Saturday, May 21, 2011

The Gates of Hell

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The door to the 3D Art room was looking kind of dull. I decided to have the students create a relief sculpture on the door, based on Rodin's Gates of Hell. The medium would be paper-maché.


Rodin, Gates of Hell

After the class did some research in the computer lab, I had each student create an individual component to be attached to the door.

(click on images for a larger view)





At this point, they weren't very excited about the project. I knew what it could end up looking like, but I think they just couldn't visualize it very well. As we transitioned into our metal jewelry-making unit, they pretty much lost interest in the door.

After a while, I put the squeeze on a couple kids to paint it with primer. Now it was starting to look like something. Where it had been difficult to see with all of the newspaper showing, now we could really see what it looked like. Interest was renewed; a lot of people were stopping to look as they walked down the hall.



On to the final paint job. After a base coat of dark brown, bronze colored acrylic paint was applied. Voila!















I'm really pleased with how this project turned out. It lived up to what I had hoped for, and more! Congrats to my students for hitting a home run on this one.

Monday, May 16, 2011

AAW 10th Annual Spring Art Show

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(click on the image for a larger view)

Map and directions

Friday, May 13, 2011

Student Art: First Jewelry Projects



Teacher sample pieces

3D Art @ AAW has recently added metal jewelry-making to our program. To start with, students are learning to fasten pieces of sheet metal together with "cold connections". Skills involve the following: cutting with a jeweler's saw, making rivets and tube rivets, connecting with rivets, adding texture, making jump rings, and adding a surface patina using a solution of liver of sulphur. At this point we are using brass, copper, and nickel.

Assignment #1: riveting sample, connecting two pieces of sheet metal; texture, patina.


Kaitlyn Barnowski


Sarah May


Molly Jeffrey


Assignment #2: pendant using two layers of sheet metal, w/ hole in top piece of metal.


Emma Jeffrey


Molly Jeffrey


Madeline Toro


Lindsey Burcar


Sarah May


Caitlin DeMara