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Paper marbling has a long history in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.  Part of its appeal is that each print is a unique monotype.  While there are many methods to creating marbled paper, using shaving cream provides an inexpensive and accessible process that is appropriate for all ages. 















_Materials
  • Shaving cream- buy the foam kind, not gel
  • Aluminium baking trays
  • Paper or Cardstock that is narrower than the squeegee and cut to fit the tray-computer paper works well and is cheap
  • Squeegees, rulers, or long pieces of cardboard
  • Watered down Tempera Paint in 2-4 colours
  • Liquid Food colouring in 2-4 colours
  • Wooden skewers, toothpicks, chopsticks, forks
  • Rags, or paper towel for clean up




Directions

1. Apply a small amount of shaving cream to the tray.  Use the squeegee to create an even layer that is a little wider than your paper and about 1/4 " thick.

2. Evenly space 1 drop of each of the food colours or paint colours onto the layer of shaving cream.

3. Use a fork, toothpick, or other utensil to swirl the colours, spreading the colour out in streaks across the shaving cream.

4. Once you are happy with the design, lay the paper on the shaving cream and gently press to make sure it makes contact with the coloured areas.

5. Peel the paper off of the shaving cream and lay it on a clean surface.

6. Scrape the squeegee or the edge of a ruler across the paper to remove the shaving cream while leaving the colour behind.

7. Set the paper aside to dry and use a rag or paper towel to clean off the squeegee.

8.  Repeat the process, but be aware that over swirling will cause the colours to become muddy.

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Have fun experimenting with different techniques. For this pattern I made holes in the shaving cream to create the areas of white.
 
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Andy Warhol, Marilyn Diptych 1962 Source: artchive.com

One of my favourite ways to introduce students to poetry is by combining it with art.  I recently used the poem It's Me! by David Harrison found in Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art to teach students about the importance of punctuation and line breaks when writing poems.  In this case, Harrison's poem is written in response to Andy Warhol's Marilyn Diptych.  Each line of the poem represents a different Marilyn claiming to be authentic - a great way to discuss the themes of celebrity and mass production in Warhol's artworks.

To emphasize the importance of poetry being read aloud, have 3 students from the back, middle, and front of the classroom alternate reading lines of It's Me.  I colour coded the poem to make it easier.  It may take a few tries before students will 'shout' the exclaimation points, but I've found that once they do, students become engaged with using punctuation and line breaks when writing their own poetry.


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Click on the image for a larger version of the poem It's Me!
 
If you think that doing art based lessons in your classroom requires expensive materials think again!
For this lesson the materials are basic and require little technical know how.

This is the first entry in my 1 lesson/3 ways series.  In this lesson I offer ideas on how to adapt a stained glass window activity for K-12 students. 

       Materials
  • black construction paper
  • rulers
  • white or other light colored pencil crayons
  • scissors or x-acto Knives
  • tissue paper-in white and a variety of colors
  • glue sticks
  • double sided tape
  • paint brushes
  • acrylic paint in a variety of colors
  • water
Choose from the sections below for the lesson that suits your students.

High School
Students

  • Start by introducing students to making stained glass windows using the basic information under Elementary School Students.
  • At this age students can use a x-acto knife to create more intricately detailed designs
  • Instead of folding the two sheets of black construction paper in half, have students use double sided tape to keep the two sheets aligned while they cut out their image.
  • Consider sharing examples of modern artists who use stained glass.

Middle School
Students

  • Start by introducing students to making stained glass windows using the information under Elementary School Students.
  • After your students have become familiar with creating stained glass windows have them try to move beyond simple geometric shapes.
  • Students need to create images that are symmetrical since they cut through both sides of the black construction paper. 
  • Have students sketch their designs before beginning their windows
  • As students cut out their shapes, have them periodically open the construction paper to make any adjustments.
  • Consider including historical information about stained glass windows.  For example  in Western Europe stained glass windows constitute the major form of pictorial art to have survived the Middle Ages.





Elementary School    Students

  • Start by folding together two pieces of black construction paper in half vertically. 
  • With both sheets still folded use a white pencil crayon to draw a line the width of a ruler on the 3 unfolded sides of one of the sheets.  This will form the border of the window.
  • Next draw geometric shapes that intersect the folded edge.  Make sure to leave 1/2 inch of space between shapes to create a border around each.
  • Mark each shape with an X so you can keep track of what to cut.
  • Using scissors carefully cut out each shape, cutting through both sheets of construction paper.
  • You can use double sided tape to help keep the paper aligned so that your design stays symmetrical.
  • After cutting all the shapes, unfold the pieces of construction paper.
  • Choose a variety of coloured tissue paper for each shape.
  • You can either trace the shapes lightly onto the tissue paper and then cut the paper slightly larger to glue it onto the construction paper OR cut the tissue paper to the approximate size of the shape and trim off the excess after it is glued down.
  • Once each piece of tissue has be glued onto one of the pieces of construction paper, run the glue stick over each of the borders and sandwich the two sheets together.

_Variation: Create your own colours
Flip through the images to learn how to make multicoloured tissue paper
 

Tips and Tricks

Layer sheets of one colour to create a more vibrant shade
Depending on your students you may want to pre cut some designs and tissue paper
Laminate your finished piece to make it sturdy