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Wednesday, March 7, 2007 10:18 PM CST
Students turn ‘random’ ink shapes into metal jewelry
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
MATTOON -- The shape made by the inkblot was unmistakable, at least as far as eighth grader Roberto Garza was concerned.
“It’s an evil teddy bear,” said Garza. “That’s how it came out.”
But he wasn’t taking a Rorschach test. After all, this was art, not psychology.
Garza and other Mattoon Middle School eighth-grade students in Jamie Willis’ art class have the opportunity this year to work with various metals. The students create ink “blotto” patterns and then translate the shapes into metal jewelry.
The metalwork project is possible because of a $2,600 grant from the Mattoon Foundation for Academic Excellence, which paid for tools such as saws and files, as well as the contribution of industrial scrap metal from an anonymous donor.
Willis said the challenge not only is to manipulate the aluminum and copper pieces, but also to utilize whatever pattern is produced from the ink blotto.
“They have to work with design principles,” said the teacher.
Eighth graders participate in the “exploratory art class” over a nine-week period, completing six different projects. The metalwork portion of the class takes about 10 days.
From the blotto, students cut shapes from one type of metal, and then add pieces from another kind to create the desired image.
The various pieces are fused with pop rivets. In fact, Willis said the rivet has to part of the overall design.
The final products mainly are pendants and broaches.
“It’s a brain teaser (because) these shapes are determined at random,” said Willis. “They have to use the elements of art in their design. And it has to be functional, wearable.
“It’s more of a design project.”
And it’s an exercise in patience, the teacher added.
“I love it because it teaches them excellence in craftsmanship,” Willis said. “To do something well, you have to spend some time on it. That’s a lost virtue to this generation. They’re use to getting everything quickly.”
Eighth grader Lesley Brown said she was surprised by the ease with which the metal can be cut and shaped.
“It’s pretty neat,” she said.
Student Mark Steber is enjoying the project so much that he comes in over his lunch break to work on it. It’s also a change of medium for him -- Steber is used to using a wood saw while helping his father in the tree-cutting business.
“I think it’s really fun,” he said.
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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CLICK TO ENLARGE
 Nathaniel West (JG/T-C)
Mattoon Middle School eighth grader Hannah Bell saws a piece of aluminum as part of an art class metalwork project.
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999 wrote on Jun 12, 2007 2:23 PM: