Read an Excerpt
An Activity from Chapter 3: Blowing • Exploding • Smooshing
Clear Color Squish
Get into the action of squishing colorful pieces of non-hardening modeling clay between two clear acrylic frames or panels of Plexiglas to see the flattening and mixing of colors.
Materials
• Non-hardening modeling clay, or play clay
• Two pieces of clear acrylic plastic or Plexiglas, about 8” x 10” or smaller
Safety Note: Cheap low quality acrylic frames that are too thin might break during the pressing step, so be cautious. Thicker acrylic frames or Plexiglas are best.
Process Action
1. Soften the play clay by hand. Make a ball of each color.
2. Pull a small pinch from one of the colors, and stick it on one of the clear plastic panels. The clay should not be overly thick. A quarter inch is thick enough. Add more small balls and pinches of clay. Some artists place the clay randomly, and other will create a scene or picture. All efforts are acceptable.
3. Take the second sheet of clear plastic and place it over the first, lining up the edges slightly.
4. Now for the action and seeing the fascinating way the clay will change! Leaving the clay panel flat on the table, press the top panel down with strong even pressure, using both hands to cover the top piece. Press and press downward to flatten the clay balls. The clay will squish and flatten slowly and surely.
5. For more action, rock the plastic with both hands pressing down, just a little, to achieve even more flattening and mixing of the balls of play clay. Try a twisting motion to further spread color in a new way.
6. When the squishing is complete, the art is complete as well. The play clay will not harden, so it may be displayed for a very long time. However, it’s usually best to let the artists know in advance that this is a temporary art activity, and the sheets will be pulled apart at some point, and the clay peeled away, and most likely used again. Some art is like that!
7. Continue exploring the squishing technique, and removing clay for yet another try.
Note on Cleaning the Plastic: The clear plastic will get smeared and cloudy after awhile, so when ready, wash with soapy hot water to remove residue.
Variations
• The same squishing activity can be done with tempera paints. Paint on one plastic panel and then press the second panel down over the painting.
• Squish pieces of play clay between two sheets of clear plastic wrap (saran wrap) or in a plastic baggie. A rolling pin is fun to try.
Observation:
Ava is a child who usually watches and thinks before deciding if she will participate. Today she was watching closely, and before the artist next to her fully realized the action of blending colors in his clay, Ava's eyes widened, and she reached for the materials that awaited her. She took no time in getting into the action. All she needed was a moment to see what was going on around her. Ava takes less and less time to start exploring art than she did several weeks ago when preschool started. Her confidence level is much higher the more she explores and enjoys creativity in art. Today was evidence of a split second of decision making and full confidence of exploration.
