Grade 6 Garbage Sculpting

I love how many times I slip CRAZY into my art lessons. Go just a little bit CRAZY, make a CRAZY idea, create something that everyone else would think is CRAZY. Don't be hesitant with your paint, go CRAZY. Of course this works for me because of the demongraphic of my normal reserved, well educated cohort. Their young eyes show hesitancy as though saying, 'Are you sure we're allowed to be a little bit crazy?'

Anyway, in an attempt to bring a little craziness (and a dash of creativity) into the classroom. I sported my very own jacket, created from newspaper to the amusement of my grade 6 art class.

I have done a similar project to this back in Australia. The students really flourished under using garbage as fashion items. We even organised a catwalk; lots of fun, lots of creativity.

Anyway, the task today is to create one fashion item (must be a clothing item, not an accessory) in 40 minutes using only newspaper and their choice of sticky tape or glue.

I have one student that in every other class he is running off the wall but sweet all the same. He rose to the challenge and used his pent up energy to create, create, create. He completed a breastplate with straps by the end of the lesson but I was more impressed when he promptly informed me the next day that he had completed his entire suit of armour for homework. I don't know what his parents thought he was doing with all their newspapers but I was pretty excited that this young man was using his considerable energy for artistic expression.

More projects to come....