Pop-Tarts® toaster pastries, a food icon of fun for 45 years, has partnered with renowned post-Pop artist Burton Morris for Pop-Tarts® Pop Art, a limited-time project designed to inspire families to have fun and be creative. Morris sees artistic possibility in every element of Pop-Tarts®, and offers numerous tips to inspire creativity so the entire family can have fun and push the boundaries of imagination together:

· Back to basics … and beyond. For art supplies, start with the basics such as paper, pencil and crayons, but remember that anything can become something artistic. Grab everyday items around the house and think of new ways to use them. A sponge provides textures with paint and old CDs become amazing stencils.
· Food for thought. Food has always naturally been one of the most inspiring subjects for artists of any skill level. Try to look at the size, shapes and textures of any item found in the pantry and recreate that image in a different way. Morris says that food has always been one of his most inspiring objects, not only because it could be drawn, but it could be eaten afterwards.
· Plug in and play. In the age of computers, don’t ignore the limitless possibilities of digital design. Encourage kids to use painting programs preloaded on computers to create fun art that can be printed, stapled and turned into a cool comic book.
· Think outside – or inside – the box. Often the most fun items to play with are the boxes of everyday objects: make mini-movie set dioramas, houses for stuffed animals or art supply holders. Even Pop-Tarts® boxes can be used in many different ways: flattened as a canvas, cut to feature its many fun colors, or turned inside out to recreate a custom box design. Try cutting different boxes into small pieces and using the different colors and patterns to make a mosaic.
· Breaking the sound barrier. Artistic creativity can be found in other ways beyond pen and paper. Make a musical act using simple objects, such as empty coffee cans for drums and pencils for sticks. Go back to pen and paper and design a band logo or make fliers to post around the house.
· Getting over the creative slump. Everyone goes through a slump from time to time, however there are plenty of ways to quickly get back into the game. Take a walk down the street, read a magazine or simply walk down the grocery store aisles and look at the variety of colors, designs and logos. Morris and many other famous Pop artists often use these environments for creative inspiration.
· Age is only a number. Remember: there is no right or wrong when it comes to art. Morris suggests that parents spend focused time with kids, trying to imagine the world through their eyes. The exercise allows parents to look at life from a different perspective and the encouragement is important for children.

Morris also judged a Pop-Tart t-shirt design contest, you can see the 8 shirts chosen as weekly winners here.  The “Buy Now” link says the site server is down so I can’t tell you how much they cost, but the shirts are for sale as well. If the price isn’t too outrageous, I want to buy the Week 2 winner because that is one cool shirt.

Look for Limited Edition Pop-Tarts® boxes designed by Burton Morris in your grocery store and you’ll be bringing home your own piece of pop-Art!  Thank you Pop-Tarts® for also sending us four Burton Morris-designed boxes of yumminess, my favorite is Frosted Strawberry, my boys like Chocolate Fudge, my husband likes Brown Sugar.  We are definitely a Pop-Tart kind of family!