Experiments in Weaving

Weaving is an art activity that most students enjoy. I prepared the paper and cardboard looms with larger openings for the Kindergarten class. Students had a choice from a variety of yarn. We discussed how you can create patterns by using regular or textured yarn.

By using our fingers to weave in and out, over and under, around and through, we learned to coordinate our eyes, hands, and minds. Some students made changes in the middle of the weaving because they were not happy with the results. Problem solving came into play when they were trying to decide on which yarn type to use and how, by using a different hand motion, they could create a different pattern.

My example

(G2,G3) Experiments in Weaving

For this project we decided to look at pictures of medieval tapestries and learned how tapestries were made

by weaving threads together on a loom.
We used a tapestry template and practiced weaving by "warp" threads in tension, so "weft" threads 

can be woven back and forth between them.
On of the most important tapestries in Europe are a series of seven called "The Hunt of the Unicorn" dating from 1495-1505. These seven tapestries illustrate the sequence of the hunt, ending with the capture of the unicorn.

   

We glued a fabric sheet on the template to represent the appearance of the dying wool.

Dyes were made from berries, roots and fruit. The colors most often used were

yellow, red, and blue. 

Students added medieval imagery to the background. 

Using metallic fabric to illustrate that old metallic thread was used in medieval

tapestries. 

We discussed how tapestries were an art form of their own like paintings or sculpture.

Images of animals, people, and plant-life were depicted in vivid color and detail.

Using a variety of fabric to illustrate the richness of the design in the tapestries. 

(KG) Creating in the style of Brice Marden

Students learned about the work of Brice Marden by looking at and discussing the meaning of gestural abstraction in his art.
Brice Marden traveled in Thailand in the 1980s, where he became interested in Far Eastern

calligraphy and the art of the brush stroke.

Brice Marden

Students used four different color pencils to create the

overlapping lines in their work.

Students learned how to use overlapping in their artwork to show that

something is in front or behind another object.

Brice Marden at work creating his brush stroke with a wooden stick. 

Brice Marden

Brice Marden

Brice Marden

Students were encouraged to create overlapping lines using yarn.

Brice Marden

We tried to hide the ends of the yarn.

(G2,G3) Creating in the Style of Tomas Saraceno (Part II)

For this project, students looked at pictures of Saraceno's installations and created

mini versions of his mushrooming clusters.

We used silver thread and tried to recreate his dodecahedrons (12)  strings compositions.

He states: " I'm not interested in defining what I am- artist, engineer, inventor, scientist, I am much more interested in weaving in between and interconnecting things. I feel comfortable engaging in somebody else's discipline."  

Tomas Saraceno

Working in creating a giant spider with silver and white thread.

Working with soft pastels to create a colorful spiderweb.

Tomas Saraceno