Weather or Not...
Make a weather mood collage using colorful papers you create yourself using cool new mixed media techniques and your favorite Crayola® supplies.
1. Look at different weather conditions in your own environment, and in books, photographs, and videos. What do you notice about the appearance of the sun in each kind of weather? How do the clouds change? How does the wind play a role in how weather feels? What forms does water come in for different kinds of weather?
2. Discover how artists depict weather. Some to study include: Charles Burchfield's September Wind and Rain, Katsushika Hokusai's A Shower Below the Summit, Francisco de Goya's Spring (or The Flower Girls), Louisa Chase's Cloudburst, and Maurice Prendergast's Sunset and Sea Fog. How do artists use art materials and techniques to show weather moods? How does weather affect your mood?
3. Cover the work area with recycled newspaper. On watercolor paper, make a variety of papers to use for a Weather or Not collage. Try several of the media and techniques described here.
4. Press wet papers between the pages of a recycled telephone book. Dry thoroughly.
5. Choose one painted paper for the background. Cut with Crayola Scissors and tear pieces of other papers to make shapes for clouds and various weather elements.
6. Create more shapes for terrain, vegetation, buildings, and inhabitants which appear in the middle ground and foreground.
7. Glue the shapes to the background paper with Crayola School Glue.
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Crayola Washable Paints—Not for use as body/face paint.
Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.
Wood—By its nature, wood is rough and may contain splinters or sharp points
- Find other ways to use these watercolored papers: covers for books, cut into strips to weave (try alternating warm and cool colors), or use them to create additional collages, such as self-portraits.
- Keep charts or journals about the weather. Sketch cloud formations on different days. Watch how shadows change with the sun.
- Write a poem to accompany the Weather or Not collage.
- Younger children and special needs students may benefit from short sessions focusing on one technique at a time. Store children's dry designed papers in labeled grocery bags turned sideways and stacked flat until used for final collage artwork.
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