Candy houses ... yum!

Candy houses ... yum! Candy has a very sweet universal appeal. Almost everyone has afavorite kind. As you can see by the colorful, high-quality student workhere, this candy house project is quite a hit. Because it does not havea religious theme, this project is ideal for elementary students,especially during the holiday season. It is a "politicallycorrect politically correctPolitically sensitive adjectiveReferring to language reflecting awareness and sensitivity to another person's physical, mental, cultural, or other disadvantages or deviations from a norm; a person is not mentally retarded, but " and religiously neutral visual-art project. Begin by giving students just enough directions to ensure thateveryone will be able to create a uniquely artistic, personal candyhouse. Place the paper in the landscape position; this position of thepaper is best suited for the project because of the shape of the house.(As an extension project for students who have finished early, however,I suggest they do it again in the portrait position.) I then demonstrate how two candy canes are drawn near each side ofthe paper, making sure they don't touch the edges. How big to drawthe candy canes is decided by estimating how much white space is desiredat the top and bottom of the paper. By comparing this space to the sizeof the candy cane, students are able to see that the candy cane islarger than the white spaces See white space. and thus determines the size of their candyhouse. The next step is drawing the roofline roof��line?n.The profile of or silhouette made by a roof or series of roofs. and the base of the house. Ishow students a variety of ideas from previously completed candy houses.All of these finished samples from other students are different andfurnish ideas for the wide range of approaches to the project. Students are asked to imagine what a real candy house might looklike. What candies are their personal favorites and how might theyinclude them in the house? For most of the picture, students are askedto draw only items that are edible. They prove to be quite creative inutilizing consumable A material that is used up and needs continuous replenishment, such as paper and toner. "The low-tech end of the high-tech field!" treats with great imagination! One studentexplained that Dentyne[R] gum rectangles were used to make the brickblocks around his house. There are different ways to indicate falling snow, and many ideasfor the background, such as a forest created by a few overlapping trees. After the demonstration, students begin their pictures, drawingwith permanent markers, using regular-width pens for most of thedrawing, and changing to fine-tipped for details. Black permanentmarkers allow students to color with markers while avoiding any bleedingtogether of colors. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] There are many wonderful new art materials Techniques and materials related to art:Traditional techniques: Acrylic paint Charcoal Clay Collage Drawing Fresco Glass Gouache Gum arabic Lithography Oil painting Oil pastel Paint Painting Pen and ink for students today.Metallic gold and silver pens are great for decorating their pictures,and skin-tone markers work well for such treats as gingerbread, carameland chocolate. Over the years, I have found that students get more done if theywork quietly. With this project and many others, however, it'suseful and important for students to share ideas during the art lesson.This sharing proves infectious and productive as many different candyexamples are suggested: "How about chocolate chips for roof turretsor gumballs for landscape hedges?" It's exciting to witnessthe synergies at this point in the project. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As you can see by the student work pictured here, by using candyand treats in art, it doesn't get much "sweeter" thanthis? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LEARNING OBJECTIVES Elementary students will ... * build confidence in their drawing ability. * explore the elements of line and texture. * exercise their imaginations in completing the details of theircandy houses. * expand their understanding of the art element of color not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed.See also: Color bychoosing fanciful colors for their candy houses. MATERIALS * Pencils * Permanent black felt-tip markers (regular and fine-tipped) * Crayons, color markers or colored pencils * White drawing paper (we used 9" x 12") Recently retired, Mary McNamara Mulkey was a visual art specialistfor the Dieringer School District in Lake Tapps, Wash. Ms. Malm n. 1. A kind of brick of a light brown or yellowish color, made of sand, clay, and chalk. is afreelance writer.