Sculptures from recycled materials

Students in grades K-1 worked on sculptures made from recycled materials, throughout the month of March. 

To begin the process, the kids an I looked at sculptures by several artists who work with recycled and found materials, and we discussed why an artist might want to use recycled materials.  Specifically, we focused on the work of outsider artist Emery Blagdon, who makes very cool hanging works of art using the things he finds and has around.
Next, students envisioned what a toilet paper tube could become by taking turns using an overhead projector to draw on a transparency.  This helped the ideas start flowing.  As a final envisioning step, students drew up an individualized plan using pencil for how they wanted to transform their recycled form. 

Look at the long legs on this person/robot!

Through the making of this project, students learned about what it means to attach, and how sculptors attach and build using many different materials.  They learned that some forms of attachment work better than others when using certain materials.   Students also learned that sculptures have "bones" that are the supporting structure, and "skin" that gives the sculptures color and texture.

I had the room set up in such a way where students could access their own building materials in a "sculpture studio".  I had one bin for thin cardboard, one for cardboard tubes and cartons, one for foil, and another for plastic forms.   Over two classes, I demonstrated three different forms of attachment: tape, glue, and tie and sew (sewing with pipe cleaners), and we had stations set up around the room where students could any or all of these methods of attachment for both the bones and skin of their sculptures. 

When we did move on to attaching "skin"(texture and color) to the sculptures, students accessed those materials as well, choosing from a variety of things in containers that were above the building materials. 

As a class, we discussed all of the wonderful things around the classroom you can use for skin.  You can use drawing materials, fabrics, tissue paper, buttons, feathers and more.  The kids took advantage of all of these resources, and did so with a discerning eye, as they figured out how to express their idea and transform their recycled plastic or cardboard cylinder into something else entirely. 

I really encouraged the kids to cover up all of their tape and cardboard with skin, so that it would look finished, and so they could keep the mystery as to how they built it.

As a last step, parents helped hot glue the sculptures to cardboard bases.

This particular one has a lot going on the more you look!

We heart googly eyes!

The Kindergarten student who made this horses neck, did so originally out of tin foil, and later on adding the brown tissue paper as skin. She used sewing with pipe cleaners as a form of attachment.  

Tin foil helped robots look like robots.  Note: some things did need to be hot glued on with the help of an adult!

This student added extra details and color to her base, to further express her idea.

As you can see the kids did a wonderful job of completely transforming a recycled form into a new and exciting sculpture.

A very special thank you to all of those parent volunteers who helped the students express their idea and be independent in the studio, as they manned the glue gun and helped students to problem-solve.  Also, thank you to Kitty Conde who gave me the idea and suggestions for this project.

Autobiographical Comic Strips

Students in the 5th- 8th grades have been working on autobiographical comic strips over the past month or so.  We began by looking at the work of artist Heather McAdams. 

Based on the project Heather McAdams created for Spiral Workshop at UIC, Coonley students answered questions and selected a true story based on themes such as an animal encounter they exprienced, something they were afraid of, a moment of triumph, etc.

Next students learned about the word thumbnail sketch and panel, and they began laying out their story into panels (frames) and narration.    Some students wrote before drawing, and others drew the pictures first. Students continued to refine their ideas based on feedback from their peers and teacher, as they worked hard to communicate their story in pictures and words. 

Next, the students moved on to laying out their final panels on illustration board, leaving neat "gutters" (spaces) in between each panel.  They worked to make their drawings more detailed than the thumbnail sketches, and added backgrounds and more facial expressions to tell their story.  We talked about zooming in and out, and getting down to what is essential about each moment.   

Next up, students will learn to ink up their panels, using permanent marker, and building off of the skills they acquired when they practiced contour line drawing.  They will also learn how to shade (create different values) using only lines, and will apply that skill to some panels in their comic.

Next, students completed this worksheet to practice using lines to create value.  The more lines you gather together and the closer the lines are to each other, the darker the value (shade) appears to be. 

Collaging and Finishing Our Illustrations

After kindergarteners, 1st and 2nd graders envisioned their ideas for their book illustrations, they drew their idea on a larger sheet of construction paper.  There were several tools I introduced to the students in order to help the them scale up their original drawings.   In some cases they looked for basic shapes, and in others they divided their sketch into four parts, and used a grid as their guide. 

"O" is for Octopus

Next, students began looking for large shapes in their drawing, that they could cut out of paste paper and collage onto their illustration.  The students accessed the paste paper themselves, choosing the color and texture that helped them express their idea.  

"U" is for Umbrella

T is for Truck

This is an illustration for the verb "flying".

 Next, over the last two class sessions, students used black markers, oil pastels and colored pencils at several different stations in the art room, and added to their collage in order to complete their illustrations and fully express their ideas.  Students learned about the word "mixed media" to describe the use of multiple materials in one piece.

"F" is for foot!

"V" is for vampire!