Fourth grade artists had a blast creating their Calder-inspired junk sculptures. Abstract, Realistic, Stabile, Mobile…I think Alexander Calder himself would enjoy these fun sculptures!
Alexander Calder
Calder Sculptures
Fourth grade artists had a blast making these colorful Calder sculptures! They used problem solving skills to fold and create a standing “stabile” sculpture in the style of Calder’s “La Grande Vitesse” that can be seen on the Calder Plaza in downtown Grand Rapids.
La Grande Vitesse
First everyone made a practice sculpture from plain paper. Bonus if you could get your paper sculpture to stand on its own!
Students traced their practice sculpture on to heavy weight tagboard, then cut and folded their mini Calder “just right” so it would stand. Their next challenge was to add sticker dots so their stabile would be interesting from all angles.
Love these beautiful sculptures!
I Can:
*Tell a friend the difference between a mobile and a stabile sculpture
*Create a stabile sculpture that stands on its own
Special thanks to Pink Stripey Socks for this project inspiration!
What We’re Reading in the Art Room
To celebrate World Read Aloud Day this Wednesday March 9, here are some of the books that we’ve enjoyed recently in the art room!
My first graders LOVE Pout Pout Fish – the illustrations are awesome and the story is sooo cute.
Another fun book we’ve enjoyed is What Will Fat Cat Sit On? Just a goofy story but the cartoony animal drawings are really great.
My kiddos also enjoy books about the artists that we are studying. Three we’ve just finished:
Action Jackson – all about Jackson Pollock; My Name is Georgia, about Georgia O’Keeffe, and a new one to the art room, Sandy’s Circus – about Alexander Calder.
And what does Mrs. Brouwer read in her spare time? Here are two of my favorites – about artists, of course!
Luncheon of the Boating Party, a great read about Renoir and his life in France; and Vermeer – Girl With A Pearl Earring.
Calder Junk Sculptures
Our Fourth Graders recently studied the sculptures of Alexander Calder. Many students were familiar with the giant red-orange sculpture on the Calder Plaza in our own downtown Grand Rapids, and they were surprised to learn that Calder is such a well-known sculptor! We learned that Calder sometimes made his sculptures from found objects and junk….and we were off and running with these Calder/Earth Day recycled junk sculptures. (And….Mrs. Brouwer got to clean out some of those items that just can’t be thrown away – but what great sculpture materials they became!)
