Clay and Paper Daruma Dolls

One of the most endearing toys of my childhood, I had to figure out how to make this with my 4th and 5th grade students. When I finally figured out how to make it, I was so happy! I created a base by pressing clay into a rice bowl, just enough clay so that the diameter of the surface when pressed flat would be the same as the opening of a paper cup (the body of the daruma doll is just a paper cup. In class, students would use masking tape to attach a paper cup to a clay base. Then, they would paper mache the cup into how they want it to look like, they can add ears, arms, etc. In the second class, they would paint on the dried paper mache. When painting the eyes, one must take care to only fill in the first eyeball when one makes a wish, and when the wish came true, one can fill in the other eyeball. These daruma dolls never fall down, they always bounce back, just like the real ones!

The story of Daruma 達摩

Daruma, or Bodhidharma, was a Buddhist monk from India who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Zen Buddhism to China. According to one tradition, Bodhidharma gained a reputation for, among other things, his practice of wall-gazing. Legend claims that he sat facing a wall in meditation for a period of nine years without moving, which caused his legs and arms to fall off from atrophy. Another popular legend is that after falling asleep during his nine-year meditation he became angry with himself and cut off his eyelids to avoid ever falling asleep again. From the eyelids that fell to the ground, there grew a tea plant. Thereby, drinking tea helps you bounce back and stay awake!

Art Nouveau Silk Painting

These beautiful scarves were created in the last 8th grade art lesson where the students learned about a an international art movement in the early 20th century known as Art Nouveau - "New Art". With the advent of industrialization and the invention of photography, art did not need to be realistic anymore. Many artists went for bold, sweeping designs, and they were seen on everything, including fabric, architecture and graphic artwork, etc. Organic shapes and decorative patterns were especially favored. Students were encouraged to create something they like on these silk scarves by using bold, sweeping brushstrokes and colors. We used the French serti technique, which involved enclosing an area on the silk using a resist (gutta/outliner) before filling in with brilliant silk dyes.

Chinese Calligraphy

The 7th and 8th graders learned about the invention of the modern calligraphy styles starting at Qinshi Huangdi's (秦始皇帝）times。 Words used to be carved on stone, wood, bronze vessels and bamboo slats, but due to the amount of wars that were waged and the desperate need to communicate with the central government regarding supplies and warfare strategies, modern brush and calligraphy styles were invented. Students practiced calligraphy strokes first, then learned to "paint" words, paying close attention to the proportion and the spacing, the white space is just as important as the black!

Quilting Cultures from Around the World

The middle school students learned that people make quilts from all over the world. Quilting started out as a practical way to piece old fabric and scraps together to create something that keeps you warm. It evolved later into something that carries traditions and connects people together. Each piece of the quilt is different and unique and yet, we are all connected to each other in some ways. My 8th graders, as they were sewing this big quilt together using red thread, talked about how the read thread meanders through the quilt as a symbol of "life", which is never a straight line, and it's complicated and connects us all together.

Year of the Dragon

Japanese Woodblock Prints

After the style of Iwao Akiyama.