Most of the 5th graders at our schools have at least one trophy – for soccer, baseball, basketball, dance, etc. Each year the fifth graders create their own sport trophy sculptures using wire, foil and plaster wrap.
2012 is an Olympic year. We begin by looking at photos of Olympic athletes in all sorts of sports. We talked about dynamic poses – athletes in motion – and how much more interesting they are than static poses.
It all starts with a pinch pot. Stuff with crumpled newspaper for support and turn upside down. Apply starfish, urchins, coral etc. to top of rock using vinegar to attach.
Vinegar, clay tool, toothpick
http://youtu.be/TUuvmrJIXiQ
If you don’t finish, wrap clay in damp paper towels and seal in Ziploc bag.
Day 2:
Finish adding sea life to rock.
I let them dry for 12 days, then fired on slow setting.
Although no slip was used to attach decorations, only one decoration came off during bisque firing.
Day 3:
We painted with pan watercolors and tiny brushes. Students had option of rinsing off excess paint (they called this ‘fading’). Also could draw on painted ‘rock’ with colored pencil.
A huge thank you to SDAEA’s Carol Catalano Webb, who brought back this lesson from California state conference AND made the YouTube movie. A huge thank you to the clay teacher who created the Powerpoint (we think it was Barry Bernam-please leave a comment if you know Barry!).
Of all the famous artists we study, students think Alexander Calder is the most fun. Fifth graders made Calder-inspired wire animal sculptures.
Alexander Calder’s Fish (1944).
5th graders made wire sculptures focusing on contour. Allow 2-3 40 minute sessions.
Materials:
Notes: When buying wire, the higher the gauge, the thinner and more flexible the wire. The wires below are soft enough for students to cut with our blunt-tip school scissors! Simplify your life and buy pre-cut 18″ floral wire (available at floral suppliers, Wal-Mart and Michaels).
pre-cut 18″ floral wire, 26 gauge. I call this super-fine and flexible wire ‘sewing wire’ because it is fine enough to pass through sequins, beads and window screen.
optional: Ziploc gallon-size storage bags for storing unfinished work between sessions
We begin by looking at this Calder wire sculpture Powerpoint. Next students sketch a contour drawing of an animal on copy paper. The sketch should touch all four edges of the paper and should be simple. Then students trace the contour with 14 gauge sculpture wire, overlap the ends and twist to secure.
Trace marker sketch with wire.
They can string shorter wires or pipe cleaners with beads, sequins and buttons across the center. Encourage kids to experiment.
We link up the sculptures in a chain (using my favorite paper-clip ‘S’ hooks) and suspend from the ceiling. Instant group Calder mobile!
Calder’s art is so varied and interesting, you could do an entire unit: a mobile lesson, stabile lesson, a wire sculpture lesson, a circus lesson, even a jewelry lesson.
After creating chalk pastel stencil art with multiple classes last week I had a lot of colorful used stencils. I sprayed them with fixative (Aqua Net unscented hairspray) and glued them to construction paper.
Students outlines stencil opening with chalk pastel and brushes color inward.
Used die-cut and hand-cut stencils make another kind of Valentine.
Which is more beautiful- stencil art or used stencil art? I can’t decide…Happy Valentine’s Day!
See the trophies progress in Part 2 (now online) and the finished Olympic trophies in this post.
. Look at the sea life on the ocean floor.
