Cool Gift of the Day
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
What it is:
A renewable art surface that you paint with water and repaint as soon as it dries.
Why we love it:
What's not to like here? It's art without any of the commitment, or any of the mess. Sometimes you want to create for the simple purpose of creation, and sometimes you want the kids to be able to muck around without getting paint on the upholstery. Either way, the Buddha Board will fit the bill. The special "canvas" darkens when painted with water, allowing you to create art that lasts until evaporation steals it away. Once your canvas is dry, you can begin all over again. There's something very soothing about creating something ephemeral and then watching it drift slowly away, and your meditative art student (or kid denied access to messier art supplies) can always claim to have created a masterpiece while no one was looking; "It was the next Mona Lisa, but tragically it dried before anyone but me could behold its magnificence." Perhaps you can advise them to keep a camera on hand, so that if anything truly spectacular should be created they can catch it before it disappears.