunshine :)

Below are a couple links to videos demonstrating pour painting techniques:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNdMFXAZK_A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXa5guVKG04

Spray Paint Galaxies:

Let’s get spacey! Another really cool outdoor painting activity is to make spray paint galaxies! This art project can be a little more tricky and expensive, but with a little practice, you can create some really awesome space paintings. Ventilation is key when working with spray paints, so being outside is ideal. It isn’t a bad idea to wear a mask while using spray paints either, especially if you have existing breathing problems. 

What You’ll Need: 

-Spray Paints: Run by your local craft or hardware store and pick up some spray paints.I prefer the Liquitex Spray Paint, but any cheap brand will do the trick. For space galaxy paintings, you’ll definitely want to get black and white. But you also will want to grab a variety of other colors for planets and stars.  

-Canvas: Like with the pour paintings, you’ll need a canvas. You can get a typical canvas, stretched or on a board, or you could use wood, glass, etc. I find canvas works best with spray paints. 

-Tarp/Plastic Sheeting: Spray paints can be pretty messy, so you’ll want to lay down a tarp or plastic sheeting.

-Finishing Spray (Optional): I like to finish off my spray paint designs with a clear coat once they are dry. This is not necessary, but adds a nice gloss finish to your artwork.

-Old Buckets, Tupperware, Dishes: To make the planets in our spray paint galaxy, you’re going to need some circular rimmed objects that you don’t mind covering in spray paint and either saving for another art project or throwing away afterwards. I like to use old tupperwares. 

-Saran Wrap, Paper Towels, News Paper, Magazine Paper: These items are really useful when creating textures in your galaxy.

-Gloves/Old Clothing (Optional): Gloves are a good idea to have on hand when spray painting, as it easily gets on hands and fingers and can be a little difficult to get off. Having some old clothing to wear is also a good idea. 

This is another project that you can’t really do wrong, so have fun experimenting. But here are some basic steps you can follow:

1. Lay down your tarp or plastic and canvas. It’s good to have a rag or paper towels close by for any quick clean up.
2. You’ll want to make a base layer of colors first. I like to do about 2-3 different planets in my galaxy paintings. ALWAYS make sure to shake up your paint cans thoroughly.  I’ll typically roughly divide the canvas into three different sections of color. The color does not have to be even or reach to all sides, as only a fraction of the color will be seen at the end of the project. Once you have a base layer of color down, now you can add stripes, spots, swirls etc. that will be on your planet. You can create cool textures by crumpling up old newspaper or magazine paper and pressing it against the wet spray paint. Once you pull it off, it creates a weathered textured look that can resemble rocks and crevasses on a planet.  
3. Once you are satisfied with your base colors and patterns, let your canvas dry. It doesn’t have to be completely dry, but this next step can be tricky if it is still really wet. Now grab your tupperware, buckets, or dishes, and place them rim down on your desired spots on the canvas. I like to secure them in place by simply putting a rock on top of them. Once they are in your desired spots, it’s time to grab the black spray paint. You’ll want to do a full layer of black spray paint over the whole canvas. Where you’ve placed the tupperwares or bowls will create the outline of the planets and reveal the first coat of color you applied. 
4. Once the black layer is applied, now you can add stars! Grab your white spray paint and spray a little onto the fingertips of your gloves. Now you can flick your fingers towards the canvas and create stars. You can also try standing a good distance away from your canvas and with just a light touch of the spray can, you can create white spots that look like clusters of stars too. This can be a bit tricky for some, so you can also use white acrylic paint and a paint brush or toothbrush and flick the end of it with your fingers onto the canvas to create a similar effect. 
5. Wait a few minutes to allow the black layer and your stars to dry a little bit. And then it’s time for the big reveal! Take off the tupperware or bowls and reveal your planets! Now is the time you can add extra details like more stars, lines, colors, even UFOs or aliens :)
6. Once you’re happy with your design, sit back in the sun and relax while it dries. I like to use a glossy finishing spray once it is dried, however that’s not a requirement.

There’s lots of ways to experiment with this method, so have fun!! Below are a couple links to some tutorials! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1esaSXawiE4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k57UI0V-NyE

Chalk Art Murals:

Another fun project that is not quite as messy and a little bit easier is to create chalk art! In fact, it’s so easy, it doesn’t even need a step-by-step guide. Just run to your local craft store and pick up a pack of sidewalk chalk. I also like to get a pack of the small white “teachers” chalk for more precise details. Find a good spot on your driveway or sidewalk, or even a park if your community allows it, and get to chalking! You can do a mural of anything you can think of. Below are pictures of chalk murals artists created at the Chippewa Valley and Eau Claire ChalkFests in Wisconsin.

There are tons of tutorials for these kinds of art projects online, as well as tons of other artistic projects to do in the sun! Life has been stressful and weird for everyone lately, and taking some CBD, some sunshine, and the time to get in touch with your artistic side could help to improve your overall mood. 

The biggest thing to remember is: EVERYONE IS AN ARTIST! Don’t feel discouraged if you don’t like the art you’re making, just keep making more! And get out in that sunshine with your CBD and take on the day with a creative outlook! 

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05189275