Discover the fabulous textures around you while you play with a fun & versatile design tool in this week’s #myCMAStudio challenge.
Make a “stencil” in the shape of a jacket, skirt, pants or hat… and go on a hunt for eye-catching textures to fill it. A paper towel or piece of paper folded in half makes a symmetrical stencil shape if desired. What happens to the edge when it’s torn or cut? What shapes make a funky, classic or street vibe to your stencil?
Grab a camera or phone and tour your bedroom, closet, kitchen, yard, basement or garage holding your stencil up to different textures you find. Let yourself get absorbed in the process and snap photos when you get that feeling of discovery. How many different ways can you use one texture? Which ones work or do not work and why? What do you notice about the scale (relative sizes) while you design? Use your collection of images as reference for fashion illustration, character creation or whatever suits your fancy.
Find a CMA Studio Challenge that speaks to you and thanks to everyone who has participated. Share your creations on social media by tagging #myCMAstudio.
#myCMAstudio is a digital version of our drop-in program, Open Studio. Which is currently unavailable to the public due to Covid-19, and part of CMA’s JPMorgan Chase Center for Creativity Studio to explore ideas, solve creative challenges, and collaborate with friends and family. Pick up a Studio in a Box with all the supplies and materials needed to aid you in our weekly challenges or allow our CMA educators to guide kids Pre-K – 8th grade in an online Weekly Studio Meet-up.
-Melanie Holm is a High School Art Teacher at The Arts and College Preparatory Academy. She teaches art with a focus on building skills, vision and student voice, and getting into ‘the zone’ when making stuff. She travels and explores the outdoors, likes to fix things and collects found objects for inspiration. Melanie moonlights in an all-mom rock band (Trachete) and recently became a certified yoga instructor.
