Arts and Activities Magazine – June 1968
I inherited a treasure trove of old Arts and Activities and School Arts magazines from the 1960s and 1970s.
Plaster sculpture cast in a wax paper milk carton. Inflated balloons create interesting negative space.
The balloons created terrific negative space. It reminded me a bit of Henry Moore’s sculptures. I thought it would be cool to try this out as a Henry Moore sculpture lesson with my art campers. We looked at some images of his work, then got busy.
The campers were able to scrape and shape the damp plaster.
It was a huge mess, of course. But fun! The kids (ages 8-11) really enjoyed the process.
I love these ‘old-school’ projects. What did your kids use to carve the plaster?
I’ve never done plaster carving before, but one of my Grade 12 students did an independent project where he did some and LOVED it (unfortunately he dropped it when he finished 🙁
In high school, my art teacher was obsessed with Henry Moore! He would love this lesson! lol
Thanks for sharing!
Miss recently posted..Collage Pop-Out Fish
Hi Miss
So glad you liked the project! The kids used old metal spoons and ribbon (clay) tools to further shape the plaster. This is better for middle and high school- perfect for you!
Rina
I love this!! How do you get the balloons to sit lower in the plaster? I tried this and all they want to do it float!!!
Hi Brea
I think the ones that worked best used multiple small balloons. The tape on top worked pretty well to keep them from floating up too much.Still – they had wells at the top of the cast from the top balloon. We often turned the cast on its side to find the most interesting look. Good luck! -Rina