Create a Wire Sculpture with a mounted base or set stone.
1. Draw and Design (this is part of your grade).
2. Create a wire sculpture that is free standing with a base that you create from a rock, wood, painted plastic container, or found object that looks good with your work of art. Being creative, making the base or finding something that goes with it is part of your job and grade. Do a good job with your base or mounted item. You may also mount or set your your item instead. Such as a wrapped stone or crystal for a necklace or ring.
Careful, I expect that your create a work of art. You have a lot of time to work. Don't just wrap a stone in wire and hand it in you will fail. Simple designs go quicker and require less time and effort. If your design is simple, do a second sculpture so you earn a better grade.
Hand in both a photo of your drawing and a photo of your final work in Schoology. Hand in your finished wire sculpture in person so I can put them on display.
Wire & Tools
Artist use all sorts of wire to make sculptures. Some wire is coated with plastic and colorful. There are different types of metals. Some wire has multiple strands for flexibility.
Copper wire looks nice, bends easily but can be expensive, but not as expensive as real silver or real gold.
Common sizes of wire we use are 12 gauge through 20 gauge.
Coat hangers are often 8 gauge through 12 gauge and work well for wire sculptures.
Color of the wire does not tell the gauge (thickness).
Reuse / Recycle
Find wire around your house!
Old wire and coat hangers can be turned into sculptures. Thinner coat hangers are easier to bend and cut with plyers. Old wire can be stripped to the metal or used as is to show color.
This bat and cat below were created from coat hangers. Can you tell the cat is turned into a necklace.
Necklaces
This handmade metal necklace is designed to look like barbed wire. Some metals are better than others for wearing against your skin. Copper might turn your skin green.
Names and words can be spelled out in wire.
Setting Stones
Stones, Crystals, Gems, Wood can all be "set" or "mounted" using wire.
How to wrap wire videos can be found to do all sorts of designs.
Colorful craft wire can be bought at stores along with beads, crystals, stones and fine string to decorate wire sculptures.
Colorful thin craft wire is easy to bend and tie around rocks or wood as a base.
Embroidery floss is very thin and comes in many different colors.
This wire sculpture of a rooster is decorated with embroidery floss to add color.
Decorate with Tissue paper
Elmer's glue or Paper Mache works well with tissue paper or newspaper.
Decorate with Newspaper and Twine
Create a Base
Driftwood, stones, crystals, a block of wood, a plastic container painted with black acrylic paint all make nice bases for your wire sculpture.
Mobile
The meaning of the term "mobile" as applied to sculpture has evolved since it was first suggested by Marcel Duchamp in 1931 to describe the early, mechanized creations of Alexander Calder. At this point, "mobile" was synonymous with the term "kinetic art", describing sculptural works in which motion is a defining property.
Balanced Mobile + Stone Base + Tissue Paper Leaves