artlab: sculptural faces

It doesn’t take much to suggest a face: Compose two eyes, a nose, possibly a mouth, and you’ve done it. You’ve created something that will look back at you. This is actually a wondrous, singular thing. You’re making something that will see you.

To raise the wondrousness factor up a bit, make it 3-dimensional, like we did in the ArtLab.

And to make things even more interesting, begin with a prompt, like the birch boards above. (I created them by gluing one half of a board perpendicular to another. To mix things up, some were glued to the middle but some were glued off-center.)

Next to the birch board prompts, set out a fun selection of wooden shapes and popsicle sticks, easily cut by scissors. Provide plenty of wood glue in cups, along with small, inexpensive brushes.

And of course, set out palettes and paint.

Then let the wondrousness begin. Sculptural faces will grow legs* and whiskers and earrings and hair. They’ll cry tears of paint. They’ll watch bugs fly by.

Some of the sculptural faces, like this one by five year old Elijah, will be designed as complicated stories.

Others, like this mantlepiece still-life**, complete with a collection of books and beloved objet, will also, somehow, look back at you.

*Cubist man with legs created by Lisa; **mantlepiece created by Ari.