Magnificent Clay Murals
Sara Schmickle Kirker
Each August, our third grade
artists start the school
year planning, creating,
and exhibiting a clay relief
mural. These mural projects have
helped our students to acquire not
only art knowledge and techniques,
but an even more important kind of
knowledge: what
it means to plan
and successfully
complete a project
through working
together. Group
interaction while
creating art, helps
builds students’ self-esteem and
eliminates isolation. Our school
now reflects our children, their creativity, and the learning taking place
in the artroom with the display of
our murals.
their back-to-school supplies. This
allows students to have their own
clay and saves the art budget hun-
dreds of dollars.
The Process
Students make their own figures
on a selected topic or theme. First,
we brainstorm for
Group interaction while ideas and then stu-
dents draw a sketch
creating art, helps builds of their figure. The
students’ self-esteem and next time the class
eliminates isolation. visits, we get out
the clay and create
the head with facial
features, hair, hat, and any other
details desired. The following class,
students make the body.
After the clay dries, it is time to
paint, using tempera or watercolors.
Students can also add any other
materials they want, such as but-
tons, yarn, ribbons, fabric, etc. When
the figures are completed and dry,
I spray each with a clear gloss var-
nish. I also paint the backgrounds of
4 x 8' plywood panels and then have
students glue on their individual
Each One Buys One
The colorful murals our students
have created are made with Crayola
Model Magic. This white, air-dry,
lightweight clay is purchased individually by our students as part of
26 SchoolArts October 2007
figures. I have sometimes added a
sheet of Plexiglas over a mural for
protection.
