Shoebox: Polymer Clay "Paintings", Nature Art Angels
Carol Duvall Show : Episode CDS-1609 -- More Projects » By Carol Duvall
There was a most unusual and very creative item in the Shoebox today, along with a letter from Toni Brody, an art teacher at Silver Hawk High School in Las Vegas, Nev. Toni sent photographs as well as a "live" example of one of the projects that her students in the elective art course have done. They first select a picture of a painting that they like. Some are photographs of famous works of art by Van Gogh or Matisse or Picasso, etc., while others might be a picture taken from a magazine. The picture is then placed on a tabletop with a piece of Plexiglas cut to size placed over it. The Plexiglas is then covered with a piece of plastic wrap, which is taped to the Plexiglas to hold it taut. It is on top of the plastic that the students go to work copying the piece of art, but instead of paint and brushes, they use polymer clay--so the finished piece is actually three dimensional. They use no tools other than a wooden skewer...no pasta machine, no cutting knives, no shape cutters. Their hands and the skewer are the only tools used. When the entire piece is completed, the teacher or two of the students take hold of the ends of the sheet of plastic wrap and place it on a cookie sheet, very carefully removing the plastic wrap as they do so. It's then placed into a 250 F degree oven for 30 minutes. The work of these students is quite remarkable. They sell some of their pieces, but only to earn money to buy more art materials for class.
An example of another most unusual art form was sent to us by Carol Rector of Tomball, Texas. Carol works with Mother Nature on her art pieces, selecting and using items that she finds in the large bags of potpourri available in many drug stores, discount stores and craft stores these days. To make her woodland angels and other creatures, Carol usually starts with a base that she describes as being an upside down flower-thing. At this point, she glue-guns stones and rocks to the base. Next step is to glue a mahogany pod to the base for the body; she then adds the head and arms. She tries to keep the glue from showing, but if any does, she sprinkles it with cinnamon to blend in. What a great tip! I noticed that the wings of many of her woodland creatures were made of milkweed pods. All of them were very charming and certainly unusual. Carol sells her work in the local Tomball arts and crafts store.
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