Weaving keychains and/or bracelets with Anni Albers

Discussion of the artist and her work

       weaving as a form of art

       using everyday/odd/found objects to create wearable art

ARTIST: Anni Albers

(1899 – 1994) 

She was a German-American textile artist and printmaker. 

She is perhaps the best known textile artist of the 20th century.

Albers worked primarily in textiles and, late in life, as a printmaker.

She produced numerous designs in ink washes for her textiles.

She experimented with jewelry. 

Her woven works include many wall hangings, curtains and bedspreads, mounted "pictorial" images, and mass-produced yard material. 

Her weavings are often constructed of both traditional and industrial materials, not hesitating to combine jute, paper, and cellophane, for instance, to startlingly sublime effect.

1928 she studied with paul klee and kandinsky at Bauhaus in Germany

I found these beautiful step by step instructions on: http://www.thesmallobject.com/stenopad/wordpress/?p=976

PROJECT: (11:10-12) Create a bracelet using a ribbon picked by each artist.

Step one: Thread ribbon up from behind washer #1. You should leave about 6″ inches of ribbon on the end.

Step Two: Thread ribbon up along the side of washer #2 and back down through the middle. The end should be threaded back through the middle of washer #1. (Still with me…)

Step Three: Pull ribbon tight so washer #2 lies flat against washer #1.

Step Four: Thread ribbon back up through washer #2 so it weaves underneath washer #1.

Step Five: Repeat process. Thread ribbon up alongside edge and back down through the middle of washer #3.

Step Six: Thread end of ribbon back through the middle of washer #2.

Step Seven: Pull ribbon tight to the right so you have all three washers laying flat. Repeat above steps until you have five on your ribbon.

 Step 8: tie it in your wrist. 

MATERIALS: 

Washers

Ribbons in boy and girl styles

Wild Thing Eco Bags with Henri Matisse

This project is a two hour/day project

Discussion (9:15-9:30)

Pattern

What is it

How is it made or what do we need to have it? Repetition (ababab)

Where do we see it in this room?

Clothing bottom of shoes

Where do we see it at home

Wall paper

Bed clothing curtains

Artists use pattern all the time the most famous is MATISSE

ARTIST: Henri Matisse
1869-1954
French Painter, 

Matisse loved of line, shape and color. 

Matisse felt that his greatest influence had been the work of the artist Cezanne (1839 – 1906, French). 

Artwork known for his use of pattern

In the 1950‘s, Matisse began creating paintings using paint and paper cut outs. 

In his last years, as he aged and fell ill, Matisse continued to paint, this time on the walls of his room, using a piece of charcoal attached to the end of a bamboo pole. 

He painted until his death in 1954. 

Project 1 (9:30-10)

Create a line pattern using blue tape

Step1: use blue tape to create lines on your canvas bag

Step2: paint the spaces without paint using acrylic

Step3: allow it to dry

Step4: remove tape to reveal the stripes

MATERIALS:

Blue painters tape

Acrylic paint in all colors

Paint brushes

Canvas bag for each student

WILD THING tote bags: 

DISCUSSION:  Day 2

Where the wild things are

        Read the book

        Talk about the artwork

Detail each monster and the special things they may have on them: webbed 

Feet,  head dress, scales, horns, etc

Project: (11-12)

Step1: pick your favorite color from the fleece 

Step2: Cut out the shape of the monsters head. Remember horns

Step3: glue the monsters head to your bag.

Step4: pick white eyes and glue them to your monster

Step5: using a black marker draw an X in the eye

Step6: glue and draw on any other monster shapes you want 

Materials:

Fleece

Glue (maybe Hot Glue Guns to make project faster???)

White fleece cut into eye shapes

Black markers

Any fun accents the kids could add: rickrack, buttons, sequins, ribbon, etc.