It has been a busy few weeks in the art room! Students are halfway through creating their own Djembe drums. I am so proud of the way students have been handling using art paste in my classroom; minimal spills on the carpet and students have been responsibly cleaning up after themselves and neighbors. I changed up the papier-mȃché process a tiny bit this year due to a brilliant idea from Mrs. Wetzel, the 8th grade art teacher. The final layer of papier-mȃché was made with paper towel instead of newspaper in order to create a solid canvas to paint on. Last year I had students paint a layer of gesso (canvas primer) as their base, which used less layers of papier-mȃché. With the final layer of paper towel, these drums are much sturdier than the ones my students made last year.
Today students began painting. A few weeks ago groups drew rough drafts of what they wanted painted on their drums, making their artwork cohesive in a way. First students drew their design on their drum, then they began to paint. Painting should last maybe one or two more days and then we will begin our dance and drum portions of this unit. I can't wait to see the performances come together!
