Kayla |
Experiencing Paper
from SchoolArts Magazine April 2016
by Karen Sellars
It’s not every day you are invited to attend a
workshop with an internationally known artist. Crystal
Wagner came to Southeast
Missouri State University to create an installation piece in their Crisp
Museum. While she was there, she offered a workshop for local art teachers on
new techniques for
working with paper. Wagner’s website contains photos of her
works both small and large. They are
colorful, large-scale “happy,” pieces of
art that you want to touch or to walk through. She is a very
skilled artist who
loves to explore new techniques and create new experiences.
Back in the Art Room
Since I was eager to include in my teaching
fresh ideas I had learning in the workshop and I knew my students loved
learning and experimenting with new techniques, I shared her techniques with my
students.
Step 1 |
After sharing her artworks with my
students, I gave each student a practice page of Manila paper and asked them to
each create a freeform drawing of loops, curls, edges, and flowing lines.
Scribbles wouldn’t work; they needed to draw lines that were “flowing,” like a
whimsical, moving path on paper.
Step 2 |
Next, they placed old magazines under their
paper (so as not to cut the tables) and used craft knives to cut out the freeform
shapes they drew.
Step 2 option |
They cut out the entire freeform drawing,
creating an interesting border to the cutouts.
Step 3 |
Next, students each chose three different
colors of construction paper. On each one they again made preliminary freeform
drawings. They then used the knives to cut out freeform shapes and patterns
from all three sheets. They also kept the background pieces that were cut out.
Step 4 |
Samantha |
Now the next challenge was to combine all three cut out
papers to make a three-dimensional form. Students had to figure out a way to
combine all three of their sheets and to make them stand up from a background
paper. I encouraged them to experiment with bending, cutting, and looping the
paper so that each sheet interacted. Students started playing around with the
possibilities on a background of poster board.
Kennasja |
On the poster board, they bent, twisted,
cut, folded, creased, curled and combined the papers in interesting shapes. They
glued down the places that needed “help” staying in place. If needed, paper clips
were used to hold papers together until the glue was dry. From time to time,
students turned the forms to view them from all angles to make sure each angle was
interesting. Leftover pieces were used to fill in empty spots or to connect bigger
pieces. Using only three colors helped to unify the sculptures.
Erika |
Reflections
I recommend that the teacher should make an
example piece beforehand, so that he/she can experience the challenge first and
be better able to explain and help the students with their work. After the
students got started with their papers, they needed little or no encouragement
from me. The results were projects that were miniature environments inviting
the viewer to travel into with their eyes. Students in other classes asked more
than once if the sculptures were meant to be playgrounds. In a case of
serendipity, they were.
Victoria |
Materials
· 12” x 18” colored construction paper, Manila paper, craft knives, old magazines (to use for cutting pads), glue, paper clips, scissors, pencils
Gavin |
Karen Sellars is an
art teacher in the North Pemiscot School District in Wardell, Missouri.
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