mobiles on a wire
yesterday’s k.t. blue art class had us hanging from the rafters! our featured artist was alexander calder (or “sonny” as he liked to be called…who knew?). other little known facts about sonny…he created his first sculpture at the age of 4, he worked for a toy manufacturer when he was young and now you can see those toys on display in a museum in Massachusetts, and he used to make jewelry for his sister’s dolls out of wire he found on the street outside of his house. we discussed calder’s use of different materials in his mobiles as well as his “stabiles” which were rooted to the ground but nevertheless featured movable parts.
to create our own mobiles (and because the spirit of the holidays was thick in the air seeing as it was the last day of school for all of the kids in the class) we made holiday mobiles. i rigged two blue plastic hangers together with silvery wire to make a star-like foundation for the mobile. i strung a piece of string from one end of the classroom to the other so the mobiles could be hanging which the children worked on them. then, the children were free to create their own vision of a holiday mobile from paper, tinsel, victorian santa cut-outs, shiny beads and snowflakes. some children opted to create a “wish mobile” in which they would attach little pieces of paper with their christmas wishes on them, i.e “dog”, “cookies” and, for one delightful child “kimodo dragon.” (mom, are you listening?)
more mobiles
the finished products were delightful and creative and festive. i’m really looking forward to putting together next years’ syllabus and incorporating some classic craft projects in as well, i.e. learning about native american basket weaving, victorian decoupage, etc.
before i forget, thank you to all of the children who have been this years’ k.t. blue art classes so fun and happy and whimsical and fulfilling. you are all my favorite artists…
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