Navajo Art Projects
Navajo Native Americans originate in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Navajo culture lends itself to the world in language and art. Replicating artwork of the Navajo people means creating colorful pieces of artwork representative of a large, proud group of people who still exist and operate in America's southwest.
Other People Are Reading
-
Sand Painting
-
Navajo Native Americans used sand paintings to ward off evil spirits. Recreating these works of art requires sand, tempera paint, glue, hair spray, toothpicks or Popsicle sticks, and a plastic spoon. Draw a simple pencil sketch on a piece of paper. Divide the sand into separate containers and mix tempera paint into the sand. Make the colors dull or bright by controlling the amount of paint added to the sand. Working in small sections, place an even layer of glue onto the paper. Pour colored sand over the glue with the spoon. Use the toothpick or Popsicle stick to guide stray sand or add intricate details. Continue until you finish all sections, then spray the whole picture with hair spray to set the sand.
Navajo Blanket Paintings
-
You can imitate the designs woven into Navajo blankets onto an art canvas using finger paints, paper, crayons and glue. Create a blanket design using straight and slightly curved lines in crayon over the length of the canvas, leaving two to three inches of white canvas to the left and right of the design. Fingerpaint over each crayon mark in different colors. Use the pad of the finger to make soft lines, and the tips to make sharper lines. Allow the painting to dry. While the painting is drying, draw a combination of colorful curved and straight lines with the crayon on a new sheet of paper. Cut the paper in half lengthwise and attach the paper to the longer edges of the dried picture, to the left and right sides, with glue. Attach the lengthwise paper to the picture by aligning the edges of the paper to the edges of the picture. The finished product will be a painted replica of a Navajo blanket.
-
Bead Art
-
Bead art was an important part of the Navajo lifestyle. You can use bead jewelry to represent the Navajo importance placed on the number four. Four represented important symbols, such as the mountains surrounding the Navajo land; the number of seasons; and the number of directions. Navajo Native Americans assigned four colors to the four directions: North is black, South is turquoise, East is white and West is yellow. Use beads of these colors in groups of four combined with silver beads. Silver beads represent the Navajo silversmiths. Lace a piece of string to create a bead Navajo necklace, bracelet, or other item of jewelry.
Dreamcatchers
-
Making a Navajo dreamcatcher is a very involved process that may require a few attempts. Gather a 12-inch metal hoop, 24 inches of fabric, half a yard of suede cloth, fabric glue, five yards of fake sinew or yarn, feathers and pony beads. Wrap the 24 inches of fabric tightly around the metal hoop using the fabric glue to attach fabric to metal. Allow the wrap to dry. Use the sinew or yarn to create the inside of the dreamcatcher. This will be the toughest part of the project. Tie an end to the metal hoop. Drape the sinew inside the hoop so it hangs approximately 1/2 inch inside the hoop. Wrap the sinew around the metal hoop. The sinew will be wrapped around the hoop's circumference while hanging inside the hoop vertically. Repeat this process around the circumference. When you have covered the circumference, lace the sinew through the first hoop made and continue around the circle of new loops, lacing the sinew inside itself and working toward the center of the hoop. Tie off the center and superglue the knot so it will not come undone. Divide the suede cloth into three equal parts and attach to the bottom of the metal hoop with fabric glue. Split the tails and add the pony beads to the ends of the tails.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit feathers image by lidian neeleman from Fotolia.com
