My Take on Chihuly!

For years I have looked at the artwork of glass blower Dale Chihuly and his team and been in amazement at what they are able to construct both organic and man-made in nature.  Each year I tell myself that this will be the year in which we will study Chihuly and create something in his likeness.  Then I hit the wall of how we will do it, how much it will cost, etc, etc.  This year, I am so proud of what my fourth graders are accomplishing!!  After watching a fantastic video clip about Chihuly and then looking extensively at his work, we set out on our way to construct in his style.  Truthfully, it was not as difficult as I thought, and the answer to how to model his work really seemed to be under my nose the whole time.  First we painted transparencies that I ordered in bulk for my class and surprisingly we were able to use tempera paint on them without it chipping!  We discussed color theory and other combinations to get our best possible results.  Now we are in the stages of cutting and stapling them together.  So easy!  Students are astonished at their whimsical, eye-catching combinations and the way they seem to float through the air (thanks to fishing line).  I cannot wait to fill our hallways with them!  More to follow...

Here are students in progress...