Art at RMS

Parents who save and deliver interesting found objects to the art room may wonder how these objects are incorporated into student art. It is with surprise and delight that I watch students explore, assemble and transform the array of found objects at their disposal. I communicate to them that the art room is their art studio. I try to instill in them that supplies and art materials of all kinds are there to use to make art, not to horde or collect. They are free to make use of any and all supplies in the art room, as long as they are thoughtful about their choices, and not wasteful. Some students are attracted to certain objects, and look for ways to use these items in their work. Some have a specific need for a specific size or shape or color or material, and search out an object that will suit.
Recently, a student began to make animals out of small boxes (square tissue boxes are her preference). She discovered that she could stack plastic bottle caps and container tops together to make legs and feet. The sorting bins in the collage area contained caps and tops sorted by color, and she found that she could match these “legs” to the body of her animal (see picture). Her idea caught on, and from her kitty box, sprang another student’s “Pig-clops” (a one eyed piggy bank). He used cardboard tubes as legs, and painted them to match. A dog has since been added to the group.