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Clay Sculpture Projects for Outdoors

Whether you are a sculpture expert or you are teaching a class on sculpture to a group of beginners, taking the craft outside can be a refreshing practice. In addition to less worry about the large mess that sculpture can create, another benefit is that the sculptors may be inspired by elements that they see in the natural world. Sculptors can also create pieces for the outdoors.
  1. Garden Relief Sculpture

    • Bring little ones to a park or other natural setting. Have them observe the world and draw what they see with a pencil on a larger piece of card stock or cardboard. When they begin to create their models, encourage them to use the natural colors that are around them. Using the pencil lines as a guide, they will use clay to create trees, grass, flowers and so forth on their cardboard or card stock.

    Outdoor Decorations

    • Sculpt a piece for the outside of your house or have children make pieces to bring home to their families. You could provide pieces for inspiration, such as a nativity scene, traditional garden gnomes, an outdoor garden of clay rocks, or allow everyone to choose their own creations. Before beginning, tell the group to consider both the space limitations and the theme of the garden or yard for which they are creating a decoration.

    Community Projects

    • Advanced sculptors may want to come together to create a project that will stand tall either in their community or on their college campus. A group could get together and create a clay sculpture of a mask or a famous theatrical character in front of a local playhouse. Furthermore, people could sculpt an honorary piece in commemoration of a local individual who was a great inspiration for artists.

    Animals

    • Bring students to a pond or a bird sanctuary, or allow them to draw from their own experience for inspiration. They could create fish out of clay. After being fired and glazed, they could glue the fish to plywood panels that emulate colors of the ocean. The group could make sculptures of the first animal that they see. Some might create a family of bluebirds, while others may craft a cat or squirrel.

Sculpture

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