hi leah,
i know someone who has painted modeling clay sculptures with elmer's
glue (couple of coats) and it dries quite hard. but i allow kdgs to
take home modeling clay sculptures just like they are. and then i have
a dish pan full of clay and craft sticks which the kids can use after
they are finished with there regular work... that has to go back in the
bin at the end of class, so that they can play with it another day.
i used to be able to make the india ink work on crayon with ivory
liquid added to it. however ivory now makes their liquid soap clear and
it doesn't work anymore. i was thinking maybe ivory flakes would do it
but haven't tried it. i'll be interested to learn if someone has a
solution to this. btw, the addition of soap made clean up a lot easier
too.
repoussé... embossing in metal foil. i have kids draw a design on a
sheet of newsprint the same size as the foil they will get. they use a
marker to do this so that they don't get so intricate a design that it
would be impossible to work in the foil. when the design is finished
and approved, they tape it to the foil. the tools i have them use are
tongue depressors clipped in half on a diagonal with a garden clippers.
sand the cut edge a little to smooth it. this makes a pretty handy
tool.... can use the point, the short side, and the curved end for
different effects. place the foil w/ newsprint taped on it on top of a
thick pad of newspaper and trace over the design using a dull pencil.
this will emboss the design into the foil. then remove the newsprint
design and work the foil some more. the proper terms are "bossing"
(pushing out from the back side) and "chasing" (pushing in from the
front side). you can really get a nice relief by working both sides so
a figure and ground are developed. permanent markers work on the foil.
also there are ways to patina the metal although you would have to be
careful with toxicity of some of those products. i usually use 6"x9"
pieces of foil, leave them uncolored and mount them on black poster
boards for display. there are great art historical connections with the
metalwork of pre-columbian cultures (inca, etc) and modern mexican folk
art.
linda in michigan
On Jan 17, 2006, at 7:03 PM, leah rachlis wrote:
> and a few other things...
>
> Hi All,
>
> I've been lurking for most of last semester, trying to keep my
> negativity to myself - but I am back with a slightly improved
> attitude, and a little more enthusiasm.
>
> Last semester was AWFUL, from day one, I was so unprepared. Thanks to
> many of you, I had a few days worth of warms ups, after my mom died to
> get the semester started with, and I did get my act together to some
> degree, but I spent all semester feeling as though I was one step
> behind every step of the way.
>
> So, that's over with.
>
> I spent winter break giving my art room a much needed purge, and found
> some things I not only didn't know I had, but am not too sure what to
> do with - so - I am looking for suggestions. On some of these it is
> not that I don't have lessons, but I have been unsuccessful with the
> media and I am hoping someone out there has some tips and tricks for
> me:
>
> such as:
>
> non-drying modeling clay... how do you explain to itty bitties that
> they can play with it, but not keep it? OR is there someway to do
> something with it that will give it permanence? I tired coating with
> an acrylic clear coat- that just made a mess... any thoughts? I have a
> few pounds of brightly colored bricks of modeling clay.
>
> and:
>
> Sheets of metal, for decorating, with a dull nib... then draws on with
> permanent markers? I ve seen finished pieces, but never directions -
> or background.
>
> AND - my deepest secret- scratch board:
>
> 1st, I've heard tell, that you can make your own with crayons covered
> with India ink, but I have yet to succeed at that , (I tried putting
> plaster powder over the coloring- that made a mess... ) and I have
> some store bought boards, and stylists - and they DO NOT WORK.... I
> can not get them to work, it just trashes the surfaces - I suspect I
> am doing something terribly wrong, and do feel pretty foolish - But I
> am confident someone out there will set me straight!
>
> Now to the exciting part:
>
>
> In my spare time, I have somehow completed more than 2/3rds of my
> course work for my Masters Degree (it's not that I learned a great
> deal about specific art projects- it is more that I learned where to
> go and when to ask for help).
>
> AND - for my Elementary Methods class, I need to interview art
> teachers from schools with varying socio-economic populations. So I
> am looking for some of you who might spare me a few of their precious
> moments (probably on the weekend) where I would call you and pick your
> brain for about 20 minutes. I world really appreciated it.
>
> oh - as far as varying socio-economic backgrounds go, I teach at a
> (nearly broke) charter school, with a very diverse population, so even
> a pretty poor traditional district school is varied from ours, and I
> guess we'd be considered at least URBAN, if not inner city. While it
> is not the Bronx, or East L.A., we are the second biggest city in
> Colorado, and I am deep in the heart of "Downtown!"
>
> Thanks ALL!
>
> Leah in Colorado
>
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