Art Round-Up

Cardboard Tube Relief Sculptures

Mrs. Amsler has once again created another amazing project for her 7 White students–these cardboard tube relief sculptures are sure to impress you!

First, students gently flatten two toilet paper rolls or one paper towel roll and draw guidelines using lined paper. Then, they cut carefully along the lines to create cardboard pieces of the same height. The next step is to bend, cut, and fold the almond shapes to create more variety in the patterns. Students glue the cardboard pieces to a cardboard square to create beautiful–but not strictly symmetrical–designs. Using spray paint as a base is efficient and the effect is breathtaking. Finally, students use paint pens to add embellishments to their art.

Mrs. Amsler always gives her aspiring artists very specific goals: “my experience is that students will tend to do what's quickest and easiest,” Mrs. Amsler reports. To resolve this issue, she instructed them it didn’t have to be symmetrical, but they had to have a minimum of four different shapes and 20 pieces. This way, they were forced to alter the shape more. “I tried to build in requirements so it elevated the quality of the work,” Mrs. Amsler explains.

This project stood out from everything else her students had done this year, because everything done up to this point was drawing. Mrs. Amsler thinks this was more fun because it was more sculptural and required more manipulating the pieces. She observed that students liked it better because it was a quicker process, and there wasn’t as much putting pencil to paper compared to other projects.

Mrs. Amsler has done this project before during remote learning. It was convenient back then because everyone had the materials at home, making it something she could teach remotely. “Since we've been back in person,” Mrs. Amsler says, “the quality is better because I can help them more–it really increases the quality.”

I really think that this art project has showcased everyone’s creativity, skills, and unique perspective better than an essay ever could. The Cardboard Tube Relief Sculptures was a great success, and I can’t wait for trimester three to come!