Mask Making

Art 2 Plaster Masks

Students are allowed but not required to use forms to create their masks. They must cut or add onto the basic form (not just paint). I'm thinking about bringing this project back for my crafts class.

5 ideas for Jewelry making in the high school art room

One of the units in my contemporary crafts class is a jewelry making. 

In the past this has included basic cold connections and polymer clay.

Last year, during our hybrid learning, we leaned heavily into recycled materials and many students created pieces using macrame and magazine beads. 

This year, we changed it up again with the addition of our dremel digi-lab lasercutter and engraver.

Students followed a workshop format as they tried each method at least once before designing and creating an original piece.

 

I was surprised that we had an even split of those who wanted to use technology, and those who favored a more traditional approach.

Looking to incorporate jewelry making in your class without a major investment? Here are five easy methods.:

1. Magazine Beads

2. Polymer Clay Jewelry

3. Cabochon (pendant) wraps

4. Macrame

5. Popsicle Bracelets

Rust Printed Flags

It's been amazing to return to the high school level this year and revisit some of my favorite lessons. This year's first batch of rust printed banners does not disappoint. I believe this is the first student to ever change the banner shape. 

This lesson was designed for a high school contemporary art course. Students meet alternating days for 1 semester in a block format. There is no prerequisite. Here's more info on our class. 

Original post on rust printing here.

Contemporary Crafts

I've been seeing lots of posts looking for help with teaching crafts classes. I've been typing out the same couple of responses to each then decided to post it here to more easily share with pictures.

Sometime around 2008 I inherited our school's "contemporary crafts" class from a retiring teacher. I didn't really know what that would include (a blessing and a curse) so I went to the local book store and found some great magazines. One of my favorites for inspiration was American Craft. I also purchased DVD's of the pbs series Craft in America (And now your sub plans for this class are done!)

I'll be honest. Teaching elementary for the past 8 years has gotten me out of the zone, so I'm also looking for fresh ideas this summer as I return to the high school this fall to teach that course again.

There are two basic approaches. There is teach a technique or design for an end product. I did technique. My predecessor did end product (everyone design a chair, birdhouse, etc using any media). Here are a list of ideas of things I think qualify as "craft" and are able to be taught in a high school art classroom. One last disclaimer: we have a strong ceramics program, so we don't do traditional ceramics in this course.

• Mosaics
• Jewelry Making (we used wire wrapping, magazine beads and polymer clay)
• Felted Beads 
• Weaving (Loom)
• Weaving (Non-Loom: Macrame, Knotting, Coiling)
• Stitching
• Papermaking, Paper Casting, Pulp Painting
• Altered Books
• Beadmaking (polymer clay ) and magazine beads
• Sculpting with found objects or multiples
• Rust Printing (we make identity flags/banners)
• Mask Making
• Magazine Bowls
• Advanced Origami (design ideation, creating your own pattern)
• Scherenschnitte, Kirigami, papel picado (cultural paper cutting)
• Starched String & Fabric Sculptures
• Paper Marbling
• Felting (Wet Felting & Needle Felting)

Things I didn't try but that would work:

• Fabric Dying / Batik
• Wood and.or Soap Carving
• Beading
• Papier Mache
• Quilling
• Crochet

One of the things I love about this course is that it can be the "catch all" for any of the new interesting things you want to try. For example when I heard about the Holocaust Museum's Butterfly Project, it was easy to slip that experience into this course. I ordered a teaching tolerance kit and students chose their media following the museum's call for artwork guidelines. A wonderful example of how artists really work. Other classes are much more rigidly defined by elements and principles of art or your art history. 

Rust Printed Identity Banners

High school students will love connecting to science when the results are this beautiful. Let them explore oxidation with this multi-session rust printing lesson. Art history connections also included. My students made practice banners and used ink, watercolor and stitching to embellish their ideas. If you value process over product, this is a great idea for high school. There was a high success rate for artists of varying skills, abilities and interests.

If this looks like something your students would enjoy, you can save yourself time. Check out my lesson plan, powerpoint and support materials. 

Polymer Clay for High School Students

This polymer clay lesson was a favorite among my high school contemporary crafts class. Students were highly engaged makers throughout. I don't know if the reality based shows such as project runway had anything to do with the success, but the students loved making something high end from an inexpensive craft. I guess we all do. Original post here.

If you'd like to jump into polymer clay with high school, try this lesson.