For Mexican/Hispanic Heritage Month, I decided to do one of my informational/craft programs. We are still doing virtual programming at my library, so I figured this would be the perfect format.
My plan is to present a PowerPoint presentation about Mexican Folk Art. Talk a little bit about what folk art is, what forms it takes and give some examples. I also am going to give a brief introduction to three well known Mexican painters and muralists who were influenced by folk art: Diego Rivera, Frida Karlo & José Clemente
Orozco. From there, we will talk about Hojalata or tin art and what makes it stand out from other embossing art.
Once we've done our discussion we will get crafty and create our own Hojalata art!
Supplies:
Disposable cooking sheet or pie plate
Scissors
Nail/butter knife
Sharpies
Painter’s tape
*This craft should be done with Parental Assistance/Permission*
Directions:
Take your cookie sheet and cut it into several sections.
Trim the corners of your sheets to prevent sharp edges. You can also wrap them in tape.
Tape the aluminum sheets down to the work surface. Painter’s tape will secure it in place. This is also a great step for the adults to do for younger kids who want to participate because once the sheet is taped down, the sharp edges are secured.
Then, start “drawing” on the alumnum using the flat end of a nail or the non-serrated edge of a butter knife. Be sure to press down hard to make an indentation in the metal.
Keep making your embossed design until you are satisfied. Remove the painter’s tape.
Turn the sheet over, tape it down again, and use Sharpies to color to the design using the embossed edges as borders for the color.
Remove tape and oooo, ahhh!
Here's some samples:
How'd it go:
I think things when pretty well. It was a very small group. I'm not sure if school schedules conflicted with the time but, that's OK. I should have maybe practiced my education part of the presentation but everything was there and those who participated came out with an easy new craft.
That's all for now!
-M-