The Speckled Sink: Sneak Peek: Crayola Grant in Progress

My students have been busy learning all about contemporary artist Dale Chihuly this month. Applying for the Crayola grant allowed me to purchase the supplies I didn't inherit in two of my classrooms. To impact more students I decided to do the stained glass painting technique with 3rd grade and the seaform sculptures with 4th grade.

So far they have watched "Chihuly Outside." Notice their clipboards where they defined the words transparent and organic and noted favorite forms, locations and jotted down their opinion on placing art outdoors.

The next step was planning their paintings or sculptures. 3rd grade created contour line drawings from observation and then traced their drawings onto acetate with black sharpie marker. Next waterbased markers were applied to one side of the acetate and blended together with white acrylic.

Shells were left to dry then cut out during the next class. Details could be added to the opposite side with sharpie and retraced on the painted side. Students added a dab of gluestick to the smooth side and created a collaborative installation in our front windows.

The 4th grade began by sketching shells from three different perspectives.

This helped inform their knowledge of the shells and plan for working in 3D. Shells were created with model magic. We still have to apply the color during the next two weeks, but they are shaping up very nicely.