Armadillo Art Activities
Armadillos are relatively common in Texas, and the animal has become an unofficial symbol representing that state. Every winter, the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas holds an Armadillo Christmas Bazaar. An Austin tradition for three decades, the Bazaar celebrates Texan identity in general and Austin identity in particular. If you want to pay homage to your Texas roots, join the tradition of making armadillo art. You can craft armadillos in any media and style.
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Metal Sculptures
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Metal sculptures of armadillos make a charming addition to the home or garden. For those unfamiliar with sculptural techniques, it's not difficult to craft an armadillo sculpture out of found objects. For instance, Ptolemy Elrington, an English sculptor, assembled hubcaps into an armadillo.
Alebrijes
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Armadillos are popular subjects for alebrijes, which are brightly-colored Mexican folk art sculptures. The wood of an alebrije comes from the copal tree, which is carefully carved and sanded before the artist covers the surface with patterns and bright colors.
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Crayon on Black Paper
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One armadillo art activity that even children can do involves using colorful wax crayons on black paper. A teacher in Massachusetts suggests this technique as a way to teach students about alebrije art techniques, as well as aboriginal practices of using geometric shapes to form animal figures. The student-artists each draw a light sketch of an armadillo and then fill the body with colorful geometric patterns. They can then use a stylus to carve back into the crayon and reveal the black paper underneath. Armadillos provide a useful subject matter for students and artists that like geometry and pattern—the animal's carapace is basically a grid!
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References
- Photo Credit armadillo image by Jose Hernaiz from Fotolia.com
