Tissue Wall Hangings

For this three day art class the fourth through sixth graders made a face with modeling clay--they put on four or five layers of white tissue, (painted on with wheat paste).  The final layer was using color tissue.

For the second lesson, they took out the modeling clay and added to their features using  bread clay.  They also bent a length of reed into a circle to fit around their face.

Today, the final day, the students put their hangings together using thin telephone wire and found materials.

Some interesting hangings!

Two More Animal Sculptures

My granddaughter's animal sculpture--she chose not to use the bread clay

My experimental sculpture, the one I worked on at home

Bread Clay and Paint

My granddaughter's third grade class finished their animal sculptures today.

I made up many batches of bread clay--made with white bread, glue, paint and glycerin.  In a few days this clay dries very hard.

I made up little packets for each student.

They added on lots of different features with the clay and beads.

I'm pretty pleased that all of the animals can stand on their own--also I really liked the addition of the clay--not only was it fun to use, but it added character to their sculptures.

A Sculpture Project

I decided to teach a small sculpture project for my granddaughter's third grade class.  I made up a sort of kit for each student--we all started out the same, but these animals will all be different.

The student's twisted the newspaper, knotted a head, threaded it through the tube and taped it to form the head, neck and tail--lots of masking tape is needed.

These are taped together and ready for the paper mache.

Today was paper mache day!  This step was a bit tough for the students.  They put on a layer of newspaper and then the last layer of white tissue paper--(the tissue goes on dry and is painted on with a brush dipped in wheat paste).  The last step was to form ears with a few strips of plaster gauze.

I did stay later to touch up the ones that were threatening to fall apart--most of these will be able to stand on their own.  Next week, we paint and add details--I'm curious to see how they'll come out.

Spring

These are some of my favorite plants growing and flowering right now, at the end of the month of April.

Weaving Lesson

Our latest art project in my granddaughter's third grade class.  We folded newspapers for the warp threads and then wove in an assortment of found objects for the weft threads.  They look a little boring so the following week we created fringe, used markers and glued on some tissue paper.

These are drying on a piece of cardboard that is not part of the weaving.  Some students said they had never woven before?  That doesn't sound right--I'm sure they have,

Ponderings About my Garden Net

My small garden area is now completely surrounded in this black plastic net.  Thinking I solved the problem, I then transplanted a few volunteers into some more above ground containers and put them in this netted space.  Next day: a few more leaves chewed on the edges!  Did I just block off the birds that were eating the bugs?  Did I spend two days wrangling with this net only to make things worse?

Turns out I'm right about the sparrows--they will eat the greens and this little garden sits right on the edge of a wild area of chaparral--they can easily flit from the brush to this garden--and they have!!  Now I'm wondering if I'll have a bug problem since I've eliminated all the birds!

I just took the milk jug off this lettuce plant--it's my sacrificial plant--time will tell...

Garden Net

The birds are slapping their little knees and laughing!  I worked on another sort of lid to keep the golden headed sparrows from eating my young and tender lettuce and kale plants, (which you don't see here--just my onions that have been growing all winter).  I felt I had to work quickly since in one day those little birds were eating the leaves down to the center spine.  This project took awhile--figuring out how to do this so I could still walk beneath the net and not stoop over the whole time I'm in the little garden area--extending the bamboo poles--and dealing with the large piece of net on a windy day...

I was feeling pretty proud to be using materials I had on hand--topping the bamboo poles around the perimeter with pieces of an old PVC pipe...

to run some old telephone wire through--things were going along pretty smoothly--my plan was working!

There--I tied down the net around the edges--I can walk upright into the garden, BUT when I looked at the garden this morning, there were about four or five sparrows flitting around inside, pecking away!!  They can fit right on through the metal fence along the bottom!!  Ha!!  Those little golden headed sparrows were watching me walk back and forth with poles and tools--watching as the net kept blowing over itself while I was sewing the hoop in place--watching me move slower and slower as I ran out of steam--watching me right up till dusk when I put on the final touch of sparkly tinsel and pinwheels.  Those little buggers!

I'm not having much luck with lids lately.  This calls for more net, I can't quit now--all that work for naught!?  I'll wrap it right around the whole thing--a lot of work for one or two plants of lettuce and kale!

Discouraging but not Discouraged

I finished my lid, but it doesn't fit!  It's just a little too big and I can't stretch the opening of the basket--I've tried it in all directions.  What now?  I'll be making a basket to fit this lid and another lid to fit my feather basket--this could go on and on!  Like I've said before--"I'll learn from whatever happens"

Final Pictures of Maui Part IV

High five to a Hawaiian sculpture on our last day,before our first flight--a red eye--to start our long and tiring journey home!