Saturday, January 21, 2012

Tribute letters

My students have completed their papier mache letters. When I ask my students at the conclusion of the course, which art projects they enjoyed the most every single time this project is named. I think the students both like the personal connection of designing a letter for someone as well as the physical process of using papier mache. For me, this project marks a turning point in the course; this is their first fully sculptural project and the first project where they are in charge of making many of the design choices. One thing I enjoy about teaching art is giving the kids a safe place to make choices, experiment and sometimes fail. Sometimes a student comes up with a great design or idea that pushes their limits but it simply does not turn out-- perhaps because it was over ambitious or because they lack the skills required to make it or because they do not yet understand the limits of the materials. From these experiments/failures students learn so many lessons about making art and the importance of persistance. There were some disasters but even more successes. Here are a few of my favorite projects.

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