Art Ideas for Youth Librarians

Youth Librarians need a portfolio of art ideas at their disposal.  Normally there isn't a large budget for materials.  With just a little imagination and a few art supplies you can create a number of art projects.  Puppets from Paper Bags or Recylables are popular for storytelling groups.  This Marionette below is a good example of using recycled products to create terrific art projects.

Marionettes

Marionette from Recycled Objects

I created this Marionette from recycled materials several years ago.  It is easy!  It's inexpensive!
The head is created from a styrafoam ball attached to a styrafoam cup.
The hands are created from clear straws which are pushed through the
styrafoam cup.  The straws are cut into two separate pieces and attached
with brads.  Brads are also used to decorate the vest and shoes (paper
towel rolls cut to size).  They are also used to attach the straw legs.
Foam containers are cut and glued to the
straws to create the hands.  String is pulled through the 2 straws-
overlaid-and attached with a brad.  The overlaid straws form
a handle for the moving strings which manipulate the head and arms.
Scrape fabrics are used

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Peace Landscape

Materials Needed

2 sheets of construction paper (same color)

Black tempera or acrylic paint

Paint Brush, Round Bristle

(Paint Brush and Paint may be replaced with Black Calligraphy Pen)

Stick of Chalk

Glue

Sheet of Paper Towel

Optional:

Clean Toothbrush

Red Paint to Create Chop Signature

Instructions

1.  Trace outline of hand (not wrist) with chalk onto one piece of construction paper.

2.  Using your fingers tear the outline of the handprint.  Do not use scissors.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.  The rugged edges will represent the rough terrain of mountains and valleys.

3.  Glue the cut out face down onto the left hand side the clean unused piece of construction paper. 

4.  Next, using the wide side of the chalk lay it onto the edges of your cut out and sweep upward about l inch toward the top of the sheet.  You are creating a fog like effect.  Now do the same at the bottom edge of the cut out and sweep the chalk outward about l inch at the bottom edges of the cut out.  You are going to be creating a water like effect. 

5.  Take l sheet of paper towel and crumple it.  At the top edges where you have used chalk wipe the chalk upward a few times until it starts to look fog like.  Do the same at the bottom of the cut out but this time pull the chalk downward a few times with your paper towel until you get a water like effect.

6.  Dip your brush into the black paint.  Hold the brush vertical and slight stiff while at the same time create loose sweeping strokes.  Use the example to create motifs and also invent your own.

Optionally:  At this point you can dip your toothbrush into the black paint.  Hold the brush over the painting on the riht hand side.  Roll your thumb across the toothbrush to create fine drips over the landscape.  Practice this method before doing it.

7.  On the right hand side of the construction paper composition paint a Chinese Peace Symbol and write or stencil Peace in English.  You can also use other languages.  Chinese landscapes often had poetry or important thoughts incorporated into the landscapes.

8.  In traditional ancient Chinese Landscape the artist uses a chop or stamp with their artists name with red ink.  Participants can create their own artist name by using red paint and their brush.

9.  Display by placing a frame around the composition or by gluing on to a large sheet of black construction paper.  Compositions can also be folded in half to and glued to create a greeting card.

Need more art ideas?

http://www.artmuseums.com/octobernewsletter.htm

More art project ideas at Art Teacher on the Net  http://www.artmuseums.com/