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Arts & Entertainment

Sculpting with Wire: Like 3-D Drawing

Kids can explore shapes, add beads to their creations.

Sculpting with wire can be compared to drawing in three dimensions. The linear form of the wire creates shapes and connections that exist in space rather than on a flat page.  

Forms and connections can be explored as young artists bend, shape and twist new creations. Pipe cleaners and chenille stems are a good starting place for kids to explore and shape lines. Twist ties,  wick sticks, bendaroos and lengths of thin wire also work well for small hands.  

Look for craft or jewelry wire that can be cut easily and shaped with hands or small tools. Small needle-nose pliers will have a wire cutter at the back and can also help kids to grab and shape smaller loops and shapes.

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Straws, popsicle sticks, toothpicks, and chop sticks are other good linear forms you may have around the house to add to your creations. Encourage kids to begin working with these linear materials on a flat surface.  

Begin with a drawing and see how the wire or pipe cleaner can be shaped to follow the lines of the image.  Expand the experience by beginning to look for ways to connect shapes in space and to create a form that will stand on its own.

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Lines and shapes can be twisted to form people, animals, vehicles, flowers and machines as well as fun abstract shapes and sculptures. Kids will likely begin with creating simple geometric shapes and learning to close a form by connecting the wire end to end.  

Expand the exploration by providing buttons, straws, beads or other forms to string on the wire. A block of styrofoam can assist younger artists and add stability by providing a stable base for building.  Older artists may enjoy the challenge of shaping legs to pose and support a wire sculpture.

As sculpture expand, encourage children to look at them from different angles and see how the interaction of lines changes from different viewpoints. Try drawing the linear sculptures from different angles to see how it looks different from the side or an overhead view.  One of the best qualities of wire and pipe cleaners is that they remain pliable and sculptures can be ever-changing and transforming.  Have fun drawing with lines in space.

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