Arts Education
- Promoting Creative Thinking
- Caring For The Artistic Ego
- Making Beads With Salt Clay
- How To Make Paper Beads
- How To Make Clay Beads
- What Is A Thumb Piano?
- Australian Aboriginal X-Ray Art
- Easter Rap Lesson Literacy Booster
- Online Hip Hop Dance Lesson
- How To Draw An Easter Bunny
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
Paper sculpture promotes a creative style of thinking and seeing. David Swinton is an Artist in Residence who promotes creativity and enhances school environments.
David Swinton is a sculptor who offers his services as an Artist-in-Residence. He works in Primary Schools helping students enjoy the art of Paper Sculpture. David has over thirty years experience of working in schools, museums and galleries.
He also works in a discipline called Environmental Sculpture. This is a creative endeavour that enables schools to enrich their immediate surroundings. Schools commission him to design and excute three-dimensional and bas-relief artworks in hard and softwoods, stone, mild and stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, ceramics, cast concete, plaster of Paris and fibreglass.
David has a personal approach to creative thinking. He matches what is already avaiable in the school so that his work blends into the environment, thus enhancing both the hard and soft landscaping.
His book , "The Magic of Paper Sculpture" provides templates you can make available to your class. It is about encouraging a way of thinking and seeing. When a teacher gives sheets of blank white paper to a class, and asks the students to design sculpture from them, he/she is taking the students to a creative space within which they will need to use the right hemisphere of the brain.
When students are fully utilising this side of the brain they become more creative. The incessant chatter of the mind ceases and instead time passes pleasurably. The feeling of accomplishment that students experience when they have worked in this way is empowering.
Once you have tried working with your class in this way, I am sure you will want to develop the skills, style and medium further.
He also works in a discipline called Environmental Sculpture. This is a creative endeavour that enables schools to enrich their immediate surroundings. Schools commission him to design and excute three-dimensional and bas-relief artworks in hard and softwoods, stone, mild and stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, ceramics, cast concete, plaster of Paris and fibreglass.
David has a personal approach to creative thinking. He matches what is already avaiable in the school so that his work blends into the environment, thus enhancing both the hard and soft landscaping.
His book , "The Magic of Paper Sculpture" provides templates you can make available to your class. It is about encouraging a way of thinking and seeing. When a teacher gives sheets of blank white paper to a class, and asks the students to design sculpture from them, he/she is taking the students to a creative space within which they will need to use the right hemisphere of the brain.
When students are fully utilising this side of the brain they become more creative. The incessant chatter of the mind ceases and instead time passes pleasurably. The feeling of accomplishment that students experience when they have worked in this way is empowering.
Once you have tried working with your class in this way, I am sure you will want to develop the skills, style and medium further.
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
Creative Arts Students benefit from learning about Life's Balance. Fame and the stress of fortune can be managed if students are well prepared ahead of time.
I have recently trialed an E-course written by Jerry Lopper and begun bringing an awareness of the need for balance to the Creative Arts Students I teach.
When teachers talk to Creative Arts Students about living a balanced life, they are not “talking about achieving an outcome or arriving at a destination." Lesson 4
Artists need to monitor feelings throughout the day. By monitoring how comfortable they feel, students can gauge how they react when faced with set backs or challenges.
Because the artistic life is thwart with competition, it is calming to focus on what Jerry calls the five comfort zones.
When teachers talk to Creative Arts Students about living a balanced life, they are not “talking about achieving an outcome or arriving at a destination." Lesson 4
Artists need to monitor feelings throughout the day. By monitoring how comfortable they feel, students can gauge how they react when faced with set backs or challenges.
Because the artistic life is thwart with competition, it is calming to focus on what Jerry calls the five comfort zones.
- Think about your life’s purpose often and deeply. Ask, "Why am I really doing this?"
- Devote as much energy and time as you can to personal passions, Become involved and proactive. This will boost self esteem and enhance relationships with others.
- Develop and utilise personal powers in nearly every aspect of your daily lives so that gifts and talents are developed to the full. This will help you feel good about your achievements,
- Design a set of personal principles. Students who think about their personal values find it easier when they face difficult choices or if life seems unfair. (Someone else gets that part!)
- Focusing from a positive, healthy, and optimistic perspective students become able to draw on their own internal resources when workload is high or challenges seem formidable.
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
This is an inexpensive recipe for a kind of clay that is rough and porous. It is ideal for tactile projects such as worry beads and cameo sculptures.
This recipe requires a cooking session either with your class or as preparation. Both the Artful Crafter and Pioneer Thinking describe the recipe in the same way.
Materials
For a finishing touch gently sandpaper or smooth with an emery board.
The rough beads are have a rustic aura. Lightly sanding with an emery board will smooth the beads but that could turn out to be a tedious endeavour. Painting them with both acrylic or oils would also work well.
The articles Handmade Beaded Jewelry For Mother and How To Make Rosary Beads show you how to put your new found skill at the craft of bead making to good use.
Materials
- Salt
- Water
- Corn Starch
- Mix 2 cups salt and 2/3 cup water in a pan.
- Mix 1 cup cornstarch and ½ cup of cold water in a bowl and sit the mixture close by.
- As you heat the mixture stir continuously (the dough might burn so practice well in advance of your class)
- Quickly remove from heat and stir in the cornstarch and water. If mixture is too thin, return to low heat and stir constantly.
- Wrap in a plastic sealer wrap and store in a cool, dark place in an airtight container.
- Vegetable dye can be used to colour the dough.
- The material should be like a like bread dough. Knead it until smooth and pliable.
- Roll the beads in your palms. (cold cream into them before you begin)
- Color can be added during cooking or kneading. Beads could also be painted when they are dry.
For a finishing touch gently sandpaper or smooth with an emery board.
- Thread the beads on a greased (vaselined) wire and set this across a shoe box to dry.
- Wait approximately 2 days for the beads to dry. If you need them more quickly preheat oven to 180 Centigrade, and after turning off the heat, place the beads still on the wire over a pan in the oven.
The rough beads are have a rustic aura. Lightly sanding with an emery board will smooth the beads but that could turn out to be a tedious endeavour. Painting them with both acrylic or oils would also work well.
The articles Handmade Beaded Jewelry For Mother and How To Make Rosary Beads show you how to put your new found skill at the craft of bead making to good use.
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
An Art lesson about making useful, cost effective and attractive presents. Show students that they do not need to spend much money to make classy paper beaded jewelry.
Paper beads featured on Tania's Habitat are so attractive it is difficult to believe that they could be so cheap and easy to make. Threadbanger on Utube shows us how to make simple paper beads using only a glue stick. A more versatile glue medium would make even classier results.
Materials
Cut the paper into triangular strips so that they roll evenly into a twirled ball. Before you begin arrange the strips so that the twirling will create an attractive design.
Gluing
Lay the glue out onto a tray and drag the paper through, covering both sides and remove excess. Cover the entire surface of each piece of paper. Where there is no glue will eventually bubble up or buckle.
Rolling
Roll the paper onto thick toothpicks that have been greased with vaseline to prevent to beads from sticking. As you twirl it will turn into a thick bead. Use thick tooithpicks meant for spiking cheerios, so that when you pull them out of the beads, the hole will be large enough for the thread to go through. An orange or a flower sponge can act as a stand for the spiked beads. They are not to touch up against each other .
Finishing
Once dry, paint the beads with acrylic paint. Spray them with varnish, or, shellac for an antique look. Experiment. with 'stick ons' such as glitter letters or stencilled coloured paper. Glue them so that they spell names or words.
The articles Handmade Beaded Jewelry For Mother and How To Make Rosary Beads show you how to put your new found skill at the craft of bead making to good use.
Materials
- A "Wet" Area
- Paper and additives (Boganvillia petals, paper bark, gift wrap)
- adhesive such as PVA or Decoupage Glue,
- plastic trays
- toothpicks and vasaline
- glitter letters or paper letters cut from coloured card
- acrylic paints and brushes
Cut the paper into triangular strips so that they roll evenly into a twirled ball. Before you begin arrange the strips so that the twirling will create an attractive design.
Gluing
Lay the glue out onto a tray and drag the paper through, covering both sides and remove excess. Cover the entire surface of each piece of paper. Where there is no glue will eventually bubble up or buckle.
Rolling
Roll the paper onto thick toothpicks that have been greased with vaseline to prevent to beads from sticking. As you twirl it will turn into a thick bead. Use thick tooithpicks meant for spiking cheerios, so that when you pull them out of the beads, the hole will be large enough for the thread to go through. An orange or a flower sponge can act as a stand for the spiked beads. They are not to touch up against each other .
Finishing
Once dry, paint the beads with acrylic paint. Spray them with varnish, or, shellac for an antique look. Experiment. with 'stick ons' such as glitter letters or stencilled coloured paper. Glue them so that they spell names or words.
The articles Handmade Beaded Jewelry For Mother and How To Make Rosary Beads show you how to put your new found skill at the craft of bead making to good use.
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
Raw bisque fired clay beads are easy to make. They are inexpensive and suitable for a wide range of classroom projects. Students love this hands on activity.
Clay beads are very easy to make. They are either rolled in the palm of the hand or rolled out to make a clay coil, which is then sliced to make even cylindrical beads.
An inexpensive way to pierce the centre of the bead, is to gently push a moistened wooden skewer through the centre of the sliced coils. Cheap wooden skewers can be left in the beads as they will burn out in the kiln. This makes the project easy to manage and the beads easy to count.
Materials
It does take a while to make beads this way, because you will need to allow them to dry before firing. Firing will take a few days depending on the style of kiln you have and your 'kiln roster ' within the school. Because beads are so small and light weight, it might even be cheaper to have them fired for you commercially . This can be done at your local pottery supplies company. If you choose this option there can be a delay, because the staff will fire the kiln when they have a full load to heat. If you are planning a beading project such as making rosary beads, leave at least a week between when you make the beads and expect to be able to use them in a creative project.
Using the Beads
When you are finished you will have attractive beads from which to create your projects. If you want a glossier look , the beads can be glazed or spray painted.
The articles Handmade Beaded Jewelry For Mother and How To Make Rosary Beads show you how to put your new found skill at the craft of bead making to good use.
An inexpensive way to pierce the centre of the bead, is to gently push a moistened wooden skewer through the centre of the sliced coils. Cheap wooden skewers can be left in the beads as they will burn out in the kiln. This makes the project easy to manage and the beads easy to count.
Materials
- A block of clay
- Cutting wire
- Bat to place beads on
- A pack of skewers
- Kiln for firing
It does take a while to make beads this way, because you will need to allow them to dry before firing. Firing will take a few days depending on the style of kiln you have and your 'kiln roster ' within the school. Because beads are so small and light weight, it might even be cheaper to have them fired for you commercially . This can be done at your local pottery supplies company. If you choose this option there can be a delay, because the staff will fire the kiln when they have a full load to heat. If you are planning a beading project such as making rosary beads, leave at least a week between when you make the beads and expect to be able to use them in a creative project.
Using the Beads
When you are finished you will have attractive beads from which to create your projects. If you want a glossier look , the beads can be glazed or spray painted.
The articles Handmade Beaded Jewelry For Mother and How To Make Rosary Beads show you how to put your new found skill at the craft of bead making to good use.
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
Africa Kids is an interactive website where students can experience playing a simulated thumb piano. It is possible for them to write and record simple tunes.
A thumb piano is an African musical instrument. It "has a small sound box fitted with a row of tuned tabs that are plucked with the thumbs." FreeDictionary.com Because its use is so widespread across Africa it has acquired a variety of names, such as kalimba, sansa or mbira,
Free Simulated Online Learning Experience
The Africa Kids website has an interactive interface with a variety of options for exploring the thumb piano. If you would like the students to learn very simple tunes, and you have some thumb pianos for your class they can play along. There is a print function so that you can print the music.
If you do not have access to thumb pianos, there is a simulation of the instrument for the students to play. It is possible to record music and play it back. With practice the students could become quite proficient at writing and recording simple melodies.
An Attractive Instrument
The thumb piano is an attractive instrument,. (Image from Overstock) It is easy to make. It is held gently between two hands. The thumbs strike the keys making a sound, which reverberates from within the wooden hemisphere through a hole. The difference in the size of the keys makes the melodic sound. It is usually made from wood, (perhaps a seed pod) and the keys are beaten to their correct size from metal. A metal bar holds them in place. The instrument can be tuned with this bar.
Free Simulated Online Learning Experience
The Africa Kids website has an interactive interface with a variety of options for exploring the thumb piano. If you would like the students to learn very simple tunes, and you have some thumb pianos for your class they can play along. There is a print function so that you can print the music.
If you do not have access to thumb pianos, there is a simulation of the instrument for the students to play. It is possible to record music and play it back. With practice the students could become quite proficient at writing and recording simple melodies.
An Attractive Instrument
The thumb piano is an attractive instrument,. (Image from Overstock) It is easy to make. It is held gently between two hands. The thumbs strike the keys making a sound, which reverberates from within the wooden hemisphere through a hole. The difference in the size of the keys makes the melodic sound. It is usually made from wood, (perhaps a seed pod) and the keys are beaten to their correct size from metal. A metal bar holds them in place. The instrument can be tuned with this bar.
Australian Aboriginal X-Ray Art
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
X-Ray style Australian Aboriginal art is thousands of years old. Based on the old traditional style Indigenous people still create designs of beauty and significance
One type of early Australian Art is called “xray art.” The form is drawn as though the viewer can see through to the skeletal structure of the animal and its entrails. p 220 "Spirit and Art: Pictures of the Transformation of Consciousness," by Van James 2002 Steiner Books
Xray painting is not only widely known of Aboriginal Australian art but it is also common to other tribal cultures.
The images are more spiritual than simply being useful pictures created by hunters. Although the nomads would certainly have opportunity to become familiar with the inside of animals that they regularly carved, the art is thought to be more "essentially spiritual" than this. Van James indicates that early tribal cultures could see phenomenon much more deeply than contemporary people who merely relate to the outer exterior of objects.
The stories of aboriginal people, like the one related on page 201, talk about the dreamtime and the creation of the world. It is thought that xray, line art drawings were a way of recording creation stories.
The drawings may be of even greater spiritual significance. Tradition would have them "produced only in part by the living," as the spirit of the deceased and the dreamtime gods were said to assist in the creation of the artwork. In this way messages of spirits from the dead were channelled through the living.
To show an example of what is meant by this van James shows older, simpler spirit drawings called "MIMI." The spirit are said to have left their images on the rocks as they "melted into them." fig 263 page 202 Google Books
Explore further examples of xray, line art on page 201 (figures 262 and 263) of the same text and then try this class exercise from Enchanted Learning
Xray painting is not only widely known of Aboriginal Australian art but it is also common to other tribal cultures.
The images are more spiritual than simply being useful pictures created by hunters. Although the nomads would certainly have opportunity to become familiar with the inside of animals that they regularly carved, the art is thought to be more "essentially spiritual" than this. Van James indicates that early tribal cultures could see phenomenon much more deeply than contemporary people who merely relate to the outer exterior of objects.
The stories of aboriginal people, like the one related on page 201, talk about the dreamtime and the creation of the world. It is thought that xray, line art drawings were a way of recording creation stories.
The drawings may be of even greater spiritual significance. Tradition would have them "produced only in part by the living," as the spirit of the deceased and the dreamtime gods were said to assist in the creation of the artwork. In this way messages of spirits from the dead were channelled through the living.
To show an example of what is meant by this van James shows older, simpler spirit drawings called "MIMI." The spirit are said to have left their images on the rocks as they "melted into them." fig 263 page 202 Google Books
Explore further examples of xray, line art on page 201 (figures 262 and 263) of the same text and then try this class exercise from Enchanted Learning
Easter Rap Lesson Literacy Booster
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
This literacy lesson capitalises on the fun and humour of the famous Easter Bunny Rap. Students can learn how to spell Easter and dance as they learn how to write Rap.
This simple humerous animation of an Easter Bunny rapping can be the focus of fun and laughter in the classroom. The rabbit parodies "Rapper's Delight"!? while clearly spelling out the word Easter to the hip hop beat.
Integrate Dance, Music, Literacy and Art into your lessons by using the resource in a variety of ways.
If you can suggest other ways this animation could be used as a class resource, please post to the discussion.
Integrate Dance, Music, Literacy and Art into your lessons by using the resource in a variety of ways.
- Draw student attention to the clever play on words and sounds
- Play with the catchyness of the music. Encourage the students to hum, strum or drum along
- Invite the students to make up their own spelling rap. They could take their rap to a lower aged classroom and be the teacher for a while. This approach could become a great way to start a spelling tradition
- While the rap is playing have the children draw chickens and rabbits. Have them design a card from the cartoons they create. Have the students send a card with the eCard function.
- In the Modern Dance Research Assignment, student groups are encouraged to choreograph a small skit. This animation might enthuse the students with an injection of fun.
- As part of the same research assignment, students are expected to write their own lyrics. Easter Bunny Rap can act as an example.
If you can suggest other ways this animation could be used as a class resource, please post to the discussion.
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
This online dance lesson is easy to access at no cost. By watching and copying students learn to dance a famous Hip Hop Line Dance called the "Bunny Hop".
Open this Hip Hop dance lesson featured on Yahoo Videos.com in another tab. You will have time to read this article before it is fully loaded. The dance instruction video is called "Dance Lesson - Hip Hop-Bunny Hop." It is an ideal resource for teachers who want to incorporate dance into their "Lead Up to Easter " units of creative arts activities.
The Bunny Hop is a repetetive line dance.
If you like teaching dance this way, or, if you are an enthusiastic student and the style of learning suites you, the site offers a variety of options. We would love to hear about your experience!
The Bunny Hop is a repetetive line dance.
- The video has an instructional break down of the simple step formation.
- The routine is gradually 'worked up.'
- Finally, the viewers are able to see the dance performed smoothly and rhythmically by dancer Louisa Bramlett.
- The routine consists of two sets of eight, and the dancers hop in a square.
- Play the video several times allowing the students to become accustomed to the style of instruction.
- As they watch, participants will get some idea of the eventual look and feel of the dance.
- When they are ready to learn, continually replay the video until the students are coordinated.
If you like teaching dance this way, or, if you are an enthusiastic student and the style of learning suites you, the site offers a variety of options. We would love to hear about your experience!
Posted by
Jo Murphy
Jo Murphy
In the context of a large Easter Project, challenge students to find out how to draw a bunny. From these drawings make a large cutout bunny and some smaller Easter Cards
This article "How to Make a Huge Easter Bouquet " inspires and guides students as they create a composition from a collage of hand drawn Easter images.
If you choose to do this project, you will need to make some strategic decisions about how you would like the project to turn out. Do you want the central character of the composition to look realistic or would you prefer it to be very funny and cartoon like?
This step-by-step instruction called "How to Draw a Bunny" is from www.cartooncritters.com. The artist uses a variety of guidelines to show you how to shape a cartoon rabbit. A simple search of Google will turn up a host of drawing sites that will show students ways to teach themselves to draw bunnies.
This instructional video by Jan Brett is also a wonderful resource for teaching young people how to draw a real animal from life. Places like www.Utube.com will turn up instructional videos, if you do a simple search through their search engine.
If you can’t decide how you want the bunny to look - why not set a challenge to your students? Ask them to find an instructional site so that they can teach themselves how to draw a bunny. Once they feel confident, ask them to teach this method to at least one other student in the class.
Arrange an exhibition of bunnies and bring in an independent judge to select the one to be central character in your Easter Backdrop.
Put the other bunnies to good use as Easter Cards, by means of a simple cut and paste on to a folded piece of coloured card. Place them around the Easter Display and retrieve them before the holiday to send to a special friend.
If you choose to do this project, you will need to make some strategic decisions about how you would like the project to turn out. Do you want the central character of the composition to look realistic or would you prefer it to be very funny and cartoon like?
This step-by-step instruction called "How to Draw a Bunny" is from www.cartooncritters.com. The artist uses a variety of guidelines to show you how to shape a cartoon rabbit. A simple search of Google will turn up a host of drawing sites that will show students ways to teach themselves to draw bunnies.
This instructional video by Jan Brett is also a wonderful resource for teaching young people how to draw a real animal from life. Places like www.Utube.com will turn up instructional videos, if you do a simple search through their search engine.
If you can’t decide how you want the bunny to look - why not set a challenge to your students? Ask them to find an instructional site so that they can teach themselves how to draw a bunny. Once they feel confident, ask them to teach this method to at least one other student in the class.
Arrange an exhibition of bunnies and bring in an independent judge to select the one to be central character in your Easter Backdrop.
Put the other bunnies to good use as Easter Cards, by means of a simple cut and paste on to a folded piece of coloured card. Place them around the Easter Display and retrieve them before the holiday to send to a special friend.
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