Haitian/Caribbean Tin Art
Create brilliantly colorful, works of art in three-dimensional relief with tin, simple tools, and colored Sharpies
SCHOOL: Grant Street Elementary School
TEACHING ARTIST: Jesse Joshua Watson
GRADE: 2-5
Target Learning: Creates metal relief.
Criteria: Carefully uses tools and techniques to indent designs on front and/or back without damaging the metal.
Target Learning: Creates a design.
Criteria: Decorates metal by creating simple, stylized pattern, shape, and line in relief.
Target Learning: Enhances metal design with color.
Criteria: Selects a color scheme that includes a maximum of three colors plus black and adds deliberately to further define pattern, shape, and line in finished metal work.
Vocabulary (click here for the glossary)
3-dimensional
color scheme
design
folk art
indent
negative space
pattern
positive space
recycled/resourceful
stylize
relief
texture
Resources
Materials
tin, aluminum or copper sheeting for tooling (can be purchased in roll or in sheets) masking tape for taping edges (to protect from cuts)
wooden poking tools (clay tools work very well- must be a gentle point or it may rip metal)
magazines to cushion metal as it is worked
colored Sharpie permanent markers
hole punch
decorative, colored wire for hanger
beads, raffia
Resources introduced and creative process:
Introduction of lesson concepts:
Students learn about the Caribbean and specifically, Haitian folk art, and then transform a thin sheet of metal into a lovely work of art. Students use precut and prepared sheets of tin or aluminum and press/indent pattern, shapes, designs into their metal on either and/or both sides using wooden tools.
Once finished with their 3-dimensional relief work, students add color with the Sharpies to the finished metal work in a way that enhances the end product. The last step is to punch holes for hanging and string a colorful wire from the top. Beads or raffia can be added to the wire for further decoration.
Lesson Steps:
Discuss the history of Haiti’s unique metal art (resourcefully made from recycled materials) and show examples of folk art from the region. Show students ways that artisans stylize figures and shapes to be as simple as possible. Demonstrate design development using line, shape and pattern. Discuss how sculpture concepts of positive and negative space, texture, and form are combined with 2-dimensional design and color.
Demonstrate how to handle the metal, how to be careful with possible sharp corners or edges, and how to press into the metal (on top of a newspaper pad/cushion) so that it creates the desired shapes, lines and patterns in 3-dimensional relief. Emphasize how relief in metal is a textural surface can be felt. Show the students how the surface can be pressed in or out working front and/or back, depending on their designs.
Discuss color choices for designs and demonstrate selecting a color scheme that includes a maximum of three colors plus black. Demonstrate adding color deliberately to a sample piece with Sharpies.
Assessment
Students exhibit their final work on the desks and there is a gallery walk through the classroom where students and teachers notice effective techniques, designs, and use of color to enhance design.
Check for:
Effective use of tools and techniques to create relief
Simple designs using shapes, lines and pattern
A specific color scheme with deliberate application of color to enhance design
Essential learnings
Arts 1.2 skills and techniques: creates shape and pattern with simple tools by pressing into the tin
Arts 1.3 applies styles from various artists and cultures: Haitian Folk Art
Arts 3.3 aesthetic choices: selects a color scheme that includes a maximum of three colors plus black
Arts 4.5 work habits in the world of work: perseveres in using tools to create shapes and patterns into the metal and faces the challenges of the medium