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Leadership FL Conservation Literacy

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Puppets Inspired by Dr. Seuss (Multicultural Lesson)


Puppeteer Liz Ebanks with her cat and latest paper sculpted puppet creation.
Liz Ebanks ©2012

Puppets Inspired by Dr. Seuss
Multicultural Lesson

Written by: Liz Ebanks
National Art Teacher Award Recipient


"WILL YOU SUCCEED? YES, YOU WILL INDEED.
(98¾% GUARANTEED.)"-Dr. Seuss

"Cat Out of the Bag"
Photo and Puppet: Liz Ebanks ©2012

I love how this teacher demo came together
because, of all the laughs and fond memories
my puppet brought to the stage. 
Inspiration: The loss of a family pet
Welcome back.  Today, I have a very special lesson for you DIY fans that will empower puppeteers of all ages through dramatic play to share in the fun.  Your going to love this art project design team because, its filled with family fun.  My creative solution to introducing cultural diversity and tolerance centers on breaking color barriers for kids in the art studio.  Together we will create the wow factor by putting these wacky puppets together utilizing inexpensive heavy weight 100% recycled construction paper in eight colors.  Now you can create a one of a kind puppet by exploring texture with these insider secrets to rolling, tearing, and cutting paper. Together we will explore the puppet workshop with my step-by-step Teacher Demos.

Join my art students in the gallery to discover how they tackled diversity with teamwork and respect at this link to 
"Kid's Puppet Exhibit:"
http://www.artsonia.com/museum/gallery.asp?exhibit=510010

Thank you, for joining me on my last blog post entitled,
"DIY Oragami Paper Crafts with Collage Paper:" http://lizebanksartgallery.blogspot.com/2012/03/origami-boxes-with-collage-paper.html

Now, let's get started thinking outside of the box with our fun and easy colorful puppets.  I can't wait to see what you come up with so join me on facebook to share your puppet.

AS COMMUNITY LEADERS IN TOLERANCE:
Young papercrafters will model puppets in the style of one of the Greatest Children's Book Illustrators and Authors Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel.) Simulate Seuss Sculptures best known as Unorthodoxed Taxidermy during their puppet-making adventure. Gain an understanding of the relationship between different cultures use of puppets and their visual arts. Develop group skills, working together in buddy pairs and small groups based on abilities to assemble wildly wacky multi-colored puppets. Puppeteers will explore: subtraction, substitution, addition, and manipulation. Practice reading out loud "Oh The Places You'll Go" while sharing their handcrafted puppets with the community. Practice writing captions and creating background scenery for their Puppet Theater at the Carrollwood Cultural Center. Through dramatic play the entertainers will make friends in all colors and share their stories. This talented cast of characters will explore tolerance and cultural diversity preparing them for success in the workforce. The puppeters will discuss what makes them special that will help them succeed in the future.
 
DESCRIPTION: By acquiring knowledge of historical and cultural qualities unique to this particular art form students can gain an understanding of how Puppetry reflects a part of Chinese History. Students will design and assemble the armature for a Paper Hand Puppet for their Theater Production. During this process they will also compose and edit captions for their puppets to add to their handcrafted stage backgrounds. The students will be lead through a discussion about "Oh The Places You'll Go" and the Seuss Sculptures. In addition, the puppeteers will take turns reading out loud about how they can succeed from the book.
 
PUPPET SUPPLIES:  
Glue Sticks
Bottles of Glue (work best for attaching eyes)
Heavy Weight Construction Paper in Assorted Colors (No Flesh Tones)
Safety Scissor variety pack (include Lefties)
Pencils
Optional Clothesline and Clothespins to hang artwork
BACKGROUND SCENERY SUPPLIES:
White Drawing Paper
Pastels
Markers
Pencils
Rubber Alligator
Acrylic Paint
Paint Brushes
Water and Cup
Newspaper
Safety Scissors
Glue Sticks

BY STEP TEACHER DEMO
BUILDING THE PUPPET'S ARMATURE (BODY)
1. Puppeters will select a sheet of 8.5" X 11" heavy weight construction paper in their favorite color for the body of the puppet.
Teacher Demo
Puppet Armature
Liz Ebanks ©2012







2. Next, the young puppet designers will fold the construction paper into thirds lengthwise. Being careful to premeasure the width of the puppet's body to be large enough to accommodate the size of their hand to approximate their folds. ( Young children may wish to insert their hand inside the puppet's body to bring it to life.)

3. Create a 1/4 inch seam on the back of the paper that overlaps with a flap.

4. Now, seal the left flap to the right panels edge with the glue stick. Pocket measures11" X 3.5"













5.  While the seam is drying on the new long sleeve  participants will crease the sleeve across the width into quarters.  This will divide the armature of the puppet into approximately 3" x 3.5" sections.



6. Check to make sure the puppet body folds transform the paper into the shape of the letter "M." The "M" shape can be seen if the children place the body armature (sleeve) up on its side.





7. Assign which folded section will become the head, roof of mouth, jaw, and neck. The seam will be on the backside of the puppet.












8. Create ears from triangular pieces of paper. 







9. Attach the ears and mane to the back of the puppet.










 






"Missing You"
Photo and Puppet: Liz Ebanks ©2012
DESIGNING 3-D EYES
1. Artists will draw a round, circle or oval on a different color of paper with a pencil.

2. The participants will cut out the round forms.

Note: Expressive eyes do not have to be exactly the same size or shape.

3. Slice into each cut circle making one linear cut.


4. Using the glue stick create a cone shape out of the round form. Guide the students to design a flap and seam on each round form to paste together. This is how students transform a flat round eye into a cone to hold the puppet's iris.

5. Cut out and glue the puppet's iris into the cone. This is best done in a different color. Remember, each eye can be a unique shape and size.

6. Attach the eyes with a bottle of glue more easily than with paste to the top folded part of the puppet.




HAIR:  Students will explore tearing, curling, cutting, ripping, and wadding up paper to create different hair textures for their puppet


CAPTIONS: The entertainers will select one word from the class word cloud to include in composing a short sentence for their caption. The diverse learners will identify and recognize a vocabulary word appropriate to their reading level. Completed captions will be attached to background scenes for the Puppet Theater.

If you enjoyed this post you may like this link to my "Puppets Inspired by Dr. Seuss" Discussion Questions: (Check back)


As a National Art Teacher Award Recipient, my classes are perfect for camps, birthdays, schools, and special events. For more information on registering for my Award Winning Art Workshops- Tampa. Email: Liz@RescueTeam.com
"Miss Independence"
Custom Painted Stilettos
Liz Ebanks ©2012
Email: Liz@RescueTeam.com




Thanks, for joining us in the Upcycling Studio where we give new life and repurpose objects in new ways through art. By Upcycling we reduce waste headed to the redemption center and trim supply costs. As artists we focus on community involvement in fostering the growth of the ecosystem.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

DIY Origami Paper Crafts with Collage Paper

 
Paper Folders created Origami Boxes out of Collage Paper.
Teacher Demo
Liz Ebanks ©2012

Written by: Liz Ebanks
National Art Teacher Award Recipient

Volunteer Museum Educator

Xie xie in pinyin or thank you in Mandarin, for joining me at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in Tampa, Florida. Xie xie in pinyin is pronounced 'sheh sheh'.  We all  had so much fun at the Children's Activities Tent creating these simple Origami Boxes. Children of all ages connected to the Tampa Museum of Art Exhibit featuring Romare Bearden's Collages through this fabulous hands-on art activity.

Origami has its cultural roots as a Chinese Tradition of folding scraps of paper.
Origami Star Box Template
Photo: Liz Ebanks ©2012



Discover more about Origami History at these links: 


According to Wikipedia, the word "Origami is a compound Japanese word meaning to _______  _________."

 The kids loved designing their own collages.  

 




Left:  The Triangular Origami Box 
 Water Lotus Design
Right:  Origami Star Box
Teacher Demos
 Created by: Liz Ebanks©2012




   The Origami Star Box    Template
was the most popular with the kids as a change purse. Whereas, the larger Origami Triangular Box is the perfect size as a gift box for candy with the bold "Water Lotus" graphic design.


 
 




I challenged students to identify Bruce Holwerda's surreal portrait that I incorporated into my "Water Lotus Collection" Origami Box Teacher Demo.  
Holwerda's design won the Gasparilla Arts Festival T-shirt and Poster Contest.

Check out this link to Holwerda's webpage:



The children discovered how to create pattern and rhythm while exploring collage on the back of the Origami Template. 


Children created collages filled with patterns, line, and color.
              The collages became decorative paper to
                          fold into Origami Boxes.
                         
                         Photo by: Liz Ebanks ©2012

The young paper masters created their own decorative paper out of magazine images to fold into Origami.  Each collage looked like an abstract stained glass window.



Photo by: Liz Ebanks ©2012

 
 TIP:  Glue Sticks created a smooth ripple free collage with quick clean up with baby wipes.











Teacher Collage Demo
 Photo: Liz Ebanks ©2012



 Can you draw Romare Bearden's Collage onto my Teacher Demo? Bearden as an African American Artist, is best known for his collages of life in the South.  

Bearden's collage exhibit entitled, Southern Recollections at the Tampa Museum of Art. 
Cubism and Diego Riveria's murals influenced him in developing his own style.  Successfully, he merged photocopies, photographs, and painting to Establish Emphasis to focus the viewer's attention parts within each collage. 



Photo by: Liz Ebanks ©2012

When students shifted their focus from subject to abstracting color and pattern they experimented with Bearden's collage technique to create Visual Textures.  Meaning light reflects differently off surfaces within each collage.  Bearden contrasted the reflective light from glossy photo clippings against the matte finish of photocopy textures in grayscale.
Students flipped over the collage to cut
out the Origami Star Box Template.
Teacher Demo
 Liz Ebanks ©2012
Themes in Bearden's Artwork:
Trains
Cats
Families
Musicians


List a few more themes in Bearden's Collages:

___________,  ___________,  ____________,  _____________
Find the answers at this link:
http://www.tampamuseum.org/sites/tampamuseum.org/files/Romare%20Bearden%20Family%20Guide%20lores_0.pdf













I invite you to learn more about the Romare Bearden's Exhibit by clicking on this link to the Tampa Museum of Art.


Bearden's Southern Series are characterized by  ______colors, _______ perspective, highly stylized compositions. 


This is why I encouraged students to create the collage on the back of the Origami template.  However, Origami is the Chinese Art of paper folding to create decorative pieces.  Romare embraced the timeless quality of Chinese Art Traditions. 




"Stained Glass Collection"
Origami Teacher Demo
 Liz Ebanks ©2012


 See how the same collage was transformed when used for Origami on the smaller Star Box on the right in my "Stained Glass Collection."  Students were surprised that they could no longer recognize Romare Bearden's portrait. Participants repurposed the discarded magazines to create inexpensive decorative paper.  They explored collage.  Historically, only the rich were able to afford decorative paper in Japan.  Therefore, paper was used exclusively for ceremonies and celebrations




"The Lorax Upcycled  Origami Triangular  Box"
Liz Ebanks ©2012

All the young artists were thrilled to see how I Upcycled the Lorax's picture and T.W Curtis painting onto the larger Origami box.  I was inspired to celebrate the release of the Lorax in the movie theaters.

Can you find the Lorax? 

Students discovered when they repurposed magazine images they not only recycle they Upcycle.  This reduces landfill waste and reduces supply costs in the art classroom. 

"Fiery Origami Triangular Box"
Teacher Demo
 Liz Ebanks ©2012


It was so much fun repurposing a fiery painting from my sketchbook to create a large Origami box.  
Thank you, for showing your support.


As a National Art Teacher Award Recipient, my classes are perfect for camps, birthdays, schools, and special events. For more information on registering for my Award Winning Art Workshops- Tampa.



"Miss Independence"
Custom Painted Stilettos
Liz Ebanks ©2012

 

 

Thanks, for joining us in the Upcycling Studio where we give new life and repurpose objects in new ways through art. By Upcycling we reduce waste headed to the redemption center and trim supply costs. As artists we focus on community involvement in fostering the growth of the ecosystem.