Collage Scarecrow

Fall is one of our favourite seasons.  We love the fresh apples at the Farmer’s Market, the changing leaves and going to the pumpkin patch which always has a scarecrow or two!  Our daughter thought that would be fun to tie this in with one of her favourite techniques- collage!

Materials

• Thicker paper (watercolour paper, cardstock etc.)
• Paints
• Items to create texture (kitchen utensils, old credit cards, sponges- use what you have and your imagination)
• Background paper
• Solid colour paper
• Old magazines
• Additional items (buttons etc.)

We always find these items useful too:

Directions

• Paint your papers and allow them to dry overnight.  Or use old art pieces that you already have and are okay with cutting up.  Create the appearance of texture within your paper by scraping it with an old fork, an old credit card or by using a sponge on it for example.  Use your creativity.  This style of collage is probably familiar to you as it was used by Eric Carle on tissue paper.

• Paint your sky background- what else might you see peeking on the sides of your page- perhaps a sunflower or two?  Allow it dry.  Our daughter went with the technique of blotting and blending the paint with a scrunched paper towel.

• Think about shapes that you could put together to create your scarecrow- what shape might the face be?  The scarecrow’s clothes?  One technique that was often successful when I taught collage was to trace out your idea on the back of your page or make patterns like our daughter did.  This eliminates the lines on the front of your work in case you need to erase it and allows for you to manipulate the shapes within a space before committing!  A ruler can be helpful and if you need help making circular shapes, use lids, bowls etc.

• Once you have cut out all the coloured pieces of your scarecrow, position your finished shapes on your background page and manipulate them prior to gluing them on until your get your scarecrow to look as you imagined it.  Remember that a scarecrow is often mounted on a broomstick with another (or a piece of wood) for the hands- how can you show this?  Will you cut your “straw” out of paper or perhaps even add a bit of real straw that you can often buy at craft stores this time of year for the stuffing?  Can you incorporate the appearance of texture from magazines into your work too?  Pair your work with some solid colours to balance out your painted pieces if you like.

• Add any embellishments to your work- like buttons, beads, ribbon etc.

• Display your work!

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Purpose

• Recognizing common symbols associated with each season.

Safety Notes

• We suggest that you use a tray and a smock to protect your clothing and surfaces.
• Use scissors and a glue gun with care and direct, adult supervision.
• Cord, yarn etc. can be a strangulation hazard, therefore be sure to use with direct supervision and for its intended purpose.
• Beads can be a choking hazard, therefore be sure to keep them out of the reach of children ages 0-3 years of age or those that tend to put things into their mouths.