Zentangled Chihuly

Hello again art fans! I've been really enjoying my first few weeks as a middle school art teacher. Here is what I love- I love that the kids are so capable with materials and I don't have to spend so much time teaching how to use them. I also love that they are still kids.

Our first project was a little bit like art therapy. We learned about the art of Zentangles, which is basically the art of a repetitive doodle. An artist and a therapist worked together to create Zentangles and now many people use the art form as a meditative practice. The pieces the kids designed were a great way to add a quick bit of color to the room, and to also make the space feel more like our own. Each piece was laminated and hung on the wall.

While the kids were finishing up their Zentangles I introduced the artist Dale Chihuly to them. Many of the kids had heard of him or had seen his work at The Columbus Museum of art or at The Franklin Park Conservatory. Here is an example of some of his glass work:

As you can see his work is really fun and colorful. To make our own Chihuly inspired work, we used some laminating scraps and heat guns. We then took our glass like pieces on hung them from a large branch that I attached from the ceiling with bungee cords.

The art room is quickly transforming into a colorful space thanks to many middle school artists. It has been a pleasure working with them on these projects so far, and I am excited to continue to showcase their work/brag about it too!