MIDDLE SCHOOL

Trevor W., grade eight. 

Melanie Robinson and Kay Leeper Cameron

As a class, we began scavenging the internet for more steampunk inspiration. We found almost everything imaginable, from sculptures to clothing and machinery. We discussed how gears and pulleys work together and how the use of steam made life easier for people throughout history.

We discussed how gears and pulleys can work together and how the use of steam made life easier for people throughout history.

We also looked closely at the metals used in the gears and pulleys and discussed their different finishes. Most were darkened with a patina, and all had a metallic look. The colors of these finishes varied depending on which metal was used. We also talked about how the variations were pleasing to look at and observe.

Assemblage in progress.

After researching and exploring various ideas, students began to construct their own steampunk mosaics. Using cardboard for a base, students changed the background by dampening it with water, then peeling back some of the surfaces and finding different materials to transform and break up the areas. These materials included cheesecloth, bubble wrap, deflated balloons, textured paper, and cloth.

With the backgrounds completed, students layered found objects on top to create additional interest and dimension. Students brought in more supplies, and one student brought in boxes of actual gears, which excited the group. Another student realized that foam snowflakes look like gears when the color is transformed. Pool noodles were cut to create a unique look. Markers that no longer worked, marker caps, plastic lids, spools, wood scraps, and small toys (transformed by deconstructing them) were all incorporated into students’ creations.

The images began to accrue the look of a junkyard layered on cardboard, mostly brightly colored. This was a moment that took students by surprise. Almost all of them had difficulty visualizing how these colorful junk piles, some with moving parts, would be transformed.

Adlai W., grade six.

Students painted their mosaic assemblages with a mixture of green, orange, brown, and black paint. Once their mosaics were dry, students used a dry brush technique and added a patina to the surface of their mosaics using metallic paint. Voilà—their creations resembled steampunk! What I found to be most wonderful was that all students were successful, and each one of them had a unique and amazing piece.

Melanie Robinson is an art teacher at Cedar Springs Elementary in House Springs,
Missouri. mrobinson@northwestschools.net

Kay Leeper Cameron is an art teacher at Veterans Middle School in Cameron, Missouri. kleeper@cameronschools.org
Steampunk Mosaics