3D Art Lab for Kids. 32 Hands-on Adventures in Sculpture and Mixed Media - Including fun projects...

427 Pages·2013·51.82 MB·English

by  Susan Schwake

3-D ART LAB FOR KIDS
32 HANDS-ON ADVENTURES IN SCULPTURE AND
MIXED MEDIA
Susan Schwake
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
RAINER SCHWAKE
CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter 1: Setting Up
Chapter 2: Tools of the Trade
Chapter 3: Paper: Transformed
Rain Sticks
Paper Masks
Paper Bead Figures
Stick-Bound Sketchbook
Cardboard Relief Painting
Rolled Paper Relief
Artist Visit: Potter Jane Kaufmann
Chapter 4: Clay Play
Pinch Pots
Mood Masks
Textures, Stamps, and Tiles
Finger Puppets
Shakers and Rattles
Wall Pockets
Pinch Pot Birds
Artist Visit: Sculptor Megan Bogonovich
Chapter 5: Textiles
Soft Sculpture
Nature Weaving
Woven Wall Hanging
Stitched Landscape
Frozen Jute Sculpture
Branch Wrapping
Chapter 6: Sculpture
Jumbo Masks
2-D Meets 3-D
Plaster Relief
Paper Merpeople
Tiny Paper Animals
Plaster Assemblage
Little Worlds
Poetry Box
Artist Visit: Metal Sculptor Adam Pearson
Chapter 7: Jewelry
Paper Bead Necklace
Modern Cameo Pin
Pop Art Earrings
Clay Bead Necklace
Memory Wire Bracelet
Artist Visit: Jeweler Jane Eslinger
Resources for Materials
Contributing Artists
About the Author
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
This book is all about making art that pops out, stands up, swings
from the ceiling, or makes you walk around it. My first real encounter
with 3-D art was in a 3-D art and design class in college. My
professor gave us our first assignment with paper. It was to take a flat
piece of paper and make it into a sphere. I was a freshman and easily
daunted—but this assignment rocked my world! (It also introduced
me to the art of origami.)
Since that class, and other 3-D media courses I took in college, I have
had the privilege to hone my 3-D skills under the guidance of some
incredible artists and instructors. I transformed some of these
experiences into lessons for my students and am pleased to share
some of them inside these pages. It is my sincere hope that this book
will inspire you to try your hand at making three-dimensional art and
nurture that part of yourself that longs to mold material into your
dream object.
Over the past twenty years of teaching, these lessons have emerged as
the ones my students are “most likely to enjoy.” Each lesson is
inspired by an artist’s work and meant to encourage each person’s
own style. In our gallery, I curate ten exhibits a year with groups of
contemporary artists. My students view the work on a weekly basis in
their classes. Along with these exhibits, my students are introduced to
a broad range of art through books, slides, posters, and the Internet.
However, nothing can replace seeing the actual artwork. I recommend
visiting a local gallery or museum because walking around a piece of
artwork or seeing a tapestry on the wall can be life changing.

1 SETTING UP
This book is for anyone interested in making art in 3-D, either with
someone else or alone. There are so many materials, both found and
specialty, that are perfect for art making in the round. The main point
of this book is to inspire you to find new ways to use these materials
and to make these lessons your own.
Taking a risk is part of working three-dimensionally. It’s always a
little tougher to get your art to stand up or stick out or hang from a
ceiling. Go out on a limb and try your idea! It may not work the very
first time, but with a little patience and a second try, it can be the best
thing you have ever done. In this chapter, I outline what you will need
to set up a studio and some ideas for working with others.