Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by WonderTeam. WonderTeam Wonders, “Can you make art with your hands?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, WonderTeam!

All kids have used their hands to create art. Maybe you’ve colored with crayons or painting with a paintbrush. Have you molded clay or folded paper into new shapes? Many people get even more hands-on by finger painting. Yes, hands are an important tool in the creation of any type of art.

You may have even used your fingerprint or hand print to create a work of art in the past. But did you know that you can turn your hands into art? It’s true!

Hand art is a new and exciting art form. Some describe it as a combination of face painting and body painting. By painting your hands, you can create lifelike 3D works of priceless art that amaze and astound!

Probably the most famous hand artist is Guido Daniele from Milan, Italy. Although he majored in sculpture at Brera School of Arts, he began using a body painting technique to create unique hand paintings in 1990.

Since that time, his works of hand art have become more and more daring. When people first see his hand art, they can’t believe how simple hands can be turned into such realistic works of art.

Check out Guido Daniele’s online gallery of animals he has created with hand art. We challenge you to scroll through his whole collection. Can you find the following animals in his gallery?

  • Elephant
  • Chameleon
  • Moose
  • Crocodile
  • Owl
  • Python

Would you like to try your HAND at hand art? Give it a try! There’s no end to the creative ways you can shape and paint the human hand. 

Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1

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