Pet Appreciation Week June 6-12, 2021
The idea of pet appreciation week is to connect with your pet on a more fun level and show them how much we really love and appreciate them. Why not make some art with them.
Make a Paw Print Canvas.
What do you need for paw painting:
- Non-toxic washable paint (get an array of colors) – like these available on Amazon Crayola Washable Kids Paint
- Sponges cut into 2” pieces
- Tubs for different colors (use old food containers and lids before recycling them)
- Paint drop cloth or old sheet
- Wet wipes or a small tub of water to wash paws between color changes
- Canvas (small or large size, get creative)
- Styrofoam (or cardboard) cut smaller than the canvas to fill backing, which allows support during dog painting
- Your dog
Set up your painting space. Find a space outside, shaded if available. Lay down your drop cloth / sheet and line up your containers filled with paint. Place a moist 2″x 2″ moist sponge in each container. Put the styrofoam / cardboard under the canvas on top of the drop cloth. This is to help prevent your dog from puncturing the canvas. Get your dog and lets paint.
Choose your color and dip the sponge into the paint and wipe off excess on sides of container. Gently press the sponge onto the bottom of your dog’s paw, until pad is covered. Direct you dog’s paw to spot on canvas. If possible let your dog stand on their leg, this helps to create a better paw print. After a few seconds, remove paw. Repeat steps 3 – 5 until you have covered the canvas with paw prints or you feel you have a masterpiece.
Wipe your dog’s paws with a wet wipe (or wet in water) between color changes. If you want more of an Impressionist painting, skip the paw clean-up between color changes. Let your dog create natural swirls and color combinations. Once painting is dry, write the name, date, and/or age of dog on the back of canvas with a sharpie or label printer so you can cherish the moment forever
