plaster painting with 5 year old

I have two children currently in the 4/5 year old class. Last week I had planned on introducing a monoprint project to both of them but one wasn't feeling well. I had her in mind when creating this project and so when her mother called shortly before class to tell me she wouldn't be there, I quickly adjusted so I could save the project for the following week.

I happened to have a few plaster sheets I had created in the fall stored away, from a project focused on Michelangelo, and knew the other student would enjoy trying to paint on it. I had a bouquet of flowers I had made for the drawing class to use, so brought it out for him to also try his hand at drawing from real life.

Using tube watercolors, I created a palette for him using primary color plus brown and black. Looking at the bouquet, he did a pencil sketch onto the plaster and then began to paint his picture.

When finished, I gave him a thumbtack for him to try bringing back out the pencil lines that had disappeared when painted. Plus I knew he would enjoy exploring scratching into the paint. When he was finished, I cut off the extra burlap, something he was quite fascinated with and had asked a lot of questions about during the project. 

I had explained to him the burlap gave the plaster something to adhere too and made it so sturdy, he could actually break the plaster and it would still stay together. I even gave him the opportunity to drop his painting and create some cracks when he finished. He promptly declined, that is until his mother arrived at pick up and then he slammed it onto the floor giving his mother quite a fright since she didn't know it would stay together when broken.

His final work turned out lovely.

plaster painting by 5 year old

Here is it with the bouquet he used for reference.

He finished this project with about ten minutes to spare and so I asked him if he would like to use the rest of his paint palette on paper. He said yes and so I gave him a small piece of watercolor paper and while he painted and I cleaned up, we chatted about a vacation he had just taken to the United States.

He told me about staying on a farm and I asked what he saw on the farm. He told me about a canoe and a swamp. So I asked if he took the canoe out on the swamp and he said no because the canoe was very old and had barnacles on it.

We take a little more about his vacation and then he told me he was finished with his artwork.

abstract watercolor, "canoe with barnacles". 5 year old 

When I asked him to tell me about his work, he explained this was the canoe with barnacles. As if I wasn't already drawn to it because of the pattern and the color palette he created, the fact that he had painted the story we were verbally discussing made me so excited.

I love it as much as the main project he spent the bulk of class working on!

And this one he didn't slam to the floor, scaring the bejeezus out of his mother.

Michelangelo inspired plaster paintings

This past Monday, the students showed up to class to find blankets on the floor under the art tables.

Gotta keep those kids guessing!

It took about a millisecond for them to scurry under the tables to figure out what was up, which was plaster taped to the bottom of the tables.

I created these about an hour before class started and they were oh so easy to do. A piece of burlap and then you mix up a basic recipe of Plaster of Paris and pour it on top.

I put the burlap on a piece of cardboard when I created these just to keep things a little cleaner and then recycled it once the plaster was dry. The great part about the plaster being on the burlap is that if it breaks, it still stays adhered to the work.

In fact, in past projects I have encouraged students to actually break their work at the end to imitate the old frescoes we admire. You can see the results from older post here and here, (these were not created under the table)

So to say that once the discovery was made that there were things taped under the tables for art class, instead of on top of the tables, the excitement level grew exponentially.

I had a hard time getting the kids to come out from under the tables in order to get started! But the lure of discovering what we were going to do with that plaster finally enticed them to come out and let me present the project.

I told them a bit about Michelangelo and showed them some of his sculpture work, both finished and unfinished. Yes, the sculptures were anatomically correct and yes, an eight year old boy honed in on that immediately with an exclamation of "ew, his thingy"

So we quickly moved on to the Sistine Chapel and the Pope because that seemed like the perfect lead in after the "ew" comment. 

lawd have mercy

I love the Sistine Chapel, as someone who admires art, visiting here made my head spin. Where to look? It's amazing to think that Michelangelo's work can actually make you forget to look at the marvelous Botticelli's also in the room and I did indeed not mention these when talking to the kids.

To be truthful, the vast amount of art at the Vatican made my head spin in general....or was it the fact I made it out of the Vatican alive without being struck down by lightening? Could be a bit of both, but back to Monday night.

What I love best about presenting Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel is that it is a great example of how an artist learns as they create. 

We talked about how the artist could not see his work as a whole while creating and when the first section was complete and the scaffolding was removed, he realized when looking at the work from the floor it was hard to see all the small details. So he simplified his images, painted things much larger and the kids could actually see that change in the progression of the work from the front to back of the chapel ceiling. 

We also talked about how long it took Michelangelo to complete this work and how impatient the Pope was with him. 

And finally we talked about how difficult it must of been to paint a ceiling, which was the lead in to the project.

Now while I realize it is just a myth that Michelangelo painted the chapel on his back, that is what we did as it created a sense of just how challenging it must be to paint something from above.

Plus let's get real, the idea of painting on your back was just plain ol' exciting. 

Without doubt I will say that each child had a great appreciation for Michelangelo's work at the end of the night and had a great time doing something very different. 

As we were getting started, I asked each child what story they wanted to convey in their artwork. 

Was there a favorite family story they wanted to illustrate? 

A favorite book? Or movie?

Two boys, brothers, jumped right in and created works of their favorite television show.

6 year old, "weeping angel"

Are all you Dr. Who fans geeking out about now? I know my oldest daughter did when she saw these two pieces. 

8 year old, "Dalek"

For the other students the idea of creating a story stumped them and so when one asked if he could just do an animal, I encouraged him to move forward with the idea. 

8 year old, "tropical snake"

The other two students followed his lead and also chose animals to create on their plaster.

10 year old, "walrus"

8 year old, "komodo dragon"

My heart skipped a beat as the artist who created the dragon exclaimed, "Hey, I have to hold my brush up high like when we created the trees! 

He was talking about the Matisse project we had done in December, where I put the paintbrushes on long sticks and asked them to create a tree. That he was pulling a skill and experience from a past project to apply to solving a problem on this project just made my night.

Because there was a big learning curve on how to paint while lying on your back!

The kids each had a palette of watercolor paint. I used tubed watercolors for this project, you truly need just the smallest of dollops of paint. I put their palette on a plastic lid to give you a sense of just how little paint is needed.

One paintbrush and a bit of water and kids are off to the races.

I like the tubed watercolor for this project because I don't have to worry about paint dripping on the kids. They can also hold the palette upside down and the paint stays on the lid. Plus since it's watercolor, I can create the palettes long before class starts without worrying about them drying out.

When they were finished and the plaster was off the bottom of the table, I gave them the opportunity to use a thumbtack to add line work if they wanted. This was much needed with the "weeping angel" artwork and helped bring back his original drawing.

And how did they put their original drawings on the plaster? Because you can't erase on plaster, if you make a mark it's there for good. 

The kids created their sketches on copy paper. We then traced them on the plaster. I had carbon paper for them to use, but if they created carbon lines on the back of the paper by rubbing their pencil, I believe it would do the same thing.

Finally I cut away the excess burlap and they were done.

I know they will remember this night for a long time.

The project was a great lesson in learning to simplify and loosen up brushstrokes. 

But most importantly, the night was exciting. Exciting to try something so different, exciting to paint on an unusual surface and most importantly exciting to paint under the table instead of on top.

Needless to say, Michelangelo was a big hit.

Plaster Paintings

Yesterday I taught a morning class through North Vancouver Arts Council for their second session of Young Creative ARTeliers and I introduced the students to plaster painting.

I have had great success with this project in the past and yesterday was no different.

Working on plaster is very different than working on paper and the kids seem to find it fascinating.  No matter how much I try to get the surface completely smooth, there are always a few bumps and crevices the students have to contend with on the work and that makes everything much more interesting.

Yesterday I used tempera pots for paint. I also gave them thumbtacks at the end that they could use to scratch into the plaster if they chose. I brought along reference material for some landscapes, dogs and cats.  Before starting I showed them how with plaster you could paint an entirely new picture over an old one, so mistakes were not something they needed to worry about at all.

And then the students began working on copy paper to work out their drawings and once they were happy, we transferred their work onto the plaster.

A few of the students had time to even complete a second picture using the same working sketch.  I had them try the tempera paint on paper the second time so they could judge just how different the medium worked on different substrates.  What is even more interesting is that they could see first hand the benefit of holding on to their working sketches to create more than one work of art and just how different they could manipulate the sketch in a final work.

I thought the results were completely charming and once again I find myself smitten with each and every piece.

10 year old, "working like a dog"

tempera on plaster

10 year old, "working dog takes a vacation"

tempera on paper

How cute is the dog buried in the sand?! I loved this idea.  Same sketch but two very different results.

9 year old, "cat with log"

tempera on plaster

This student came to me with her finished working sketch and it was so small.  I asked her if she wanted to consider making her drawing bigger and she said, "No.  I want it at the bottom of the picture."  I was quite interested to see what she would do with all the space and I think the clouds are perfect.  I love this composition.

9 year old, "managerial dog"

tempera on plaster

9 year old, "dog on beach"

tempera on paper

At first I thought this plaster dog was graduating university, but when I asked him to tell me about his painting he explained the dog was wearing a hat and that the "$" symbol showed the dog had a "managerial job".  This made me smile and my heart might of melted just a little.  He put a full shirt and tie on his dog too. In the morning while we were waiting for everyone to arrive, he had been sketching palm trees and it was fun to see him then incorporate those trees into his paper painting. I love the way he used brush strokes to indicate the ocean too.

9 year old, "peaceful pug"

tempera on plaster

The pug is definitely zen.  She's got her love beads on both front legs and for a collar.  I love all the design work she added by scratching into the plaster once she finished her painting.  I think she got great results with the technique she created to add the black ears and nose. I know all my pug loving friends are going enjoy seeing this artwork.

9 year old, "stretching cat"

tempera on plaster

This is a great example on how you can continue to add color over a finished painting when you are not completely satisfied.  The artist finished this work and the hind leg was not over the log.  In hindsight, she wanted to see that leg and because you cannot erase on plaster AT ALL, she thought it was too late to do it.  I told her she could just paint the leg over the log and that it would be fine.  You would never know at first there was no hind leg on the finished piece. 

And last but not least, the youngest and by far the most timid student in the class. When he first arrived, he would not draw at all he was so shy.  To encourage him, we drew side by side so I could show him how if he broke things down first into shape that he was capable of drawing anything.  I'm not sure he believed me until after he finished his sketch of a wolf, but then he was so excited with what he had done, I didn't have to worry about him the rest of the class as he was off to the races.

6 year old, "dream wolf"

tempera on plaster

He had fun scratching in the stars with the thumbtack and I love all the under layers on this work. I don't think there was one color pot he did not use on his wolf but it all came together when he put a layer of the orange on top of it.  He had a lot of fun slamming the plaster on the floor to add cracks and chips too.

6 year old, "jungle wolf"

tempera on paper

All the students had a chance at the end to throw their works on the ground.  This cracks and chips the art so it looks like the old frescoes we see from the past.  The students are all quite fascinated that it stays together on the burlap and there is always lots of questions on how that is possible.  Some students chose to slam their work on the countertop and on the floor and others didn't want to do it at all.  However even the ones who decided to bypass this step, still had lots of fun watching everyone else slam and throw their work around. There is never a lack of giggles during this part of the process.

Two hours went by quickly and the kids were all very excited to show their parents what they had created at pick up.  I can think of no better way to start a weekend morning and was so proud of each and every one of these children.

plaster pictures

This project always seems to create a lot of excitement in the studio.   I have done it on three different occasions and each time the students beg to do it again soon.

All you need is some burlap, Plaster Paris, and a bit of prep time.

Mix the plaster according to the instructions and pour onto the burlap.  (place the burlap on some cardboard for the bit of plaster that will seep through.

I give it a few taps once I pour it on and spread it out just to take out any air bubbles and smooth the surface.  Then let it set for an hour before using.

The first two times I did this project, I put out chalk pastels.  Just have the kids dampen the surface of the plaster with a bit of spritz from a water bottle and they are ready to go.

But here's the thing, there are no "take backs" with this project.  Once you put a mark on the plaster, it does not come off.

I usually have the students do their original drawings on copy paper and then trace it onto the plaster. If they put it directly on top of the plaster and trace over their lines, they will crave slightly into the plaster thereby giving them guidelines for their work.

Once they are finished, I let them "break" the work.  They slam them against the table and throw them on the floor.  No doubt some of them will be hesitant at first to do this step.  Some will flat out tell you they won't do it at all.  I always tell them it's up to them if they do this step or not but I have not had one child skip it yet- even the ones most adamant that they will not break their artwork.

The burlap and plaster adhere to each other so no matter how hard they try to shatter the work into a million pieces, it will ultimately stay in one piece.

Once finished, I cut back the burlap, spray a bit of clear matte varnish and mount on a heavy weight paper.

10 year old

7 year old

6 year old

9 year old

Throwing the work and creating the cracks give the piece an aged look of old fresco.  I love the finish on them.

8 year old

7 year old

The below work tickles me to no end.  This student told me at least a dozen times she would under no circumstance throw her work around to break it.  No way. No how. Not a chance.  A dozen times, at least.  Then while she watched her friends start the final step and realized the artwork really did stay together on the burlap, she said she would do it "just once".  Needless to say from the picture below, she did not stop with just "one time".  In fact, she loved tossing and slamming her work around so much, I finally had to tell her that was probably enough.  So you can see below, it does not matter how many times they shatter the work, it will stay in one piece because of all the pieces, this one is definitely the most extreme.  The child who most emphatically told me she would NEVER, EVER break her work....

7 year old

And then last week, I changed it up a bit and tried this project with some old watercolor tubes I had laying around the studio.  I love the way the watercolor worked on the plaster almost as much as I love this "Prissy Kitty".

9 year old

This student also did not want to do the final step.  I thought at the end I might of just found the first student who would actually follow through and not give it a slam or two.  At the very last minute, she did give it a slight whack and there are some small cracks in the work but they are hard to see in the picture.

Great project.  Definitely on my "do again" list of things I want to introduce to new students who come to my classes.  I can't wait to see what the high school class does with it.