These days are like waking dreams, where time feels a little different and the evening sun gives everything a soft Summer glow. In this family-friendly art workshop, we look at shadows and sunlight and find ways of making art that capture them in a dreamy picture. 

On a family walk, we might look closer at the plants that grow out of footpaths or walls, finding interesting shapes. Maybe there are buttercups and dandelions growing in the grass. This is a chance to look at the different stages of a plant's life or to appreciate the beauty that lasts for the season.  

In this video and PDF, we look at two techniques and combine them together to create our artwork. First, we capture shadows of plants using an outline. Then, we use oil to make paper see-through, creating imaginative paintings and translucent paper. By cutting out our outlined shapes, giving them colour with pencils or anything at hand, we can make unique pictures, placing them on display in the window with the oiled paper for maximum effect.

Do you remember your dreams from last night? Maybe you could draw something from your dreams, cut them out and put them behind or in front of your translucent paper. If you would like to create your own dreamy artwork with these techniques, have a look at the video and PDF. 

Click here to download a handy instructional PDF

Click on the video below to view a timelapse of the process