Mrs Cairy, an art teacher at the Saginaw Township Schools, sent me this email with some photos of her 4th grade class student’s artwork. She used the money I sent her from my Pure Saginaw Art Initiative to purchase supplies. Thank you everyone for purchasing a calendar, t-shirt or sticker. I do my best to give back to Saginaw and hope to be able to do more next school year.

Hi Mike,
Here are pictures of the supplies and project I did with my 4th Grade Arrowwood Elementary students with your grant money. We watched a short video of the artist Dale Chihuly and his glass artwork. We then discussed his series called Macchia. (see explanation of Macchia below):

The Italian artist Italo Scanga suggested Macchia as the title of the series of work begun in 1981 by Dale Chihuly. The ability of the word “macchia” to encapsulate the concept of the spontaneous outpouring of artistic sensibility may have been the reason why Scanga recommended it to his friend. The word choice encompasses more than the mere fact that a distinguishing feature of this series is the artist’s preference for splotches of color. When Chihuly appropriates the term “Macchia” for his series, he gives back to the word some of its traditional meanings, particularly the emphasis on spontaneity, on artistic collaboration with technique rather than mere control of it, and on close kinship between artist and nature. His works with their vibrant dashes of color embody both interpretations of the sketch: the artist’s conception and the initial realization of it.

I purchased new “Extreme Crayola markers (8 sets) and Metallic Crayola markers (8 sets)”, Starch Spray, coffee filters, and double sided tape.

Students worked with radial balance and pattern extending out from the center of the coffee filter. In the center of the coffee filter students drew and designed their initials. Once this was complete I demonstrated placing the coffee filter overtop of a plastic cup, using a rubber band to hold it in place, and then sprayed the coffee filter with the spray starch. Once dry (set for 24 hours), we attached their “Macchia inspired” dish on a colored poster board base and attached with double sided tape. The artwork could be hung on the wall or displayed on a shelf.

Thank you again for your donation! You helped make it possible to purchase new and exciting materials for this art project!

I hope you will Subscribe to Pure Saginaw

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