Art Appreciation Project Antoni Gaudi – & Stepping Stones

*At least 4 volunteers are recommended for the projects – 2 for mosaic sculptures and 2 for the Stepping Stone.

I. MOSAIC SCULPTURES

PROJECT - Create your own mosaic with clay and glass .

SUPPLIES – will be on the Art Appreciation shelves unless otherwise noted.

1. AIR DRY CLAY – 2 blocks per class, 1 ball (approx. 2”) per child

2. CHIPBOARD – 1 piece per child

3. GLASS PIECES – 1 Dixie cup amount (approx. 20 pieces) per child *Bring bucket or bag of glass to class and prepare plates of glass for each child during presentation.

4. PLATES – 1 per child for glass pieces.

5. COOKIE CUTTERS – 2 -3 per table

6. WOODEN DOWELS – 2 - 3 per table

PROJECT STEPS

I. PLAN Present the art project and supplies before the children return to their seats. Also tell children about the Stepping Stone project that they will be making in addition to their clay . Show slide with mosaic examples and discuss the main elements and design features with the children – clay shapes/objects, mosaic design/art puzzle, and color.

II. CREATE SHAPE Start making basic shape with the clay. Children will start with a ball of clay on a piece of chipboard (please do not hand out clay until after Step I). Children can use wooden dowels to help roll out the clay and cookie cutters to make shapes or they can make other sculptural shapes without using any tools. *It is important that the clay is not rolled out too thin, so it does not break (should be around 1/8” thick).

III. DESIGN After the clay shape is complete, the children should proceed with designing their mosaics. They can make patterns with their mosaic pieces or just place the

1 pieces like a puzzle in any design they like. *It is important for the children to press their glass pieces into the clay and not just place them on top of the clay so the pieces don’t fall out when the clay dries.

Children should make sure to put their names on their chipboard and volunteers should put finished projects in a place to dry. Clay needs at least 24 hours to dry, so children should not take their projects home on the same day.

Volunteers should return all extra glass, paper plates, cookie cutters, dowels, and any other extra materials to the Art Shelves. *Extra clay should be sealed back in the plastic bags. There will be some ties available at the Art Shelves if needed.

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II. MOSAIC STEPPING STONE

PROJECT - Create a class stepping stone with cement, glass tiles and other objects brought in by students that will be placed in the Outdoor classroom.

*NOTE: NO CEMENT CAN BE WASHED DOWN THE SINKS!!!

SUPPLIES – will be on the Art Appreciation shelves unless otherwise noted.

1. STEPPING STONE KIT a. Stepping Stone Mix b. 12-inch plastic mold c. pieces d. Design sheet – *it is not necessary to use these design sheets. e. Wooden mixing paddle f. Wooden writing tool

2. EXTRA MOSAIC PIECES – brought in by children. Such items could include , glass beads or other strong, small decorative items.

3. LARGE PLASTIC BUCKET – to mix cement

4. MEASURING CUP

5. RUBBER GLOVES

6. *NEWSPAPER & ROLL OF PAPER TOWELS – We ask that volunteers bring in these items.

7. *OLD TOOTHBRUSH OR SCRUB BRUSH– We ask that volunteers bring in an old toothbrush or scrub brush for cleaning the glass after the stone dries. We will keep a few extra on the Art Shelves as well.

2 PROJECT STEPS

I. SET UP During the presentation or when children start their mosaic projects, two volunteers should prepare the stepping stone project. Volunteers should put newspaper down under the work space and wear gloves.

II. MIX CEMENT & PREPARE MOLD Place dry mix in bucket. *We strongly recommend opening the bag of mix in the bucket rather than pouring the mix into the bucket to minimize the spread of dust. Then stir in 2 cups of water at once and mix with paddle. Mixture should be consistency of cookie batter.

Pour mixture into the plastic mold and smooth surface with paddle. You can gently jiggle the mold to level out the surface.

(Note: Volunteers can review the instructions in the kit for extra guidance, if desired)

III. DECORATE STEPPING STONE When mold is ready, volunteers should invite 1 table at a time (4-5 children) to come over to place glass pieces into the cement. Children can also place items they brought from home. Each child should place around 5 pieces. Volunteers should make sure that pieces are pushed into the cement sufficiently.

*Children should wash hands immediately after they finish placing their pieces.

When mixture is a little firm (after around 30 minutes), class initials can be written on the stone with the writing tool. You may want to ask the teacher to do this.

IV. FINISHING STEPS The completed Stepping Stone should be left in the mold and put in a safe place in the classroom to dry. The stone will need at least 24 hours to dry before it can be removed from the mold.

After project is completed in class, please clean up and return the measuring cup and any extra glass to the Art Shelves. *WE CANNOT WASH ANYTHING WITH CEMENT DOWN THE SINKS AT SCHOOL, so any items with cement (buckets, paddle, etc.) will need to be thrown away or, if possible, taken home with a volunteer to clean and reuse themselvesJ

At least one volunteer needs to return to class after 24 hours to wash and remove the stone from the mold. Volunteers should wash the glass on the stone with a toothbrush or scrub brush, preferably in the Outdoor Classroom.

3 *The Outdoor Classroom is located along the Chatsworth Avenue side of the school between Forest Park Ave and the side entrance to the school. There should be a hose available there to access some water for cleaning. You should only need a small amount of water to clean the glass. The stones do not need to be hosed down.

The finished stones should be left along the fence in the Outdoor Classroom. The stones will all later be set in a pathway through the Outdoor Classroom for the whole school to enjoy!

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