A Home-Torn Mural

Using colored construction paper, show children how to tear out the component parts of a landscape (foreground, middle ground, and background) and paste them together on a piece of 9-by-12-inch paper. Then things like trees, rocks, houses, clouds, sun, shrubbery, automobiles, airplanes, snow-capped mountains, fences, etc., can be torn from more paper into exciting shapes, and pasted down firmly. It’s sort of like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, except each family member makes his own design.

“Tearing” seems more fun than cutting for many children; but if the young artist wants to cut his components with scissors, this is fine. Sometimes a combination of cutouts and tearouts works well together. The whole family could design a large mural, each contributing his respective parts. One hint: do not use too much paste or the finished project will warp. Murray F. Allen, associate professor of art education, Brigham Young University