Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Monster Orphan: Dunnegan
"Dunnegan"
Living on a rock makes for a hard life. Dunnegan paces back and forth guarding a granite boulder in the middle of a busy pedestrian plaza. Does the boulder hold a mysterious secret? No one is sure. All but invisible, Dunnegan has been sat on so many times, he has lost count.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
5 FREE HOLIDAY TOYS YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME
It's that time of year when the shopping frenzy is programmed into our brains. In the middle of the holidays, remember that sometimes the simplest gifts are the best. For younger kids the box is often more interesting than the toy itself. If you have a cereal box, a clean milk carton or a toilet paper tube you can actually make your own toy and get to experience a real gift, creative time together with your kids.
happy holidays! Check out the "Free Projects" section to learn how to make some recycled art projects.
These projects are all included our ScrapKins Build-It Book.
Click HereTo Download this graphic as a PDF.
happy holidays! Check out the "Free Projects" section to learn how to make some recycled art projects.
These projects are all included our ScrapKins Build-It Book.
Click HereTo Download this graphic as a PDF.
Friday, December 2, 2011
The Monster Orphan Project: Orphan No. 2
"Lila"
A monster with perfect hair is often hard to find. Meet Lila. Sweet with a gorgeous smile, she will charm you, offer to sort your mail and put away your groceries. You will fall in love with Lila.
Then she will eat you.
Then she will eat you.
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Monster Orphan Project: Orphan No.1
Whenever I do a large children's event inevitably there are projects ("orphans") that get left behind. Kids forget to come back, they fall under the table or they just feel like donating the creation back to us. I have a special place in my heart for the "Monster Orphans" and thought they deserved their proper due. They are much loved.
"Horace"
A rare tube monster* with the 8-point "star mouth" capable of sucking in large amounts of air and refuse for feeding. Although short, Horace is extremely powerful and prone to outrageous arguments which he rarely loses. Often seen in the proximity of old shoes. *Sadly when I photographed Horace it was a rather windy day and he escaped on the way home. This is the only known photograph of Horace.
A rare tube monster* with the 8-point "star mouth" capable of sucking in large amounts of air and refuse for feeding. Although short, Horace is extremely powerful and prone to outrageous arguments which he rarely loses. Often seen in the proximity of old shoes. *Sadly when I photographed Horace it was a rather windy day and he escaped on the way home. This is the only known photograph of Horace.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Top 10 Things I've Learned Teaching Art to Children
I recently started an Artist in Residence program to bring ScrapKins to schools. Here's an observational list from my weekly classes at a school in Brooklyn.
Top Ten Things I've Learned Teaching Art to Children:
1) When you teach children Art you will receive free Hugs.
2) You will be called by a new name. Call it affection or lack of attention but soon you will be christened with a nickname. Mr. Yanish is now "Mr. Radish." (I kind of like that one.)
3.) To kids, the promise of being able to paint is like another birthday. (Paint a lot.)
4.) Prepare to be observed. I was asked why my hair was gray the other day. (I'm okay with that one but I did want to retort "Why are you so short?")
5.) Copying = Admiration. Some kids are natural creative geniuses, some need encouragement, and some will copy anything you show them. When I was young, I copied Mickey Mouse, Heathcliff and Garfield, so when a child wants to make their monster look exactly like my monster, that's admiration kicking in. (When 2 kids also wanted to name their monster "Mr. Yanish", that's weird.)
6.) The Simple Things are the Best. Building a milk carton pirate ship is pretty cool but when I carried around a little tub of water and they "tested" their ship and saw it floating, I got some serious fun points. Simple. Floating Rules!
7.) Demo. Demo. Demo. Kids have a lot going on in their small heads. Don't tell them to cut out a square. Show them. Hold it up high so they can see it. Then do it again. One more time.
8.) Make Little Jokes. Don't worry about a stand-up routine in class but a little silly goes a long way. Example: We we're cutting out eyeballs from cardboard so I stuck one to the forehead of a boy. I also brought in a tub of dirt for our gardening project and told the kids I made them brownies. Heh heh.
9.) Know the Secret Sign for Quiet. Most teachers have a "quiet" signal. Some clap their hands, some ring a chime. Learn it. Use it. Even art needs some quiet time.
10.) Create an Outline then Discard it. Know the basics of what you'd like to get done with the kids then figure that you'll be lucky if you get half of it done before a fire drill interrupts class, someone spends 5 minutes refusing to work without "pink" scissors and 4 kids can't stop giggling about burying "Mr. Radish" in the garden.
Top Ten Things I've Learned Teaching Art to Children:
1) When you teach children Art you will receive free Hugs.
2) You will be called by a new name. Call it affection or lack of attention but soon you will be christened with a nickname. Mr. Yanish is now "Mr. Radish." (I kind of like that one.)
3.) To kids, the promise of being able to paint is like another birthday. (Paint a lot.)
4.) Prepare to be observed. I was asked why my hair was gray the other day. (I'm okay with that one but I did want to retort "Why are you so short?")
5.) Copying = Admiration. Some kids are natural creative geniuses, some need encouragement, and some will copy anything you show them. When I was young, I copied Mickey Mouse, Heathcliff and Garfield, so when a child wants to make their monster look exactly like my monster, that's admiration kicking in. (When 2 kids also wanted to name their monster "Mr. Yanish", that's weird.)
6.) The Simple Things are the Best. Building a milk carton pirate ship is pretty cool but when I carried around a little tub of water and they "tested" their ship and saw it floating, I got some serious fun points. Simple. Floating Rules!
7.) Demo. Demo. Demo. Kids have a lot going on in their small heads. Don't tell them to cut out a square. Show them. Hold it up high so they can see it. Then do it again. One more time.
8.) Make Little Jokes. Don't worry about a stand-up routine in class but a little silly goes a long way. Example: We we're cutting out eyeballs from cardboard so I stuck one to the forehead of a boy. I also brought in a tub of dirt for our gardening project and told the kids I made them brownies. Heh heh.
9.) Know the Secret Sign for Quiet. Most teachers have a "quiet" signal. Some clap their hands, some ring a chime. Learn it. Use it. Even art needs some quiet time.
10.) Create an Outline then Discard it. Know the basics of what you'd like to get done with the kids then figure that you'll be lucky if you get half of it done before a fire drill interrupts class, someone spends 5 minutes refusing to work without "pink" scissors and 4 kids can't stop giggling about burying "Mr. Radish" in the garden.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Recycle-Saurus
Here's the ScrapKins latest creation, the Recycle-Saurus. It's portable, collects lots of cans and bottles and shoots smoke out of its nose. What more could you ask for?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
The Ultimate Block Party in Baltimore!
ScrapKins headed to Baltimore to participate in the Ultimate Block Party on October 2nd. We we're proud to share our creativity with the kids of Baltimore, recycling toilet paper tubes into custom ScrapKin monsters and displaying the ScrapKins "Recycle-Saurus." Visits from U.S. Secretary of Education, Arnie Duncan and Baltimore Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.  |
| U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan |
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| Designing your own ScrapKin Recycled Art Monster |
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| A fearless ScrapKin Tube Monster! |
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| Behold the Recycle-Saurus |
Saturday, September 10, 2011
ScrapKins at NY MAKER FAIRE: Sept 17th & 18th!
We're so excited to be a part of the NY MAKER FAIRE this upcoming weekend. It's an amazing DIY, creativity festival with tons of fantastic inventions, robots, crafts, and things you can play with. Don't miss this one!
Visit ScrapKins in the "Young Makers" Section, Exhibit #7046 and make your own "Recycled Art Monster" and behold the mighty "Recycle-Saurus!" Roarrrrrr!
NY MAKER FAIRE:
Saturday, September 17th: 10 am - 7 pm
Sunday, September 18th: 10 am - 6 pm
New York Hall of Science
Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, Queens, NY
Tickets online here.
Visit ScrapKins in the "Young Makers" Section, Exhibit #7046 and make your own "Recycled Art Monster" and behold the mighty "Recycle-Saurus!" Roarrrrrr!
NY MAKER FAIRE:
Saturday, September 17th: 10 am - 7 pm
Sunday, September 18th: 10 am - 6 pm
New York Hall of Science
Flushing Meadows, Corona Park, Queens, NY
Tickets online here.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Float On Ye Vessel of Milk
In honor of the last days of Summer, I share one of our carton boats catching a wave. (That's my nephew you hear.) There is nothing simpler and more satisfying than building a boat and watching it really float. I especially love the image of the "little boat" next to the big boat. The real world is one giant testing lab. We found that although toilet paper tubes make excellent sails, if they get wet they begin to fall apart. You can always substitute with a piece of plastic jug or bottle for a more "capsize-friendly" craft. Do try this at home.
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