Alexander Calder’s Jewelry

Calder’s necklace of glass jewels

Alexander Calder made this pin for his wife, Louisa

Calder’s earrings are miniature mobiles.

Did you know Calder designed wire jewelry? He made 1,800 pieces of jewelry during his long career. Learn more in this New York Times article and related New York Times slideshow of Calder’s jewelry. I was fortunate to see the Calder jewelry exhibit when it came to the San Diego Museum of Art in 2010.

The San Diego Museum of Art has a Calder inspired jewelry and wire sculpture lesson plan for upper elementary students.

Line drawing of Calder jewelry forms. Imagine your students making them in wire!

Calder jewelry-making techniques from SDMART lesson plan

Looking for a wire sculpture lesson plan? Check out my previous post: Calder wire sculpture lesson for 5th grade.

UPDATE: lots more Calder posts:

How to Make a Calder Mobile

Two Calder books to read online for free

Calder wire portraits

 

Calder Wire Sculpture for Fifth Grade

calder wire sculpture pinable

Of all the famous artists we study, students think Alexander Calder is the most fun.  Fifth graders made Calder-inspired wire animal sculptures.

Alexander Calder’s Fish (1944).

 

5th graders made wire sculptures focusing on contour. Allow 2-3 40 minute sessions.

 Materials:

Notes: When buying wire, the higher the gauge, the thinner and more flexible the wire. The wires below are soft enough for students to cut with our blunt-tip school scissors! Simplify your life and buy pre-cut 18″ floral wire (available at floral suppliers, Wal-Mart and Michaels).

 

  • spool of  Dick Blick 14-gauge Armature and Sculpture Wire , (cut one 3 ft. piece per student) (note: compensated affiliate link)
  • pre-cut 18″ floral wire, 20 or 22 gauge, ‘bright’ (silver-colored aluminum)
  • pre-cut 18″ floral wire, 26 gauge. I call this super-fine and flexible wire ‘sewing wire’ because it is fine enough to pass through sequins, beads and window screen.
  • embellishments: buttons, beads, sequins, aluminum pot scrubbers, pipe cleaners, aluminum window screen.
  • sketch paper (we use 8.5″x11″ copy paper)
  • markers for sketching
  • optional: Ziploc gallon-size storage bags for storing unfinished work between sessions

We begin by looking at this Calder wire sculpture Powerpoint. Next students sketch a contour drawing of an animal on copy paper. The sketch should touch all four edges of the paper and should be simple. Then students trace the contour with 14 gauge sculpture wire, overlap the ends and twist to secure.

Trace marker sketch with wire.

They can string shorter wires or pipe cleaners with beads, sequins and buttons across the center. Encourage kids to experiment.

 

We link up the sculptures in a chain (using my favorite paper-clip ‘S’ hooks) and suspend from the ceiling.  Instant group Calder mobile!

Calder’s art is so varied and interesting, you could do an entire unit: a mobile lesson, stabile lesson, a wire sculpture lesson, a circus lesson, even a jewelry lesson.

Do you love Calder’s art? Check out my posts on Calder’s jewelry , Calder wire portraits, and best wire sculptures of 2012.

UPDATE: Calder books to read online for free! Click here

NEW: click here: How to make a Calder mobile!

 

Note: I am an affiliate of Blick Art Supplies. I have been using Blick Armature and Sculpture Wire for nine years and LOVE it!

UPDATED: 11/23/13

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