Peacock-A-Palooza Part 6: Salt Dough

The body of the peacock is created out of salt dough. We baked it the toaster oven for about 10 min.  The base is plaster with pipe cleaners (about 1/8th of a pipe cleaner for each leg).  After baking they poked two holes in the bottom of the body with a pipe cleaner..then placed it on the base.  They painted the body & base with liquid watercolor(suggest a clear coat before putting feathers and such on).  Then they added feathers, gems, and eyes.  I was worried at first...the salt dough was very soft, we had to let them set up for awhile before placing them in the toaster oven.  They ended up turning out great though.  Salt dough is an alternative if you do not have a kiln...or the budget for clay.  

I know the pictures are a little blurry....I was rushed as everyone was packing up to leave.

Peacock-A-Palooza Part 5: Shrinking Pictures

Did you have Shrinky Dinks as a child?!?!  I did!!  This project has some interesting potential!  We did not use Shrinky Dink brand material.  The product we used was Grafix Shrink Film.  Same idea for the most part.  After doing a Sharpie line drawing...the image was filled in with colored chalk dipped in water.  If you don't have a classroom toaster oven...they are a good investment(polymer clay, salt dough, melting crayons..etc).  The application of this product could be a jewelry lesson.  If you cut the product to the right size...it could shrink down to necklace size.  Use a hole punch before putting it into the oven...and you have the hole for the string once it is done.  Image an Egyptian unit...and they could do a hieroglyph necklace!!  

Peacock-A-Palooza Part 4: Mixed Media on Canvas

This is a mixed media on canvas(though...if you can't afford to purchase canvas...cardboard would work).  There are so many directions you can go with such a project!  For a quicker turn around time...we gave the teachers tissue paper to cover their backgrounds.  Paint is also an option, but will take a little time to dry.  They also had full access to boxes of fun fabric.  They were encouraged to be thinking of words that describe themselves to add.  They could use Sharpie, magazines, fabric....whatever....to create the words.  LOVE THE PERSONALITY SHINING THROUGH!

Peacock-A-Palooza Part 3: Line Drawing w/ Mono-Print

I'm in love with this project!!!  So simple...so easy!  You can use Andy Warhol's early years as an advertising artist as your inspiration!!  A simple line drawing using Sharpie.....and the color overlay using a mono-print technique.  Just remember to cover the plexiglass with a clear liquid soap so that the liquid watercolor does not bead up.  

Peacock-A-Palooza Part 2: Paper Marbling

Shaving Cream & Liquid Watercolor  

(You can also use acrylic, tempera, food coloring, or even Kool-Aid to create the color.)  

We made available Sharpie, gems, feathers, beads, colored glue, and other crafting items to embellish their marbleized peacocks.  So fun to see the variety of ideas. REMEMBER...these were created by art teachers.