Fluid Art and the Power of Letting Go

About

This is a really fun painting event that can be done with everyone, no prior experience necessary! Fluid art is an exciting way of creating beautiful and unique art pieces, no two will look alike!

Materials

• Acrylic paints,
• Extra white acrylic paint
• Floetrol
• Canvases,
• Hair oil,
• Clear plastic cups,
• Plastic spoons or popsicle stick for stirring

Set Up

Have four plastic cups, four spoons or popsicle sticks, a canvas, and paper towels at each station. Have a selection of acrylic paint colors and the floetrol on the table where everyone can share.

Instructions

Prepare your paint by pouring half a bottle of one acrylic paint into a clear plastic cup. Next, add floetrol at a 2:1 ratio (so twice the amount of floetrol as paint). Now add 5 drops of hair oil. Mix well with your popsicle stick or plastic spoon and sent aside. Repeat with your other colors. Three colors plus white is recommended. Your paint should be a creamy consistency and easily able to pour.

Now to mix your paint! Start by pouring a small layer of paint into a clean cup. Then slowly add each paint color, layer by layer. Pour slowly and into the center of each color. Your paint should not mix in the cup.

Now you need to get the paint onto the canvas. To do this, leave the paint right side up, lay canvas on top, and then turn both over, keeping the cup flush and level so no paint comes out the sides. Feel free to let your paint sit there a few minutes and even tap the top to move the colors down.

Now lift your cup straight up, turn up right and set aside. Rotate your canvas to each side to let the paint flow to the canvas edges. You will see the paint flows pretty slowly and you should be able to control the direction of your lines relatively easily. Now just let it dry!

D’var Torah Inspiration

Can We Control Our Destiny by, Rebbetzin Feige Twerski An Aish article

Trusting G-d by Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller and Sara Yoheved Rigler An Aish article

Leave the Driving to G-d by Sara Yoheved Rigler An Aish article

Discussion Questions

• We often feel angry when things turn out differently than our expectations, when we lose control over things that have happened. Contemplate – how much control did we have to begin with?
• The Talmud (Shabbat 105b) compares anger to avodah zarah – idol worship, basing it on this verse in Tehillim: ““There shall not be a strange god within you, and you shall not bow to a foreign god” (Tehillim 81:10). Why do you think anger can be compared to idol worship?
• There is a cute saying “Let go and let God” – what does that mean to you? How can you incorporate it practically into your life?
• What beauty might be created when we are able to let go and go with the flow?

Even More

You can end with off with sharing a beautiful meditation by Miriam Adahan: “I will make G-d’s will my will”. If you incorporate this meditation into your daily life and practice with small things – getting stuck at red lights, missing the bus, etc it can help prepare you when something bigger happens. Tip: Have small cards printed with this meditation on them, or have the women create them while the paint is drying at the event.