In this project, The Buckeyes, a 6-8th grade class at Oak Hill School, made figurative sculptures. These students have autism and related developmental differences, so the key to a successful project is breaking everything down into small steps.
Session 1: Our young artists modeled human figures out of pipe cleaners, and then covered the wire with aluminum foil. They then posed the figures and attached them to small cardboard boxes.
Session 2&3: The artists covered their figures in two layers of paper mache, letting each layer dry completely before adding another.
Session 4: We practiced mixing several different color combinations to make skin tones. The artists then chose their favorite mix, and painted their figure with that all-over color.
Session 5: The artists “dressed” their figures by tearing decorative and crepe papers, and then gluing the pieces on.
The artists used a variety of skills and new techniques, working their fine motor skills.This fun project resulted in very expressive, unique sculptures!
