Exploring A New Language: Plaster!

3/15/2022

Introducing Plaster

Upon entering the atelier, children saw two examples of dried plaster. Ramsey and Rawls shared their observations of the plaster ring which had been collaged with a variety of materials.
Ramsey: There is a seashell in the sand.
Rawls: And a seashell and a seashell and another rock. Another rock. What!
Ramsey: This one is lower and this one is taller because it is stuck in the sand.

Mixing Plaster

Jen, our Atelierista, explained to the children that plaster is a powder that we mix with water. The children learned that when mixing plaster, that we need to be careful of the dust, so we had to wear our "dust masks." The children helped to make the plaster by sprinkling the powder into the water and then stirring until it was thick and "gooey, gooey," as described by Fay.
Charlton: Is this messy? Is it a little messy?
Cal: Can I try?
Jen: When we use the powder, we need to put on masks for the dust.
Karen: What does the plaster remind you of?
Ragnar: It's like flour.
Fay: Like when you bake a cake.
Rawls: It’s doing this too!
Ramsey: I see bubbles going into the water.
Rawls: It’s white.
Ramsey: It’s like milk on my finger.
Bailee: Bubbles. Bubbles. Bubbles.

Choosing and Placing Our Materials

The next step was to place materials in the plaster. A variety of designs ensued, each child making one unique to their own wishes, preferences and and personality.

Talking About Materials

Cal looked at the tray of materials: For me? Whoa! What’s all that?
Charlton: I’m going want some shells.
Cal: I love the wood (picking up a small wooden disc).
Charlton: These are kinda like little pumpkins (picking up a small seed pod).
Rawls: I’m going to do these. And I like these. This is from a coke (picking up a metal soda can tab). Rawls picked up a seed pod that Charlton had described as a "little pumpkin" and said: It kinda looks like a a lollipop. It’s a lollipop.While pouring the plaster into our trays..
Cal: Wow, it’s making it….
Charlton: You’re getting messy Karen. I touched it (touching the plaster).
Karen: How’s it feel, Charlton?
Charlton: Good!

Placing Our Materials

Cal dropped a small piece of metal into the plaster: It’s sinking. Oh. That are sink. Maybe I should dump. It’s like a sailboat (referring to a wooden disc). Kinda like a sailboat with a lot of people on it.
Charlton placed a shell in the plaster and then picked it up and placed it in another spot.
Bailee: Uh-oh. It’s sinking. I think it’s underwater. Whoa. My hand dirty. It’s gooey. Gooey hands. Look it’s going underwater. It’s not going under.
Karen to Ramsey: Is yours just the way you want it then?
Ramsey counted the objects that he had placed in the plaster: Just the way I want them. It’s touching the plaster. Look I covered a lot.
Ragnar: I want to add the things that sunk in.
Fay laughed: My screwdriver (small silver screw) is like so small and it sink in. Ooohhh. Look. I’m putting them in. I putting another thing in. Gooey. Gooey. Gooey. I’m going to do my one more. This one all done.
Ragnar: This is sticking in so it can go under.
Fay: Look at mine. I want to put this there. Look. Look, I’m all done. I add this! Look at this, I made a corn (placing an acorn in the plaster). I made an acorn airplane to fly to the stars.
Look for more work with plaster in the coming weeks after Spring Break!

Elsewhere in the Brown Room

The work on Emma's Birthday Committee continued in the studio. More dinos have joined Dino-World too! Lastly, everyone got into the action in the outdoor classroom on this beautiful day as well.