7th Grade: Oaxacan Wood Sculptures

Day 1: What is sculpture? Where is Oaxaca? Show student PowerPoint (includes map of Mexico, copal tree, artists at work, examples, close up of details). Explain how this craft supports the artist financially. Demonstrate how to use random wood pieces to create an animal with dimension/form. Demonstrate the best use of the hot glue gun (I show them how to use a Popsicle stick to push things together and avoid touching the hot glue).

Day 2/3: Finish building. Demonstrate how to paint the base layer one or two solid colors with acyclic paint. Tempera can be used, as it tends to be more colorful, but causes problems when painting additional layers on top for the next step. What is pattern? While waiting, students can brainstorm ideas for the intricate patterns they will add using paint or markers.

Materials:
PowerPoint with visuals of sculptures, artists, map of Mexico
Google Earth
Boxes of wood scraps
Clear Plastic Bins to put wood in (more visible)
Hot Glue Guns
Glue sticks
Popsicle sticks
Acrylic Paint
Markers for pattern and details
Examples of pattern and lines

Vocabulary:
Sculpture
Dimension/Form
Pattern
Line