Lesson Activity:
Day 1 -
Using the books about mosaic artwork, show the students illustrations and photos.
Discuss the various sizes, shapes, designs, patterns, and colors within the mosaics. Show
the students your Paperclay® Mosaics. Discuss and demonstrate the process which you used
to create the mosaic tiles:
- Using rolling pin, roll the Paperclay® out to an even thickness of 1/8".
- Demonstrate using the ruler to mark off the measurement increments for cutting the tiles
out.
- Holding the ruler firmly, use the knife to slice along the rulers edge vertically
and then repeat the procedure horizontally.
Discuss how you then baked the pre-cut tiles, and what changes occurred in the
Paperclay® as a result of the baking; weight, flexibility, texture, hardness, color, etc.
Show how you sanded the tiles edges.
Demonstrate using watercolors to paint the tiles, and discuss the effects of adding a
coat of Satin varnish to dried painted tiles. Instruct the students to sand, paint and
varnish their pre-baked mosaic tiles.
Demonstrate using a rolling pin to roll Paperclay® out into an even thickness of
3/16". Show students how to gently place inverted plastic plate onto rolled out
Paperclay and press down along edges to mark plate area. Remove plate, and using Fiskar
Paper Edgers scissors, cut Paperclay® circle out along marked edges. Gently press cut out
circle of Paperclay® into plastic plate, applying pressure to conform to fit the
plates shape.
Demonstrate creating a mosaic design by placing completed tiles within the flat surface
of the Paperclay® covered plate. Push each tile firmly with an even amount of pressure
into the Paperclay® plate until the Paperclay® fills in around the tile.
Assist the students in creating their plates as listed in steps #4 - #6.
Let plate air dry until next Art class period. The Paperclay® plate will shrink during
the air drying process, allowing you to remove the entire shape, and invert for even
drying.
Day 2 -
1. Display the air-dried Paperclay® Mosaic
plates. Discuss the changes that have occurred due to the drying of the Paperclay®.
2. Instruct the students to use black acrylic paint to paint their Paperclay® plate
surface around the tiles. When the front of plate has been painted and dried, the
underside may be painted.
3. The paint will dry quickly, and the students may then varnish the entire Paperclay®
plate surface, tiles included. When the front of plate surface has been painted and dried,
the underside should be varnished. Let dry. Display.