Tuesday, May 23, 2017

SAILING AWAY - Part 1

PAPER MACHE' SHIPS
project inspired by Ann Woods
BEGINNING 3-D ART
newspaper, starch, cardboard, muslin, dowels, string, scrap fabric, wood embellishments,
watercolor & acrylic paints, paper scraps for collage


Another school year is almost over 
and our seniors will be all sailing off in all different directions.
But before they do let's take a look at their and others vessels.

Like nationally known Mixed Media Artist Ann Woods builds her ships,
this is a repurpose assignment with not a lot of expense.
Most of the money went into purchasing the wood accoutrements:
dowels, beads, tiny pots, etc. 
We begin with Coach Milan,
one of our Paraeducators,
and his Donald Trump ship called Fire Pits.
No one realized till he was almost done
 that he had collaged President Trump's face all round his boat.
I really appreciated the time he put into fraying the edges of his sails,
and also the thought he put into the form of his ship.
Fun piece Milan,
and so very current!


This next one is the work of 8th grader Selina Luo.
The stitching on her sails is so beautifully executed,
as is the craftsmanship on the entire ship.
She ties both the ship and sails together thru the analogous colors blue and purple.
I especially like how she solved her hanging requirement by plying string to itself 
and attaching it at either end of her boat.
There were so many requirements these kids had to work to 
with over a hundred points to be earned.


One of my top 3-D seniors,
Hannah built this spectacular creation for us all to enjoy and exclaim over.
Fabulous attention to detail in her dragon boat.
Check out how she built the wings,
with buttons and copper wire.
And of course the lions on the sails were the bomb!
I also really liked her color scheme with her complimentary reds and greens.
Bravo young woman!


And I couldn't do a post without showing off A.P. English teacher Donna Hall
and her swan ship.
To die for!
She's calling it the Sea Mist, 
and like Hannah above,
 she is giving this everything she has.
The lovely form from the head to the wings,
the frayed sails that bring such softness to her piece.
Those gorgeous buttons with the plied cotton rigging.

Cutting the heart shape out of fabric and backing it with netting before she stitches it down.
Her delicate choice of buttons on the sails.
It just all flows so beautifully together.
Thank you once again,
for having the courage Donna to join us,
and allowing us along on your journey..



One of my personal favorites was this pirate ship design by 8th grader Palmer Patel.
The cannons on the side, 
the multiple flags,
using a Sharpie and bravely drawing out his skull and crossbones.
The plied rigging connecting the sails,
and the actual ship design with the captain's cabin.
Totally cool Palmer.


And check out this beauty by senior Alexis Bilas-Imperial called Wanderlust.
Lovely analogous color choices with a bit of sparkle.
The wonderful curve at the front of the ship that we all loved so much,
and the time it took for all that fraying along the sails.

We end Part I with junior Rachel Kannampuzha.
Impeccably crafted,
this is a true sailing ship with it's bottom fin.
We all really delighted in the fact that she coiled her rigging on the side,
and attached the anchor she built out of wire to the other.
Also check out her main flag at the top.
Doesn't it look like it's blowing in the wind the way she has shaped it.
I wonder if she stuffed it?
I'll have to ask her.
I also really appreciate the gentle patches of white against white,
and that she pinked some of the patch edges to catch our eyes.
Now did you notice the tiny pieces of metal she attached to hold her sails to the rigging?
How dang cool is that?
Well thought out young woman.
Just love showing off your designs.

3 comments:

  1. oh i love paper mache' and it's been sooo long....

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  2. These are the posts that confound me ... so much to see and to comment on that I am overwhelmed. So, I'll come back later ... because these are worth visiting again and again.

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  3. Okay ... I promised. Here's what I especially appreciated (and I'm realizing in retrospect that many evoked word-play):

    - The anchor a-weighing down Coach Milan's Fire Pits
    - Selina's a-plyed rigging
    - Hannah's dragon evoking Viking ships
    - Donna Hall's swan ship wearing its heart on its sail
    - Palmer's truly "jolly" Roger
    - The outreaching bow of Alexis' Wanderlust
    - And Rachel's intricately wrought metal rigging and anchor

    These are all aspirational as I hope to make my own Ann Wood-inspired ship(s) some day

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