A sculpture is a work of art that isn’t flat like a drawing. You can make sculptures out of lots of materials, like wood, playdoh or even fabric. The artist Rachel Hayes makes big, colorful sculptures out of fabric. When art is made with fabric, it’s also called textile art.
The exhibition “Looking Through a Sewn Sky” in our Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture Garden includes colorful, textile sculptures by Rachel Hayes that were inspired by works of art in our collection.
Look closely at one of the installations. What colors can you find? What do you think happens to the colors if it rains or if the sun shines? Would they look brighter or darker?
What shapes do you see? Are they curvy or straight? What happens to these sculptures when the
wind blows?
Now it’s your turn to make your own textile art!
For this activity, you will need:
- light-colored cotton fabric (sock, bandana, shirt, etc.)
- squirt gun
- food dye
- water
To make your artwork:
- Go outside or cover your work surface for easy clean-up. Wear old clothes so the dye doesn’t stain.
- Fill the squirt gun with water and a few drops of food dye.
- Have your little artist spray the fabric with the squirt gun. Watch the colors drip, mix and make patterns.
- Refill squirt guns with new colors if you’d like more designs.
- Leave the fabric out to dry. Grown-ups can heat-set the colors with an iron if you want them to
last longer.