Leigh Drake

Weʼve all heard the proverb “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.” Art teachers love to receive donations for the classroom and weʼre always trying to think of ways to use them. I have always had a fascination with using recycled materials; one, because they are free or inexpensive, and two, because they can be reinvented into so many different things. We often receive donations of cardboard to the classroom, and I enjoy the various things that can be made from it, so I decided I would use it for this 3D landscape lesson.

What Is It Made Of?
I started this assignment with a class discussion about what recycling is, why itʼs important, and why it needs to continue globally. Next, we played a game that I call What Is It Made Of? Just like the name suggests, I put an image of an artwork up on my smartboard, and students guess what itʼs made of and how they think it was created. It’s a fun interactive game that gets the wheels turning in students’ heads and encourages discussion about artwork.

Inspired by Upcycling
Next we had a discussion on the topic of upcycling, the process of converting waste or discarded products into new materials. We looked at the work of artist and photographer Vik Muniz and his stunning creations. We talked about his use of everyday materials like peanut butter and jelly to create pieces, then moved on to his garbage-inspired masterpieces. Students were fascinated with his style and use of unusual objects. Students also looked at the work of sculptor Chakaia Booker, who creates abstract works from recycled tires.

It was great to see students push beyond the simple drawing of a landscape to create something with more depth and structure.

To start the assignment, I asked students to choose a landscape they were interested in. This could be a place they had traveled to, wished to travel to, or just wanted to learn more about. Next, students researched some facts about their landscape and what made it unique or interesting.

Students practiced drawing their landscape designs in their sketchbooks, exploring compositional layouts and perception to draw their landscapes as accurately as possible.

Students showed their work to classmates around the room and received feedback from their peers on how to improve their design before producing it with cardboard.

Layered Landscapes
Students were asked to build up their design so that the composition was not flat and had three-dimensional elements. I told them that this would be creating a relief and that they needed to show depth in their design.

Students collected their cardboard pieces and worked on each section of their layered landscape. I advised them not to glue any pieces down until they had all the elements they needed.

Students used multipurpose scissors, which work extremely well to cut cardboard as compared to regular scissors.

After assembling their landscapes, students refined their design by adding value, detail, and color. I gave them the option of leaving some of the cardboard exposed without altering it.

Conclusion
Students were both engaged and curious while creating their designs and very much inspired by Muniz and Booker. Their hands were constantly building, and their minds were always working on the construction. It was great to see students push beyond the simple drawing of a landscape to create something with more depth and structure. Each landscape design was a unique reflection of the student, brought to life through cardboard relief.

Leigh Drake is a visual arts teacher at Old Donation School in Virginia Beach, Virginia. leigh.drake@vbschools.com

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Reimagine