Explosive expression takes flight at Scoville

SALISBURY — Kyla DeRisi, the children’s coordinator at the Scoville Memorial Library, was taking no chances Thursday evening, July 17.

With an agenda that included exploding paint and small children, the evening’s art and dessert event was clearly destined for the out of doors.

But DeRisi, taking a cue from Rita Delgado, who regularly reads to small children at the library, went one step further.

She donned a sturdy black plastic garbage bag, with head and armholes cut out, to protect her dress.

Library volunteer Isabella Yoo, who has been helping out one way or another at the library since the age of eight, was decked out in shorts and a top and didn’t feel the need for the extra layer of protection.

The procedure was to pour a small amount of paint into a film canister, then add a bit of water and — this is the key — half an Alka-Seltzer tablet.

The canister is then closed and placed a prudent distance away on a large sheet of paper.

As the antacid dissolves, it creates carbon dioxide.

In a person, this causes burps.

In sealed film canisters filled with paint and water, this causes the top to pop off and the fizzy paint to surge forth and get all over the paper.

At this point the artist takes over and manipulates the paint and paper.

Think Jackson Pollock after a heavy meal.

The first attempt blew to the top of the film canister off just fine, but the paint failed to flow.

After adjusting the water to paint ratio, subsequent attempts went more or less as expected, with appropriate expressions of glee and merriment from the youngsters.

A generous supply of cookies rounded things out.