At Marion Primary School Vacation Care and OSHC, the children engaged in various collaborative artwork projects as a whole class. These activities fostered creativity, teamwork, and self-expression. These projects were designed to be inclusive. They aimed to be engaging. Each participant contributed their unique flair while working toward a shared artistic vision. The students experimented with vibrant circle paintings and messy mandala. They also created their school’s lion mascot. They explored the dynamic nature of collaborative art. The students embraced spontaneity and creative freedom.

Whole Class Collaborative Artwork 1: King Leo

In 2022, Marion Primary School Vacation Care began a collaborative artwork project. The whole class worked together to bring their lion mascot, King Leo, to life. This social art initiative involved over 30 children and staff. They worked together in multiple stages. The project began with the Messy Play phase. During this phase, they created textured painted papers in warm colors and blues. The children enhanced their scissor skills by cutting Leo’s mane from spirals and circles. Then, they assembled it. After assembling, they added intricate embellishments using paint pens, patterns, and glitter. The final artwork was proudly displayed at the Westfield Marion Art Story. It was admired by many. A print was gifted to each student to commemorate their contribution. This whole class collaborative artwork serves as a lasting reminder of the school’s value of ‘Integrity.’ King Leo now watches over their rooms.​

Whole Class Collaborative Artwork 2: Fiery Circle Paintings

In another creative endeavour, Marion Primary School Vacation Care created a project called ‘Our Fiery Circle Paintings’. The children began by preparing a vibrant ‘underpainting ‘Messy Playing’ stage. They used warm tones, focusing on reds, oranges, and yellows to create a lively, dynamic background. The children freely painted and overlapped circles and blobs, eggs and ovals. They layered clusters of these circular shapes in varying sizes, using both brushes and sponges to build depth and texture. During the ‘Exploring’ stage, the emphasis was on overlapping and adding simple patterns. These actions helped integrate the colours and patterns into a cohesive whole. This expressive, whole class collaborative artwork beautifully celebrated their creativity. It captured the energy and spirit of the group through their unique contributions​. The children worked together on the 20 small canvases. They moved around and added their flair to each one. The children left their unique marks on all of them. I call these projects joint collaborations. The kids then drew on their canvas randomly. They added stick on gems for the BLING to personalise it. Each took an artwork home, knowing they all worked on them together.

Whole Class Collaborative Artwork 3: Messy Mandala

One of the standout projects from the Marion Primary School OSHC program was ‘Our Messy Mandala’. This collaborative art piece encouraged the children to work together. They explored radial patterns and practiced spontaneous mark-making. This all occurred within a structured, accessible process. The group used a mix of bright cool colours. They applied paint in layers to create a vibrant, circular design. This design shows the universe, as all mandalas do. Each child added their unique flair. They experimented with shapes and patterns. This resulted in a mandala that was both chaotic and harmonious. This whole class collaborative artwork highlighted the power of group creativity and left a lasting impression on the participants. It now decorates the school library for the whole school to admire.​

Whole Class Collaborative Artworks: In conclusion

Each of these projects showcased the power of whole class collaborative artwork. From the fiery circle paintings to the intricate messy mandala, each was a symbol to this power. The final results were greater than the sum of individual efforts. Through my unique ‘Pattern Play Collaborative Art’ process—moving through the stages of ‘Messy Playing’, ‘Exploring’, and ‘Bling!’—the children at Marion Primary discovered the joy of artistic collaboration. Whether layering colours, adding embellishments, or crafting patterns, they experienced the magic of creating something beautiful together, celebrating the creativity and diversity of their contributions​

Discover simple tips about how you can create whole class collaborative artworks like these. Join my Inner Circle email list. I’ll give you “Starting Your First Social Art Project at Home”, my free 7 page guide. It makes it effortless for you to paint a unique artwork using this fun style of collaborative art.

Happy Painting! Charndra, Your Inclusive Social Art Guide.

Let’s Chat:

Are you keen to try this form of collaborative social art? It’s called ‘Pattern Play Collaborative Art’ because we layer approachable and accessible patterns from my ‘Pattern Play’ visual resources. These resources are tools. They help you create unique and beautiful collaborative art projects. You can paint with groups of people in your life!

Want to join the conversation? Head to my Facebook | Instagram | Threads to find the featured image. Share your thoughts on collaborative art.

Are you wondering how to start collaborative art projects at home? My Pattern Play Collaborative Art style offers a fun and simple way to get started. Using just three stages—Messy Playing, Exploring, and Bling—you can create vibrant, layered artworks with family or friends. Our recent entry for the Incognito Art Show 2024 followed this process. It brought together our unique ideas into a cohesive and exciting piece. The kids had a hands-on experience in creating and exhibiting their art.

How To Start Collaborative Art Projects At Home 1: Messy Playing

Our family project for the Incognito Art Show 2024 was a joint creation with my kids. After registering, we received three A6 cardboard panels. We decided not to work on them separately. Instead, we taped the backs together with blue tape to form one large piece. I started by creating a blue and white marbled background, and then we dove into the Messy Playing stage together.

Using black conte crayons, we all added gestural drawings across the panels. With big brushes in hand, we layered large, repeating shapes over the drawings, working as a team. I encouraged everyone to add something to each section with every layer. We overlapped the edges to connect all the parts of our artwork. It was such a fun and spontaneous process that brought our creativity together.

How To Start Collaborative Art Projects At Home 2: Exploring

For the Exploring stage, we each added new layers, with every pass using a different colour and pattern. My son was particularly drawn to the infinity symbol. He boldly incorporated it into every panel. It became a central motif. We worked with a limited colour scheme of blue, orange, and pink, along with pops of black for contrast. We mixed in white. This created variations in the colours. Each layer became more dynamic and added depth to the patterns.

How To Start Collaborative Art Projects At Home 3: Bling!

For the final Bling stage, we each took one of the three panels. We personalised them with paint pens and fine liners. Everyone brought their own ideas to life, adding unique details and patterns. It was exciting to see how differently we approached this stage! Once finished, we named our artworks based on what we could see emerging from the designs. This made the process even more fun and meaningful. After completing the backs and adding our details, we uploaded the information to the website. We also sent our entries back to Sydney, New South Wales, for the exhibition.

How To Start Collaborative Art Projects At Home : In Conclusion

How to Start Collaborative Art Projects at Home is as simple as gathering a few materials and letting creativity flow. Our family’s entry for the Incognito Art Show was a perfect example of this. At the show, each artwork sells for $100. The artist remains anonymous until after purchase. We started with the Messy Playing stage, adding gestural drawings and large shapes. Then, we moved to the Exploring stage, layering colours and patterns. Finally, in the Bling stage, we each personalised a piece. The entire process was a fun and meaningful experience. The profits from the sales support studios like Studio A, which provides opportunities for artists living with disabilities. It’s always exciting to hear from the collectors who purchased our works. The kids loved creating, exhibiting, and selling their art within the safety of a family project.

Discover more simple tips about how to start collaborative art projects at home like these. Join my Inner Circle email list. I’ll give you “Starting Your First Social Art Project at Home”, my free 7 page guide. It makes it effortless for you to paint a unique artwork using this fun style of collaborative art.

Happy Painting! Charndra, Your Inclusive Social Art Guide.

Let’s Chat:

Are you keen to try this form of collaborative social art? It’s called ‘Pattern Play Collaborative Art’ because we layer approachable and accessible patterns from my ‘Pattern Play’ visual resources. These resources are tools. They help you create unique and beautiful collaborative art projects. You can paint with groups of people in your life!

Want to join the conversation? Head to my Facebook | Instagram | Threads to find the featured image. Share your thoughts on collaborative art.

In this article, I’ll show you how to create collaborative art at home. I use a simple and engaging process called Pattern Play Collaborative Art. This style focuses on three key stages: Messy Playing, Exploring, and Bling. The photos you’ll see are all work-in-progress snapshots. I’m creating this group artwork with my kids. Some friends join in if they happen by when we are painting. We work with one colour per session, which lasts as little as ten minutes. This project is part of our Utopia series. The series is inspired by the stunning comic book illustrations from the science fiction show of the same name.

Our limited colour scheme—featuring aqua, crimson, yellow, light green, and purple—keeps things cohesive while allowing for creative freedom. By mixing in white, we create variations of these colours. This adds plenty of playful options. At the same time, it maintains a unified look. With the structured spontaneity of Pattern Play, each layer builds on the next. It creates a rich and collaborative canvas. Anyone can contribute to and enjoy this process – you, too! Be sure to join my email list below…

Create Collaborative Art at Home 1: Underpainting

The first step in creating collaborative art at home is the Underpainting stage. For the Utopia series, this stage uses a vibrant colour scheme of aqua and crimson. Imagine starting with an aqua background, randomly scattered with blotches of crimson across the surface. This foundation instantly sparks creativity, offering something for everyone to interact with. The underpainting eases participants into the process. It provides a messy, visually interesting canvas to overlap and build upon. This makes the whole experience relaxed and engaging from the start.

Create Collaborative Art at Home 2: Messy Playing

The next stage is Messy Playing, where the fun truly begins. For this Utopia project, participants grab one colour from the vibrant Utopia colour scheme. They start making big circles, spirals, and random marks across the surface. Using just one colour makes decisions easy. It allows everyone to focus on experimenting with the size and flow of their shapes. This stage encourages playful creativity without the pressure of comparison. It’s easy to copy what others are doing. Nevertheless, each contribution still feels unique and part of the larger, collaborative artwork. I have my simple ‘Pattern Play’ visual resources on hand for the painters to look at. They are encouraged to pick one idea to copy onto the artwork in a few different sizes or places. We have 6 artworks in this series. I encourage them to add each mark cluster, pattern, or their own idea into each canvas in some way.

Create Collaborative Art at Home 3: Exploring, and on and on…

The Exploring stage is where the artwork starts to take on a life of its own. For this project, we use one colour at a time. We add circles, spirals, and patterns. These elements overlap the earlier layers. Participants are encouraged to vary the sizes of their shapes. They are encouraged to interact with each other’s contributions by outlining shapes with a different colour. Adding dots or dashes around or radiating from a form is also encouraged. Alternatively, participants can create clusters of intricate patterns. This stage flows naturally, continuing for as long as we like. Since our minds enjoy focusing on one colour at a time, the surface becomes visually richer with each layer. We also switch to medium and smaller brushes, adding even more variety and detail to these collaborative artworks.

The Exploring stage can be as long-lasting as your creativity allows. With this project, the Exploring stage can continue to evolve throughout the year! This is akin to the project you can start by joining my email list below. This ongoing process lets the artwork grow richer over time. Participants keep adding new layers, colours, and patterns. This makes the experience a continuously rewarding journey of creativity and collaboration. it’s minimal in terms of time and inventory to manage. You need just a few brushes and tubes of paint. Some paper cups and a plastic table cloth or some newspaper are helpful. Even an old towel will do.

Create Collaborative Art at Home 4: BLING!

The final stage is Bling!, where we add those extra touches that make the artwork truly shine. In this example, I’ve only added a little bling because the Exploring stage is still underway. You can see some playful use of paint pens for demonstration purposes. The Bling stage is all about embellishing the artwork with paint pens, glitter glue, dot stickers, or even sharpies. These small, detailed elements add pops of colour visual interest, giving the piece that extra bit of flair. This stage can be subtle or bold, depending on the mood and creativity of the group. As the project continues, more bling can be added over time, making the artwork even more layered and dynamic.

Create Collaborative Art at Home: In Conclusion

Create collaborative art at home with friends and family. Follow these three simple stages: Messy Playing, Exploring, and Bling. This easy-to-follow process, part of my Pattern Play Collaborative Art style, encourages creativity for all ages and skill levels. With our Utopia series, we’ve used a limited but vibrant colour scheme. We added layers of circles, spirals, and patterns. This creates a cohesive, evolving artwork. Whether you’re working with kids or adults, this method provides a fun and spontaneous way to get creative. It lets you express creativity one colour and session at a time!

Discover simple tips about how best to create collaborative art at home. Join my Inner Circle email list. You’ll get “Starting Your First Social Art Project at Home”. It’s my free 7 page guide. It makes it effortless for you to paint a unique artwork using this fun style of collaborative art.

Happy Painting! Charndra, Your Inclusive Social Art Guide.

Let’s Chat:

How have you created collaborative art at home with your friends and family? I started doing this when my oldest son, who is now 19, was a toddler. We had a canvas that we pulled out whenever we wanted and did some process art playing on it. The process I have developed makes that so much easier. Add some simple ‘Pattern Play’ ideas for the kids to copy. These ideas build their fine and gross motor skills and enhance their decision making. They also improve their cooperative and people skills. This gives them pride in developing an interesting artwork over time.

Are you keen to try this form of collaborative social art? It’s called ‘Pattern Play Collaborative Art’ because we layer approachable and accessible patterns from my ‘Pattern Play’ visual resources. These resources are tools. They help you create unique and beautiful collaborative art projects. You can paint with groups of people in your life!

Want to join the conversation? Head to my Facebook | Instagram | Threads to find the featured image. Share your thoughts on collaborative art.