Stenciling

Stencil by Sam S.

In the new year we began a new project: stenciling. We began by watching a bit of a Bob Veda (This Old House) video that displayed some beautiful stencil work on the walls around the windows and fireplace in an historic home. We also watched a stencil artist apply a stencil to the wall. Then as a class, we jumped right into trying out various stencils, using acrylic paints and stencil brushes. This gave the students an idea of the process that's involved in stenciling.

The following week, the students began to develop designs to create their own stencils. The older students used pieces of plastic acetate that I found in a hardware store (for storm windows?), while the younger ones used heavy card stock. Both materials worked well; however, the plastic will obviously last longer. The trickiest part was cutting out the shapes within the stencil, even with tiny, sharp scissors. After completing their stencils, each student applied their design to a tile, which was then secured to the surface using a coat of glossy acrylic spray. Check out some of the results below.

5th and 6th grade tiled stencils in fore- and back-ground. Calder-style sculptures in mid-ground.


NOTE: The tiles are on display in the art room.