learning about the world through

sculptural ideas for school and home

Arthur Auer

illustrations by Elizabeth Auer

Arthur and Elizabeth Auer live in a little house in the big woods of theMount Monadnock region of New Hampshire. They have workedtogether for many years helping establish and build up the Pine HillWaldorf School as teachers, trustees, and parents. With a backgroundin design and illustration, Elizabeth currently teaches Manual Arts atPine Hill and drawing at Antioch New England Graduate School whereshe is an adjunct faculty member. She illustrated the children's bookDance of the Elves and is the current illustrator of Stella Natura, an agri-cultural calendar published by the Biodynamic Farming and GardeningAssociation. After many years of class teaching, Arthur is now a corefaculty member in the Education Department of Antioch New EnglandGraduate School. He is Coordinator of the Year Round Teacher TrainingProgram in Waldorf Education and supervises internships all overNorth America. As a classroom teacher and someone not professional-ly trained in modeling or the arts, he perceived the need for a source-book to aid others in similar situations. Above all, Arthur wants to stim-ulate teachers and parents to encourage their children to imbue clayand other sculptural materials with creative form, beauty and the wis-dom of the hands. His eighteen years of educating children usinghands-on and experiential methods convinced him that modeling andother arts enhance and build intelligence and motivation significantly.

Learning about the World Through ModelingArthur Auer

AWSNA Publications

CMYK

2

3LEARNING ABOUT THE WORLD THROUGH

MODELINGSCULPTURAL IDEAS FOR SCHOOL AND HOME

by

Arthur Auer

Illustrations by Elizabeth Auer

Curriculum Series

The Publications Committee of AWSNA is pleased to bring forward this publication as part of its Curriculum Series. The thoughts and ideas represented herein are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent any implied criteria set by AWSNA. It is our intention to stimulate as much writing and thinking as possible about our curriculum, including diverse views. Please contact us with feedback on this publication as well as requests for future works.

David Mitchell For the Publications Committee AWSNA

Published by: The Association of Waldorf Schools of North America 38 Main Street Chatham, NY 12037

Title: Learning about the World through MODELING Sculptural Ideas for School and Home

Author: Arthur Auer

Author Assistance: Ruth Riegel-Lamborghini Supported by The Center for Anthroposophy

Illustrator: Elizabeth Auer

Editor: David Mitchell

Cover: Hallie Wootan

Proofreader: Swain Pratt

2001 by AWSNAReprinted 2012

ISBN: # 1-888365-30-7

5GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author is indebted to the sculptor Michael Howard for hiscontribution of The Transformation of the Five Platonic Solids; toMercury Press for allowing inclusion of Dr. Elisabeth Kleins Mod-eling as the Expression of the Childs Inner Being, from WaldorfSchools, volume I (Ruth Pusch, editor); to Patrick Stolfo for his articleon Sculpture in the Waldorf Curriculum, from Renewal: A Journalfor Waldorf Education; to Anna-Sophia Gross for use of The Idea ofMetamorphosis in Connection with the Modeling Lessons of theWaldorf School and to Michael Martin for Some Thoughts Con-cerning the Methods in the Formative Lessons, both published inEducating through Arts and Crafts (Michael Martin and Martyn Rawson,editors); to the Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship of Great Britainfor permission to reprint these two chapters as well as for A WaldorfSchool Sculpture and Modeling Curriculum from The EducationalTasks and Content of the Steiner/Waldorf Curriculum (Martyn Rawsonand Tobias Richter, editors).

6Three basic features of clay, its three dimensionality, flexibility, and manipulative qualities, allowchildren to actually think through the medium . . . Clay facilitates trying out ideas, allows for continu-ous change, and provides children with a sense of freedom of action and choice. Manipulation (is) recog-nized by most educators and researchers, particularly by Piagetians , as basic to the development of logicalthinking and language. Without manipulative activities, children have difficulty or cannot progress tohigher levels of thinking.

Sara SmilanskyIsraeli researcher

In working with clay one receives new ideas that one did not have before. This means that the forcesof imagination have been stimulated to develop. Soft, formless clay can be a willing helper in the process.

Michael MartinGerman educator and artist

The curious, exploratory, improvisational interaction of the hand with objects in the real worldgives rise to what we call ideas. Ideas, in fact, are more intimately related in development with theinteraction of the body with the world.

It ...seems most likely that (over the course of evolution) the brain elevated the skill of the hand asthe hand was writing its burgeoning sensory and motor complexities, and its novel possibilities, into thebrain...The brain keeps giving the hand new things to do and new ways of doing what it already knows howto do. In turn, the hand affords the brain new ways of approaching old tasks and the possibility of undertak-ing and mastering new tasks. That means the brain, for its part, can acquire new ways of representing anddefining the world.

In the formative years of each human being, the hands need to recapitulate and play their crucialevolutionary role designing and building significant elements of our neural circuitry and capacities.

Frank Wilson,Neurologist, Medical DirectorOf the Ostwald Health Program,University of California

The idea is a plastic form.The movements of our fingers are to a great extent the teachers of the elasticity of our thinking.

Rudolf SteinerAustrian founder of Waldorf Schools

The density of nerve endings in our fingertips is enormous. Their discrimination is almost as goodas that of our eyes. If we do not use our fingers, if in childhood we become finger-blind, this rich networkof nerves is impoverished, which represents a huge loss to the brain and thwarts the individuals all arounddevelopment. . . If we neglect to develop and train our childrens fingers and the creative formbuildingcapacity of their hand muscles, then we neglect to develop their understanding of the unity of things; wethwart their aesthetic and creative powers.

Matti BergstromSwedish neurophysiologist

7TABLE OF CONTENTS

An Appeal to Educators and Parents ........................................................................................... 8The Whole World in a Childs Hands .......................................................................................... 9

PART I: DOINGIn Touch with Our Hands ............................................................................................................. 14Hand Movements in Space and Matter ....................................................................................... 22Choice of Materials ........................................................................................................................ 37Practical Aspects ............................................................................................................................ 42Summary of Suggestions .............................................................................................................. 47The Eight Series of Ideas First Series ................................................................................................................................ 49 Second Series ............................................................................................................................. 57 Third Series ............................................................................................................................... 64 Fourth Series .............................................................................................................................. 74 Fifth Series ................................................................................................................................. 87 Sixth Series ................................................................................................................................. 97 Seventh Series ............................................................................................................................ 106 Eighth Series .............................................................................................................................. 114

Transformation of the Five Platonic Solids, by Michael Howard .............................................. 121List of Exercises and Ideas ............................................................................................................. 128

PART II: PONDERINGThe Waldorf School Curriculum: Reflections and Developmental Perspectives on Modeling ............................................................................................................................. 135Multisensory Education ................................................................................................................. 141Working with Different Temperaments ...................................................................................... 144Piaget, Multiple Intelligences, and the Modeling Process ........................................................ 148Hand Movements Sculpt Intelligence .......................................................................................... 155Thinking through Modeling .......................................................................................................... 164Beeswax: Gift of the Hive Community ........................................................................................ 167Clay and Water: Vessels of Life and Instruments of the Music of Forms ............................... 171Rudolf Steiners Advice ................................................................................................................ 180Modeling as the Expression of the Childs Inner Being, by Elisabeth Klein ............................. 192Sculpture in the Waldorf Curriculum, by Patrick Stolfo ........................................................... 195The Idea of Metamorphosis in Connection with the Modeling Lessons of the Waldorf School by, Anna-Sophia Gross ................................................................................... 198Some Thoughts Concerning the Methods in the Formative Lessons, by Michael Martin ...... 207Quotations from Living with Forms in Art and in Nature, by Michael Martin ......................... 213A Waldorf School Sculpture and Modeling Curriculum, by Martyn Rawson ......................... 215Bibliography .................................................................................................................................... 221Stories to Light up the Imagination ............................................................................................. 226

8AN APPEAL TO EDUCATORS AND PARENTS

Let your children work with their handsto imbue clay and other sculptural materials with

creative form, beauty, and wisdom!

The hands-on activity of sculptural modeling works uponthe mind and builds the brain through a rich complexity of senseexperiences. Overall learning capacities, intellectual abilities, emo-tional intelligence, and the will to accomplish tasks are enhanced.

This accessible sourcebook has been created for the inex-perienced and experienced alike and may be used by teachers andparents everywhere in all kinds of settings, including home andschool, whether public, independent, Waldorf, Montessori, or othereducational and artistic endeavors.

This manual grew out of an action research project byArthur Auer for Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene,New Hampshire. He was a Waldorf class teacher for 18 years and iscurrently a core faculty member in the Antioch Waldorf Teacher Edu-cation Program. As a classroom teacher not professionally trained inmodeling or the arts, he saw the need for a sourcebook that wouldaid others in similar situations. The enthusiasm shown by his manystudents and by his two daughters, Sonya and Sasha, for hands-on,experiential learning also helped inspire him to compose this book.

His thanks go out to them and to his wife, Elizabeth, forher illustrations and tireless support; to David Mitchell of AWSNAPublications for his steadfast encouragement and devoted help; toMichael Howard of Sunbridge College, to Patrick Stolfo of theHawthorne Valley School, and to Frances Vig of the Chicago WaldorfSchool for going over the manuscript with a fine artists comb; tothe artistic work and publications of Anke-Usche Clausen and Mar-tin Riedel, which inspired the author during his teaching career; toPeter Wolf and Michael Martin of Germany for sharing ideas andexperience; to Julie King and Dr. Talu Robertson of Antioch NewEngland Graduate School for guiding him in the graduate researchprocess; and to other colleagues worldwide who have contributed tothe production of this sourcebook. May it be useful and used!

9 The human being is fully human only whenhe plays

Friedrich SchillerAesthetic Letters

From an early age, children are in-stinctively drawn to shaping things withtheir hands, whether it be the wet snow,sand in the box or on the beach, or the mudin the puddle. Fortunate are those young-sters whose parents and teachers intuitivelysense the importance of this most basic ofhuman urges and regularly place specialmaterials at their childrens disposal.

Grappling with clay or other pliablematerial is a means of connecting and in-teracting with reality in a manner that isseldom afforded by any other activity. Thechild holds a piece of the world that has thespecial potential to be shaped in an infinitenumber of forms. Depending on how herhands move, express, or impress them-selves, the soft material will respond in aall sorts of fascinating ways. Amorphousshapes discovered in the hollow of the handcan turn into a vast array of things on thewings of imagination.

The Intelligent Hand

The hand is the outer brain of the human being.

Immanuel Kant

Modeling becomes a stimulatingand ever-changing dialogue between hu-man being and world that allows for allkinds of discovery. It allows a child to formand reform a medium that flexibly and for-givingly lends itself to the exploration ofideas as one proceeds. The hand becomesthe teacher of the mind and brain as it in-vestigates and stumbles upon unexpectedcombinations and configurations of shapes.The eye reaches out to bear active witnessand the imagination and intellect may havea result in mind for the lump of clay. It isultimately the intelligent hand that guidesthe way with intuitive will and sensitivity.Our emancipated hands are essential to ourfull humanity, free will, and searching spirit.

The Whole World in a Childs Hands

10

The Dance of Form in theHollows of Our Hands

Forms arise, in fact, out of a danceand dialogue between our two differenthands moving cooperatively and asym-metrically. The hands discuss and achieveany of the infinite number of configurationspossible in the space between them. In theirinteraction, they help us grasp, shape, andlearn about space as well as substance. Thespace between the hands is indeed a sacred,living one in which worlds are born.

Even the simplest of animal or hu-man figures made by young children caninvolve elaborate movements. Such mo-tions result in complex topologies and land-scapes of form that would challenge analy-sis by a higher mathematician. The art ofmodeling creatively simulates the intricateform-making of our environment and givesus access to important aspects of naturesworkshop and to the fundamental languageof universal forms. Through modeling welearn about the world and about ourselves.It strengthens our powers of observationand mobility in perception and thinking.

Khnum the Molder fashioned the world egg on his potters wheel. Khnum the Potter

shaped human beings and children in theirmothers wombs and all flesh. He modeled

the gods and the limbs of Osiris.

Egyptian Mythology

Modeling as a Formative Art andForce in Life and Learning

It is remarkable that in shaping amalleable piece of the world, the child is, infact, taking charge of forming and inform-ing his own being. Her senses, her feelings,her thoughts, and even the intricate cell tis-sue and neurophysiological web of the brainare affected. Clay becomes a microcosmthat, when grasped and molded by a child,allows her to internally process and ulti-mately grasp the complex forms of a mi-raculous universe. Our motor skills, espe-cially of our fine muscles, have been foundto form our brain and influence the nimble-ness of our thinking.

Children, like soft clay itself, arethemselves in a formative state and are be-ing molded by their impressions and bytheir active engagement with their sur-roundings. Modeling clay and other plas-tic substances allow them in a self-directedway to participate in a process that is won-derfully analogous to human development.

Molding, modeling, sculptingwhatever we call itis one of the oldestbasic human activities in the world. To doit is to unfold an important aspect of beinghuman. This is true of all of the arts. Theyempower us with a sense of joy and rever-ential absorption. They allow us to carrythrough a process with will, struggle, trans-formation, and problem solving. We learnhow to learn, and we find a universal ap-plicability to all kinds of situations in life.

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moving again and rediscover sculptural im-age-making as an essential and enjoyableaspect of human activity. In many an adultthere is an artist suppressed or lying dor-mant.

Artistic expression is a part of ourbasic nature. In our highly intellectual andspecialized modern society, which classifiesonly a certain segment of the population asartists, natural, artistic expression is alltoo readily squashed. Art, or Kunst, as theGermans call it, is a word that derives fromthe root meaning can or to be able(knnen). My personal translation of itsoriginal meaning would freely render it as

Art = You can do it!

Part One of this Sourcebook is there-fore dedicated to Doing. Part Two will bedevoted to further Pondering, or exploringthe value and significance of modeling ineducation and human life, and to resourcesfor furthering our understanding of thisartistic activity.

Whatever you can do beyond plac-ing materials in childrens hands will be areal boon to their efforts. As you yourselfgain experience, your contributions to thechildrens efforts will increase. This book ismeant for both the inexperienced and theexperienced. For the inexperienced, it canstart you on your way as teacher or paren-tal guide. It is meant as a creative stimulus,a collection of inspirational starter or seedideas and suggestions. It is not meant to beused as a rigid recipe book. Its aim is to helpyou bring yourself to the point of creatingyour own exercises. Creative modeling canresult in a deep inner satisfaction and peace.

Head for the Hands with Heart:How to Use this Sourcebook

It may . . . be that the most powerful tacticavailable to any parent or teacher who

hopes to awaken the curiosity of a child, and who seeks to join the child who is ready to learn, is simply to head for the hands. Frank R. Wilson

Neurologist

EncouragementMost children, I have found, do not

do enough modeling these days, either inthe classroom or at home. The most basicthing we as adults can do is to make mate-rials available to them on a regular basis (atleast once a week). Parents and teachersneed not consider themselves artistic toencourage and guide their children or stu-dents in modeling activity. Childrenshands usually know what to do.

My experience has taught me thatevery child has a natural artist within. Par-ticularly after the age of ten, this natural art-ist can fade away if not fed and nurtured inthe right way. Grades foursix are the cru-cial bridge years when adults especiallyneed to encourage the efforts and emerg-ing abilities of all children. Without such en-couragement, many self-conscious studentsmay artistically shut down, giving up onmodeling and other arts as things they can-not do and which are only for the artists.This attitude can persist into adulthood.Many grown-ups find themselves stuckat the nineten year-old stage of artistic abil-ity. Nevertheless, adults suddenly confront-ing such hang-ups can get themselves

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Developing the Eight SeriesTo begin, I have chosen to character-

ize a preliminary and preparatory set ofgenerally applicable hand-gesture andhand-form exercises. Following are eightseries of typical ideas and themes I haveused, which have worked for me as ateacher during the particular stages of mystudents growth. (Waldorf teachers ideallyaccompany the same group of children upthrough grade eight.) As seasoning, I havealso sprinkled in some exercises for the vari-ous ages that I have derived from otherteachers and sources.

Series One contains exercises that Ifound valuable and appropriate for stu-dents in grade one, Series Two for gradetwo, and so on through Series Eight foreighth graders. The exercises can be usedin the developmental order I have estab-lished or can be selected according to yourinstinct for what your children need. Youare free to pick, choose, modify, or designyour own exercises depending on your cur-riculum in school or your family ideas.Many a theme can be adapted to more thanone age level and degree of sophistication.The house-building theme, for example,which I describe as developmentally opti-mal as a third grade experience, can be usedat many ages. Although the eight series fo-cus on experiences below the secondarylevel, houses and human and animal fig-ures are universal forms that can be takenup in all kinds of ways each year up throughhigh school and beyond.

Ultimately, I would like to encour-age you to develop your own sense for whatis most valuable and appropriate in the livesof your children. For parents, it is alwayswonderful when you can find time to sitdown and model side by side with yourchild. Explore, gain experience, and have

fun learning from each other! The exercisesin the First through Fourth Series are mostreadily adaptable to home use. Those in theFifth through Eight tend to be more special-ized and oriented to a school or homeschoolcurriculum.

For teachers, I recommend that youexperiment and practice with the exercisesas part of your preparation before the les-son. Then demonstrate the creation of a par-ticular form in front of the class. You mayshow the students the whole exercise or justa part to get them started. Once your stu-dents are modeling regularly, you can de-cide how much of an exercise should bedemonstrated before they start. Occasion-ally give only verbal descriptions or instruc-tions and let them work out much for them-selves. There are a variety of ways of guid-ing projects from the imitative to individualchoice, and a whole range of variations inbetween.

When we form something through artistic activity, we are formed and changed in the

process, and that spurs the developmentalprocess.

Henry Schaefer-Simmern Psychologist and therapist

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DOING

Only through the dawn gates of beauty canst thou pass into the realms of knowledge.

Friedrich Schiller Poet

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The dignity of the human being Is given into your hands.

It can sink with you. With you it can rise nobly upright.

Friedrich Schiller

Before you plunge into the specificthemes of the eight series, take a momentto appreciate your hands. Hold them up,move them in various positions in relationto each other. Observe how the fingers cangracefully form arcs of movement, createdifferent kinds of space in between (straight,curved, etc.). Have hands, palms, and fin-gertips touch and embrace in all sorts ofways. Can you experience the asymmetryof their strength and the dominance of onehand? Our hands can be quite playful andhave been called a metaphor for our human-ness. Observe the hands and hand move-ments of others. As a preparation beforeworking with children, adults should reac-quaint themselves with the miracle of theirown hands.

Hand GesturesChildren love imaginative hand ges-

tures, finger plays, and games with rhymes.Our hands can talk to each other. Discoverall kinds of hand conversations and do themwith children.

In Touch with Our Hands

15

Our opposing thumbs and fingers easilybecome very chatty mouths that can havelively face-to-face, hand-to-hand conversa-tions. (When we take a pencil in our hand,it becomes a writing-speaking tongue.) Orstick up some fingers as ears, and animalsstart talking!

Shadows cast by such creatures have tradi-tionally delighted the imagination. Fingergames are a related activity as is the wholerealm of hand puppetry in which materialscostume the hand in its movements.

Try some of the following gestures withyour children, and then invent your own.

Basic hand expansion and contraction(fist):

curling up tight (snail in her house/rounded head). The hand forms a livingspiral!

opening, shining, and raying outwards(sun/radiant limbs).

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curving (halfway in-betweenfeelingspace)

arching over (rainbow)

greeting/embracing

hugging

receiving/holding

giving and receiving/taking(active and passive)

Dialogue of two hands creating handspace.

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covering/protecting

treasuring/sensing/thinking

fitting together (doing same together)

joining/praying (1)

joining/praying (2)

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into blossoming

flying (wings of bird, butterfly 1)

flying (wings of bird, butterfly 2)

unfolding from a bud

sprouting (winding vine or stem)

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Single hands create movement forms:

lying or sleeping to awakening/stand-ing upright

bowing in reverence

Others to try: cower and tremble in fear crawl (turtle) run gallop slither creep/sneak along/ stalk (cat) jump/hop snap at, sniff/peck

Hand-Action Figure Stories Enjoy the pure action of the hand

gestures. As you make them, imagine a be-ing or creature that goes with that charac-teristic movement. Children (ages foureight) love grown-ups to invent and orallytell stories in conjunction with hand move-ments. They will then create their own talesout of their strong powers of fantasy andwill move their own hands accordingly.Some hand configurations show specificforms that can then act.

Hands form more figurative shapes:

opening the doors of my steep-roofedhouse

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Work these out for yourself: open the door and see all the people scurrying rabbit or squirrel (two fingers /ears stick up ) shell (listen to hole) hanging drop of water cutting scissors

Hand stories/dramas : talking mouths one hand bows / cowers before other

upright (king)

actions between tortoise and hare

Handshakes: Notice how people shakeyour hand and how your hands come to-gether in terms of gesture, form, space, time,and warmth. It is a special and valuable in-dividual recognition every morning whenteachers look their students in the eye andshake their hands.

Words Translated into HandActions

Children may discover many of theforegoing hand configurations by them-selves. Say words to them that they can turninto gestures using only the hands (notarms): curling, raying, shining, rainbow,hugging, giving, receiving, bud, blossom,sprout, fly, standing, sitting, lying, and soforth.

Language and Hand GestureYou may have noticed in the preced-

ing exercises that you were learning andspeaking a universal language. Gesturingwith the hands and speaking are neurologi-cally related and have developed togetherintimately in human evolution. Certain cul-tures use more hand movements than oth-ers in accompanying the spoken word asoutward expressions of feeling and empha-sis. In foreign countries people who do notknow each others language often resort touniversal gestures to communicate. SomeNative American tribes, it is said, cut acrosslinguistic barriers with a universally under-stood language of the hands. In moderntimes, signing was developed for the hear-ing and voice impaired. Working with handgestures develops the speech and articula-tion of children.

Roundness and Hollowness:Convex and Concave

Our miraculous hands create chang-ing forms of space in, between, and aroundthemselves. They are space-grasping or-gans that shape space and matter. In theirliving spaces substance finds its form be-cause our hands themselves are a manifes-tation of the creative forces active aroundus. Inherent in the hand is the entirety ofthe worlds fundamental forms. The five-fold form of its fingers is reflected in the

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five-fold pentagon of the palm (see dia-gram above). Another pentagon is cre-ated by the four sections of bent arms(with hands folded) extending from thechest as fifth side. Our cupped or foldedhands naturally come together in frontof the sternum and heart region to cre-ate a heart form or bowl-like space ofactivity of their own. Hands and heartare both organs of feeling and sensitiv-ity, motion and emotion.

Like the rest of our body, thehand is not formed out of flat surfaces.Its structure embodies the two elemen-tal and dynamic kinds of curved sur-facesconvex and concave. The back ofthe hand curves out convexly into theworld, while the other, inner, more sen-sitive palm and inwardly bending fin-gers tend to concavely form a hollow, acup, a cave. Convexity bulges out-ward, full of life like a bursting bud.Concavity is more receptive, creating aninner world of consciousness and feel-ing. Our curved palms and the insidetips of our fingers are two of the mostsensitive parts of our body. A closed fistemphasizes the convexity of a sphere,but we know that there is a hidden

world within. Our fingers curl inwardlike a water spiral or wave enveloping awarm pocket of air.

Both convex and concave arecombined to create a multiform handand world. One of the most intriguingforms happens when a curve unites bothelements into a doubly curved surfacethat incorporates convex and concave.Look at the saddle-like curvature be-tween two knuckles. See the concavecurve down and up from knuckle peakto peak. Notice that perpendicular tothis is a convex curvature travelingdown between and in the direction ofthe fingers. The two kinds of curvesblend and intersect. The human bodyand many other forms of life are full ofthese doubly curved surfaces.

Besides the polarity of concaveand convex, there is another fundamen-tal surface: the flat or straight that pos-sesses a static quality in comparison tothe curves. Together these three kindsof surfaces generate a myriad of otherqualities of form such as angular,pointed, sharp, contracted, expanded,balanced, symmetrical, heavy, light, liv-ing, dead, and so on. Modeling helpsus concretely explore the rich constella-tion of possible and imaginable forms.

When I hear my heart beat, I perceive thelife force streaming into my body. When Istretch my right hand out, I know that I ama free human being; through the stretching ofits muscles flows freedom.

The left hand, which moves andgrasps more gently, brings what human be-ings make into beauty.

Matisse

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When modeling a piece of clay,our concave palms produce and experi-ence convex, arched forms. Our handspress in and expand upon these shapes.The muscular arched balls of our handsand fingertips create hollowed, concaveform that retreat, receptive to our touch.The bony structure of the hand itself con-tains all kinds of angular forms that alsoaffect the clay.

Streaming into this miraculoushand anatomy, bringing about move-ment, is our life energy, blood, warmth,and will. Lifelike plastic forms arise asa result of the reciprocal interplay ofpolar forces in our hand movements.Surfaces are created through careful andsensitive application of pressure andcounter-pressure. The hand gently andpatiently massages the materialthrough a series of gradual changes andmetamorphoses. At a certain stage, thedecision is made to stop. What hasemerged as a final product is actu-ally only one of many possible forms ina process that could have continued.

A Basic Exercise: Discovering HandSpace Forms and Imaginatively Trans-forming Them (grades onefive and up)

Now that you have become moreconscious of the moving language andexpressive image- and space-makingpossibilities of your sensitive hands, youare ready to have them leave traces oftheir rich activity on a piece of theworlds substance.

Take a piece of soft, malleable mate-rial (clay, wax, plasticine, dough, or thelike) that fits comfortably in the hollowof your hand (about walnut-sized onaverage: adjust size depending on ageand individual). Close the fingers of thesame hand around it and gently let thempress its mass against your palm. A formwith surfaces will thus be created in thehollow of your grasping, gripping hand.This is called an interior hand-spaceform. Remove the piece carefully andlook at it. It is both an image of the in-side configuration of your hand spaceand a record of the end stage of yourmovements that formed it. Repeat thisexercise with the other hand.

Hand Movements in Space andMaterial

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Create other basic shapes by subtly mov-ing each single hand around and changingthe inside space and form of the substance.Notice how the cup of your hand naturallytends toward rounded and spherical forms,the ball being the most archetypal.

Stop here, if you want. You need not turnyour pure forms into any representationsof things in the world. Or continue on tothe next choices, using two hands:

(1) With two hands, continue to develop asa pure form the simple form you discov-ered in one hand. Stop here, if you want.

(2) Look at your basic, pure form. What doesit want to be? Let your imagination guideyou into forming it with two hands into asimple human, animal, or other form ofnature.

Basic forms may also be discovered byemploying two hands from the very begin-ning. They may remain pure or be devel-oped into representational figures. Use abigger piece of clay or other material thatfits comfortably in the spherical space cre-ated by your two facing, cupped hands.

This basic exercise will be developed fur-ther and is recommended particularly forchildren in grades one through five.

Single Hand Space Create a variety of simple shapes in onehand by moving the material around con-siderably, but only with that one handconvex: rounded, elongated, oval; concave:hollows. Bring each piece out to your fingertips,sense its shape, move it about, and form itfurther. Bring each piece back into the hollow ofyour hand for grasping and forming, andthen out again to the periphery for sensingand further shaping. Repeat the above in the other hand.

Simultaneous Forming in Two SeparateHand Spaces (age ten and up) Using the same process as above, in bothhands at once, work a piece of material intoany one of the basic forms described above.Make sure pieces fit the hollows of eachhand and are not too heavy or too light.

Forming One Piece in the Shared Space ofthe Two Hands Working Together Take the two separate pieces of the exer-cise above and form them into one piece. Repeat the basic forms listed above, butthis time having both hands shape onepiece. Enjoy the marvel of right and lefthands moving cooperatively around thesame space, form and substance.

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Hand and Finger Dexterity Exercise withElongated Shapes In the hollow of each hand create elon-gated shapes using the same process asabove. Practice holding their narrow ends withyour fingertips.

Two-Sided Double DexterityChallenge (age ten and up) Save the two elongated pieces you madeearlier and lay them aside for the moment. In a similar manner, make two smallspheres that can be grasped by the fingertips.

Now take back into one hand one of theelongated pieces and move both shapesback and forth around the hand space be-tween the center hollow and fingertips.Next, do the same with the other hand soyou are moving two pieces around in eachhand. Keep feeling, forming, and practic-ing daring finger and hand nimbleness!

Regularly Practicing DexterityThe foregoing hand-space and dex-

terity exercises are good for adults and forany age seven years and up. They can beimaginatively adapted for grades onethrough three using beeswax, plasticine, orsmall pieces of clay that are not too wet andcold. They can be revisited and recreatedperiodically in more sophisticated formatswith older students. Gesture, hand-spaceand dexterity exercises can be done produc-tively as a prelude, interlude, or quickwarm-up to any modeling lesson or activ-ity. Adults can do these as preparation forworking with children in modeling.

Form Modeling: Learning the Languageof Fundamental Forms

Playfully discovering pure forms inthe hollow of the hand is a wonderful pro-cess and experience in itself. Children neednot always develop these shapes furtherinto representations or copy things from theworld. They benefit immensely from learn-ing to read a whole new language of fun-damental forms arising out of roundness,flatness, concavity, pointedness, etc. Thereare infinite possibilities.

Such form modeling explorationsexercised regularly can be very valuable andformative, especially for children in the ear-liest grades. They are encouraged to slipinto the forms and experience them di-rectly and vividly. Exercises of this kind arethe sculptural counterpart to fundamental

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artistic exercises in form drawing and paint-ing. Just as one can come to know the lan-guage of colors in basic exercises by paint-ing combinations of color patches purelyout of the color, so can one learn to modelor draw purely out of form itself, out of avocabulary of archetypal form tenden-cies. Work with pure forms can continueright up through high school. Further de-velopment of them will be interspersedwithin many of the eight series.

RepresentationHaving renewed your relationship to

your hands and practiced and explored ma-nipulating various simple forms, you willnow take a more formal step: making some-thing specific. This exercise is derived fromthe Basic Exercise (p. 22) and starts with thesphere, one of the most archetypal formsthat can originate in the hollow of the hand.

Out of the Hollow of a Single HandArises the Sphere, the Egg, and the BasicHuman Form (Head, Trunk, Limbs)

The sphere is the form that mostnaturally fits in the space created betweenthe two cupped hands or in the singlecupped hand. A ritual of first forming asmooth ball can be an artistic way of takinghold of and conditioning a rough piece ofnew material.

A sphere also has great meaning asthe most universal of forms. It is associatedwith beginnings, origins, inception, andconception. It lends itself to all kinds of or-ganic formations and progressions, ofwhich the most basic is the egg shape. In itsoval cousin, the sphere in a manner ofspeaking is making a first basic gesture andstretching out toward the world. It is anexcellent beginning for organically creatingboth human and animal forms.

With one hand, make a small ball that fitsin the hand nicely (walnut-sized). Work the ball into an egg shape, usingonly one hand. Still with one hand, grasp the oval shapefirmly, with the narrow pointed end peek-ing out between the round hole created byyour thumb and index finger. Graduallysqueeze the end of the egg so that a headwith a neck emerges. Now, with two hands, elongate the body,flatten its base, and stand it up .

Notice how this simple, two-part,upright figure already suggests humanness!

Continue with two hands and shape sug-gestions of arms attached to the body, butno legs as yet. With this figure as a foundation, simplefeatures can be added in later exercises.

Head, trunk, and simply indicatedlimbs are all that is needed to magically con-jure up the archetypal human form. Chil-dren often instinctively know how to shapesuch simple figures. The process delineatedabove is a wonderful way to have children,especially in grades one through five, bringforth human forms out of the hollow of asingle hand and an organic sequence ofsphere and egg.

Who is Hiding in There?In this wondrous process, one can

speak to younger children of the form sleep-ing, or crouching, or hiding in the wax orclay. We help it wake up and come out. Wefind it. Even older children and adolescentscan appreciate Michelangelos statementthat the being to be shaped was already inthe fullness of the marble.

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Forming the Human FigureSmallerFormat Starting in the Hollow of OneHand (ages seven to eleven)

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A Larger New World Between Both HandsThe greater hollow created between

both hands is an exponentially richer spacethan the smaller bowl of a single hand. Itcontains all kinds of new possibilities formovement, relationship, and form. The twosides of your being come together to coop-erate. Notice how bringing your twocupped hands together naturally forms aspherical space within, ready for making aball of clay.

Form a larger ball of clay or other model-ing material that fits the space created whenyour two hands are cupped and just touch-ing each other. Press it gently but firmly intoshape with the palms and fingers of yourtwo hands.

Refine its surface and curvature with thesensing eyes of your fingertips. Shut yourhead eyes and let your finger eyes seeand touch its wonderful roundness andever-increasing smoothness. You mightwant to go on perfecting it forever, but youneed to develop it further in the next exercise.

To feel a sphere in space is to feel ones Selfhood, the Ego.

Rudolf Steiner

Forming the Human Figure as a LivingWholenessLarger Format

Without breaking apart the large sphereyou created above, elongate it into an eggshape. Embrace the pointed upper part of theoval with your thumb and index finger andgently and slowly start pressing in a neckand separating and forming a head. Similarly, press into the sides slowly tosketch out arms attached to the sides.

Legs need not be overly differentiated.Keeping them together allows the figure tostand. Features can be added according to themeand desire.

The form should arise and meta-morphose naturally and organicallythrough gradual stages of differentiation.The key is always to proceed patiently fromthe general form and gesture to specificdetails without rushing toward the latter.

Keep the smooth surface or skinof your piece intact and unbroken. Theamount and volume of your whole lumpshould remain the same as it is shaped. Goback and forth between emerging areasrather than defining or refining any aspecttoo quickly. Gently coax the form out. Thereis no need to aggressively pinch or pull outparts. Limbs can initially remain relativelyunarticulated. Arms may stay attached orbe only suggested. Legs may stay bondedtogether or hidden in an undifferentiateddrapery. (Later, in junior high school, clayarms can protrude more and legs emergein a stance. With plasticine or beeswax,younger children naturally make limbssticking out.)

Manipulate your piece up in the air inyour hands in front of your heart (sternum)so that you fully embrace its changes andimpressions. Your arms and elbows shouldbe comfortable at your sides. (The forego-ing process is valuable for the creation ofmost light pieces, especially ones derivedfrom nature or pure form. Additive andconstructive methods will be discussedlater.)

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Forming the Human FigureLarger Format (ages ten and up)

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Notice how you tend to hold the fig-ure as you work with it. Cradling the re-cumbent trunk and limbs in the hollow ofone hand, you shape the head in the hol-low of the other. The different postures ofthe human form are in your hands. Theirpositions can be done as pure hand gestures,showing them lying, sitting up, standing,bending, kneeling, crouching (see FourthSeries).

Notice the earliest point at whichyour figure starts to look human! You mayleave what you started as a sketch, as a piecethat leaves more to the imagination.Sketches can sometimes surprise us with thecharm of their basic gesture and are some-times more powerful and artistic than thosewith completed or realistic detailing. Eachattempt can be a learning experience andrevelation of some variation. Experimentwith many sketches and do not worry aboutcreating naturalistic masterpieces or repro-ductions. Do not let your overweening in-tellect tyrannize your hearts desire for play-fulness. Enjoy whatever comes! You maychoose to bring more detail into your piece.Generally, putting in more time results inmore refinement and perfection, althoughfailing to stop at the right moment cansometimes result in overdoing or ruining apiece. You can produce a five minute fig-ure, or more complete pieces in thirty min-utes, one or two hours, or more. It might

happen that you discover your five-minutepiece had more charm and expression thanthe one that took two hours! Naturalismdoes not necessarily improve a piece.

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Forming Animals in the Hollow of aSingle HandSmall Format Make a small ball that fits in one hand. Work it into an oval shape. In one hand grasp the egg shape firmlywith the narrow pointed end peeking outthrough the round hole created by yourthumb and index finger. Gradually squeezethe end of the egg so that a head emergeswith a neck, but this time press the lowerpart of your thumb in more deeply to cre-ate the chest and front of a primitive shape.This I call the archetypal animal. Place itbeside the basic human figure to contrastits horizontal orientation to the upright one. With this figure as a foundation, the char-acteristic forms and features of many dif-ferent animals can be added in later exercises.The process described above is an imagina-tive way to have children, especially ingrades one through five, bring forth animalforms out of the hollow of the hand throughan organic sequence of sphere and egg.

Animals in Small Format(ages seveneleven)

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Archetypal Animal Gestures

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Larger-Format AnimalsThe hands and strength of adults and

children ten years and older increasinglycan accommodate larger pieces of clay andother materials. (Fourth and fifth graderscan use an alternation of small and largeformats.)

Start with a large ball of clay and, with-out breaking it apart, elongate it into an ovalshape. Grasp the pointed part of the oval be-tween your thumb and index finger andgently and slowly start pressing in a neck,separating out and forming a head. At the same time, have the lower part ofyour thumb and your palm press in deeplyto create the chest and front section of anarchetypal animal.

The shapes and gestures of particu-lar creatures will be reflected in the posi-tioning and gesture of our own hands. Dis-cover a myriad of animal shapes in the infi-nite space of your hands! Find the squirrelin the nest of your hands, for example. Fea-tures such as large bushy tails are an excit-ing creative challenge to discover.

Capturing Living GestureAt what point does a form first start

to look like an animal in general and thenlike a particular species? Does it stretch outtoward its surroundings? Does it lift partof itself up in alertness? Does it turn andmove? Children are masters at sensing thewonder and power of emerging gesturesthat excite and strengthen their imagination.We adults can all learn from their open andlively intelligence. Above all, children loveto perceive dynamic and characteristic ges-tures rather than static and fixed represen-tations of outer form. They want to modelthe slippery sliding of the sleek otter andthe playful pawing of the kitten. They love

the verb mode of reality rather than nounsor things.

Adults can help nourish this impulseby emphasizing the active, living qualitiesof nature and of the human being. The realjoy and enhancement of life through mod-eling lies in the feeling of making, moving,and capturing a living gesture that emergesfrom the inner essence the subject. This feel-ing can sculpturally make its lively markon a substance and be perceived as an au-thentic living expression, rather than a dullreproduction or copying of outer form. Fig-ures should always be renderings, not cop-ies. Allow children to become one with theexciting forces of the form itself. If they canbecome thus absorbed, they will feel a deepinner satisfaction and appreciate forms intheir environment much more.

I liked to feel the clay in my hands and to make the body (of the squirrel) and to pull the head and ears and tail out of the body.

A third grader

Embodying Living MetamorphosisModeling can be thought of as a liv-

ing process of movement that is frozen inits last stage of metamorphosis (unless, ofcourse one models each stage and preservesit in a series). The fixed form is a final im-pression and memory of the innumerabletransitions of form that have preceded it.

Natural forms often start off assimple seeds that differentiate slowly intoparts. Analogously, the modeling processbegins with an amorphous lump that is pa-tiently articulated and refined.

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Larger-Format Animals (ages ten and up)

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Organic Sculptural Process in Contrastto Construction

Whenever possible in modeling, tryto have the process organically related andanalogous to the subject and natural pro-cess of formation. For example, a bird canemerge from an egg form with its peckingbeak first. With plants, have them branchupwards. With humans, heads can be de-veloped first, with the trunk differentiatingdownwards and branching into limbs. Withanimals, the trunk can often stand out asthe defining feature that is shaped first.

In such an organic process, the wholestays together and is slowly differentiatedinto special parts and features. One may attimes choose to specially shape out and at-tach certain details as separate elements.Examples are horns or very long tails onanimals. Most of the time, however, suchelements can be configured out of the wholelump of material.

In contrast, making certain subjectssuch as a bridge out of clay may involvemore of what I would call a constructionprocess. In this, separate components aremanufactured, stuck together andsmoothed into a unified entity. Elementsand material are added, subtracted, or dra-matically shifted around to produce a fig-ure. (Sculpture also has its own versions ofthe subtractive and additive modes in carv-ing and building up figures out of small bitsof clay or plaster.)

Modeling can broadly entail a com-bination of both sculptural and constructiveapproaches depending on the subject. Thesupports and road bed of a bridge, for ex-ample, may be formed sculpturally out of awhole lump of clay without adding to it orpicking it apart. Railings and other smallerdetails can be made separately from differ-ent material and installed as a later step.

In general, however, in working withchildren, I have found it most satisfying toaim at shaping and differentiating most fig-ures out of a single piece of material, pref-erably with no attachments. (I have foundthat pieces that are tacked on often crackmore easily, separate, and drop off!) In thisbook, I refer to a cohesive process of mod-eling out of a whole piece as sculpturalmodeling in contrast to the constructiveapproach.

Sculptural Modeling as Forming PlasticallyThe word modeling is limited in

that it can imply copying from a model,rather than the freer exploration of forms Iam recommending. A better word for theactivity would be plasticizing, meaningforming plastically. The Greek rootplassein means to mold or form. Plastic-ity is the ability to have changes of form.Modern industry, however, has effectivelyappropriated the word plastic, a term thatis used elsewhere in art circles in a special-ized sense for statuary.

Learning from Children asArchitects and Sculptors

The seemingly unfinished and amor-phous quality of childrens modeling pos-sesses a suggestive charm and magic thatis hard to describe or to duplicate. Grown-ups may do well to simply rejoice in andlearn from the lively expressions thatemerge, and not pressure youngsters intomaking masterpieces that are too detailedand realistic. An artistic aim of modeling atany stage is not to make exact copies ofnatural objects, but to more freely renderaspects of their essential gesture and form,thus heightening our awareness of theworld and ourselves. In fact, models thatare too naturalistic and overdeveloped indetail often come across as dead, leavingnothing to the imagination.

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Interestingly, children in preschooland the early grades at first often tend tomodel by sticking pieces of material to-gether. Then, imaginatively and symboli-cally, they see the most remarkable beingsin their creations. The young child haswithin her a bit of the architect, and sheloves to build up things like houses. Theseconstructions can have static and convexquality. Combinations of soft beeswax lendthemselves very suitably to this early stageof assembly activity.

Over the course of the early grades,childrens senses gradually wake up to theirsurroundings, and, at the same time, to theworld of pure geometric forms. More ges-ture and concave features appear in theirmodeling as they correspondingly developsensitivity and an inner personal world.They increasingly need their artistic cre-ations to look more realistic particularly af-ter the age of nine. They become ready andeager to unfold new form-making capaci-ties that enable them to render the essenceof things more accurately and to capturemovements and gesture. This new step callsupon them to develop greater fine-motor

skills, perception, observation, and innerimagination, all qualities that go hand inhand with the healthy growth of the brainand overall intelligence during this period.

With guidance, children ages sevento nine can gradually evolve and discoverthe abilities to meet their need for more so-phistication in rendering subjects sculptur-ally. And they can do so without losing thevitality of their early work. Teachers ingrades one to three can help their studentsgradually make the transition from an in-clination to stick pieces together to wholepiece sculptural modeling.

Gradually, children will move be-yond their younger phase as they learnmore advanced methods. As students be-come increasingly self-conscious from theage of nine to twelve, they need to have aspositive an experience of modeling and artas possible and be surrounded by the rightattitudes. If, however, they mistakenly thinkthey are supposed to achieve scientific re-alism in their work, they can all too easilybecome dissatisfied and frustrated withtheir results, no matter how beautiful,charming, and age-appropriate.

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Fifth graders Buddha and SphinxAdults Buddha and ninth graders Sphinx

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The smell (of clay) connects you to the earth. The three dimensional aspect

is . . . tactile, present, real.

Class teacher

Clay from the mineral kingdomClay is by far the most universal and

readily available material and has mythicaldimensions associated with the creation ofthe human being and the world. It is verymalleable, creamy, and moist and connectsus so wonderfully and tactilely with thegood earth. Clay, like any soft material, hasits limits and can sag in certain configura-tions. It is very suitable for many forms ofanimal, human, mineral (crystals), and geo-metric figures, but not for delicate planarplant shapes.

There is much scope for renderingmany different forms using only the hands,without other tools and props such asarmatures or inserted wiring or pins. Formost sculptural purposes other than ce-ramic vessels, which need a certain dura-bility to hold liquids, clay objects can be sim-ply allowed to dry and harden for simpledisplay. Forming and differentiating a fig-ure out of one ball or lump in a nonaddi-tive and nonconstructive way prevents pro-truding parts from cracking and breakingduring drying.

Moisture is Magic: the Miracle of WaterWater brings life to the earthen el-

ement of clay. It enables us through ourhands to plastically imbue clay with ourforces of life, movement, and imagination.Proper moistness is critical. It makes clayquickly responsive to our touch and pres-sure. If clay is too wet, it will be sticky andunmanageable. If it is too dry, it will be re-sistant and crack. Make sure the clay is wellprepared the day before. Unfinished piecescan be slightly sprinkled with water andcovered with a wet cloth or plastic wrap forcontinuation the next day. Ideally, however,children finish most pieces in one session.Large projects in the upper grades may ex-tend over days. Wetting clay and hands towork with prematurely drying clay can re-sult in a dissatisfying, grainy texture anddiscoloring. In contrast, pieces worked withbalanced moisture can be naturally bur-nished by the oils of our hands.

Kneading and PreparingClay shipped in a box with plastic

wrapping most frequently has just the rightmoisture and can be worked immediatelywith only a bit of kneading. Boxes of sealedclay start drying out after a year, so use themup! Clay that has been dug or recycled of-ten needs to be spread out to dry a little andto be kneaded strenuously like bread. Ittakes much effort and strength to conditionand recondition clay. In some schools theolder students knead and prepare the roughclay for the younger children. In the knead-ing process, the personalities and tempera-ments of students become clearly apparent!

Choice of Materials

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FiringMost clay objects when dried are

hard and durable enough to keep as theyare without firing. (Clay shrinks around fivepercent in drying.) Firing can be an optiondepending on a schools facilities, but itadds more work. The main value of model-ing is the forming process and regular prac-tice, not the finished product.

Dig Your OwnTake students out to dig their own

in local clay pits as a way to connect to thegeological source of the material and theenvironment.

Types of ClayWhen obtaining clay, talk to your

supplier about the best clays for childrento use. Ask for sculpture-body clays thathold form and do not dry out too quickly.These have grog, particles of grit addedto help them maintain their given shape.Ask for samples and test them out beforeyou invest in any quantity. Fine clays usedfor porcelain have no grog, dry out quickly,and do not hold shape. Clay from limestoneareas can tend to feel as though it weresucking on your skin.

Recycling Unfired ClayClay can be reprocessed by breaking

up figures into a bucket having a lid. (Avoidhaving younger children do or see this de-struction of their work.) A walkway ice-breaker (hoe-like blade) easily reduces largechunks into the necessary one-inch-diam-eter pieces (golf-ball sized). Clay must bebone dry before soaking, or it will end upas lumpy mud. Add dry pieces to a fewinches of water in a bucket and let it soakinto a mush for a day. This process is calledslaking. Pour off excess water. Chop into the

mass with the blade to test it and to dis-solve all lumps. This clay mixture is calledslip. To achieve the right moisture, leave thelid off for a certain time. Periodically checkthe batch and chop into it with your icebreaker to aerate and condition it. It can takeseveral days to achieve the right moistness.Cover the surface with a wet cloth and thebucket with a tight lid to prevent too muchdrying at the top. In spite of the above pro-cess, gobs of wet clay sometimes need tobe set out for hours to lose more moisturebefore usage. Potters and sculptors havemore sophisticated ways of processinglarger amounts by spreading wet clay overplaster slabs called bats, draining off slurry,and absorbing excess moisture. (Note: Claycan be expensive. Most teachers cannot af-ford not to reprocess.)

Varying SensitivitiesWet clay, especially when cold, can

be a very strong and frustrating experiencefor younger children. It can overtax anddrain their energy levels, particularly ifhandled in large lumps. Some overly deli-cate and sensitive children can even expe-rience a revulsion if it gets on their skin anddries out. The right moisture and room tem-perature are critical. Students from fourthgrade on are more robust and develop a tol-erance for clay in larger formats and lumps.Fourth grade can be a stage of alternatingsmall and large formats.

Playing in Warm Mud and Clay forEarly Childhood and Early Grades

In warm weather, have a bucket ofmoist clay available for children to play induring free play. Even though one of thebest modeling materials for early childhoodis warm beeswax, children still can benefitfrom playing in warm clay and mud, learn-ing to grasp, lift up, and know the good

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then it is hard at first and does not respondas quickly as clay to immediate pressure. Itneeds warmth to soften. Beeswax shouldinitially be passed out to children in flat,thin, rectangular pieces that can easily bepermeated and softened with the heat oftheir hands. Some youngsters do not haveenough hand warmth and need an adult tohelp with the process. Others have enoughheat in their hands to melt substantiallumps. If children listen to a story beforemodeling, they can at the same time warmbeeswax under their arms or even by put-ting it down their shirts by the oven oftheir warm tummies.

As they grow older (eight to nineyears), children have more strength andenergy to transform this medium. Teachersand parents should be alert and not let smallhands strain themselves on hard, coldlumps. For children with marked circula-tion problems who have very cold hands,an adult may choose to start off the soften-ing. It is better to invest human warmth andpatience into the material rather than tostick the wax in hot water or on the radia-tor (where it has been known to drip away).Warm weather is ideal modeling time, andbeeswax can be warmed in gentle sunlight.

ShapesSoftened beeswax strips can be

molded into a beginning ball or any vari-ety of shapes. Young children can start bymaking all sorts of simple two-dimensionalfigures, which can be stuck onto windowpanes as shining transparencies (see FirstSeries, p. 49). Unlike clay, this mediumsrelative stiffness lends itself nicely to manyplant subjects (leaf, petal, and stem). As chil-dren mature and articulate more three-di-mensional figures, they can add or overlaydifferent colored pieces as details (a goldencrown, a sword, an orange mane, a dress

Mother Earth. Mud balls and cakes are stan-dard fare of early childhood.

If his parents can give the child beeswax to model with, then in the very act of kneading this noble material his creative willworking as it does in the circulation of the blood and warming his hands until they are all aglow makes itself felt to the very tips of the fingers. Thus not only is the skillfulness of the hands increased, but his imaginative capacity is aroused and nurtured. For we know how similarly the movements and gestures of both hands and feet react when the child is learning to speak: how they help him to learn, to form ideas and to think.

Caroline von HeydebrandClass teacher

Beeswax from the Animal KingdomThis gift from the bees softens won-

derfully in the warm hands of young chil-dren. Before they first use this precious sub-stance, you should tell them a story abouthow it comes into being (see Beeswax: Giftof the Hive Community, p. 165). Reverence formaterials is an important part of education.

Imbued with Human WarmthModeling beeswax is specially pro-

cessed and treated to make it pliable. Even

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with polka dots, and so on). Such additions,however, should not be allowed to distractfrom the main sculptural exercise and intent.

DimensionsBeeswax pieces should be smaller

than clay. A wax strip 1.5 in. wide X 2 in.long X 0.25 in. thick, for example, can bemade into a ball with a 1 in. diameter. Largesheets of beeswax 4 X 9 by 0.25 in. can bescored with a scissor point into 12 suchpieces. A strip 1.5 in. wide X 4 in. long X0.25 in. thick, yields a 1.25 in. diameter. Sixof these fit into a 4 by 9 in. sheet. Size andamount can increase as the children grow.

Color and TransparencyBeeswax can be obtained in its natu-

ral color or with colors mixed into it. Coloris not, however, an essential aspect of themodeling process, and some people prefermaterial with plain, natural tone. It comesin rectangular pieces 0.25 in. thick or in verythin strips for transparencies, which warmvery easily. Thin color transparencies aremore a form of wax application resemblingpainting more than sculptural modeling.

The Glorious Scrap BoxChildren do not have to bring home

every beeswax piece they make. Teacherscan break up old beeswax figures into un-recognizable bits. Store them in a scrap boxfor reprocessing into flat strips for futureuse or for creative sessions of picking andchoosing random scraps and lumps for spe-cial projects. It is best if young children donot witness the dismemberment of worksthey have lovingly created, and they shouldnever be allowed to wantonly destroy theirpieces for fun. Some of the best projectscome out of the scrap box on a rainy day.Scrap bits can also be used to decorate larger

chunks to become belts, crowns, polka dots,eyes, mouths, or whatever the child envisions.

PlasticineMixed by the Human KingdomThere are all kinds of plasticine,

some more natural than others. Try themout and see how they vary according to con-tents, texture, and odor.

Natural Plasticine as a TransitionNatural plasticines come highly rec-

ommended. One of them from Switzerland,is an organic plasticine called Alkena thatis composed of beeswax and clay, is reus-able, and comes in three earth tones. It evensmells very good. This can be a very goodtransition to pure clay.

Other MediaSalt dough is another organic mod-

eling material that can be bought or madeat home:

Mark Birdsalls Special Home Recipe 1 cup flour dough 1/2 cup salt 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 cup water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Mix ingredients. Heat over a medium heat until congealed (five minutes). Remove from heat and knead. Add color if desired. Store in covered container or plastic bag. A real mess until heated, then very smooth and creamy).

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Bread making is also a perfect formof modeling for kindergarteners and veryyoung children, and there are on the mar-ket various modeling compounds to whichwater is added to make a malleable sub-stance.

SandMoist sand in a box or at the shore is

always a delightful material out of whichto build imaginatively.

SnowWet snow can be fashioned into all

kinds of forms. Cover your outdoor playspaces with a fantastic array of snow andice sculpture.

SuppliersAll kinds of clays and modeling ma-

terials are available commercially. You willhave to investigate possibilities in your area.I particularly recommend the natural, non-toxic supplies of Mercurius, an interna-tional supplier of colored beeswax, Alkenaplasticine from Switzerland, and otherhandcraft supplies of high quality. It hasdistributors in many countries, including:

Mercurius U.S.A7426 Sunset Avenue, Suite CFair Oaks,CaliforniaTel. 916-863-0411

Mercurius HollandCor van EmpelFabriekweg 15683 PNBestNetherlands

Soft clay when modeled is quickly and easily handled and affords great freedom in its manipulation.

Henry MooreSculptor

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Can I take my piece home, pleeease?!

The universal plea

In addition to what has been de-scribed in the introduction, I would like tooffer some practical tips that may be help-ful, especially to teachers.

The Ritual of SharingProper handling and reverently

passing out precious materials sets the ar-tistic mood of a lesson. Thin beeswaxsquares can be offered on a special plate orin a basket as if they were delicious cook-ies. Clay can be cut in slabs with a thin wirestretched between two stick handles andplaced carefully on boards.

Starting from the Archetypal Forms ofSphere and Oval

As stated before, the sphere is theform which most naturally fits in the spacecreated between the two cupped hands orin the single cupped hand. The ritual of firstforming a smooth ball can be a natural andartistic way of taking hold of and condition-ing a rough piece of new material. Studentsknow each time how to start, and, immedi-ately become engaged and focused. For-mally starting by making a sphere lends it-self to beeswax, plasticines, clay, saltdough, and other media.

In the Air and Space by the HeartMany pieces can be modeled in the

air and in the space created by the twohands in front of the sternum and heart re-gion. Elbows should form comfortableangles by the ribs. The arms form four sidesof a pentagon emerging from the trunk side,reflecting the fiveness of the hands geom-etry. This position is important because thechildren should be using their entire upperbody, shoulders, and upper arms as well astheir hands.

In this way the process and thechanging form are closely felt with moreimmediacy. Children are able to fully em-brace a piece and sense its weight, mass, andoverall shape. After the subject is generallyarticulated, it can be placed on a table forrefinement. Very large pieces, usually ex-ecuted in junior high school, are started onsurfaces to begin with.

Size of LumpsIn a small format, one can start with

a ball of clay that fits comfortably in onehand and can be shaped by both hands(about walnut-size on average: adjust itsmaller or larger depending on age and in-dividual). In a larger format, the lump ofclay should fit comfortably between the twocupped hands. Bigger clay figures and con-struction projects require much more ma-terial and are placed on boards and tablesfor modeling.

Practical Aspects

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With beeswax, very large lumps areneither practical nor necessarily desirable.Lumps should again comfortably fit in acupped hand and not be too large to softenand mold. Warmed beeswax and plasticinepieces can be made ready for reuse by flat-tening them out into very thin pancakes foreasy rewarming in the hands.

Using Imagination:Who is Hiding in There?

In this wondrous process one canspeak to younger children of the form sleep-ing, or crouching, or hiding in the wax orclay ball. We help it wake up and emerge.We find it. Lets help him come out slowly.

From Sticking Together toSculptural Modeling

Young children in the early gradesonly gradually learn how to model moreunified pieces with practice. More formalsculptural modeling lessons should not beoverdone in the beginning. First graders, forexample, may very well construct figuresdirectly from flat rectangular slices of bees-wax or lumps of other material withoutgoing through the stage of a ball. As thegrades progress, teachers may more fre-quently guide the children in a more for-mal process of sculptural formation fromthe whole piece.

Articulation and Protruding PartsIn the early grades, children using

beeswax and plasticine will tend to articu-late human arms, hands, and other details.They should, however, be shown how onesolid mass representing the dress and legshelps a figure stand up. Beeswax animalson four legs do stand up well. In contrast,both clay animals and human figures ben-efit from some sort of solid mass support-ing them, or they may be modeled lying

down. Human arms and animal append-ages (tails, trunks, and so on) in clay are bestsubtly blended and attached into the mainmass.

In rendering essential form, less isoften more. Up through grades four or fivefigures can remain quite general and sug-gestive. Noses and other facial features neednot be added. From grade six on, facial fea-tures, arm gestures, and leg stances can verygradually become more pronounced. Becareful that attempted realism does noteclipse simpler, more powerful artistic ex-pression and liveliness.

Demonstration and GuidanceIn conducting modeling sessions,

varying approaches are useful. Particularlyin the first four grades, it is very valuableto demonstrate how to make a piece and toclosely instruct pupils in ways to achievecertain features. Such demonstration allowsthem to work within a common frameworkbut at the same time to find individual ex-pression based on their own sense, feeling,and experience. Students should not be ex-pected to slavishly copy or reproduce agiven subject, but each one should cre-atively make a free rendering. The diver-sity of expression within prescribed param-eters can be amazing. Never underestimatethe power of limits for bringing out humancreativity and resourcefulness. Too muchfreedom of choice can often dissipate efforts.

Verbal DirectionsVarying degrees of verbal direction,

encouragement and advice may be givento the whole class or to individuals, depend-ing on the assignment. As students buildup skills and confidence, less and less needsto be said about basics. The teacher can in-creasingly rely on the cumulative experience

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of the class and focus on key characteristicsor gestures of new subjects. As a teacher,remember not to disturb the absorbed moodby talking too much.

You as ExampleIt is encouraging and inspiring for

children to see their role-model teacherspractice the arts and learn as they go. Theteacher does not have to be a polished art-ist, only a striving, life-long learner.

Every human being is born with potential to be creative and artistic.

Seymour SarasonYale psychologist

Care, Reverence, and RespectForms gently arise in the special

space between the two hands as they con-verse and organically work together to dis-cover new possibilities. There is no need topound, slap, or roll modeling material nois-ily and aggressively on a table. Reverenceand respect for materials are an importantpart of the educational process. Table topsare not necessary in creating flat surfaces.The hands and fingers love to make sur-faces. Tables or boards are useful to placefigures nearing completion and for large fig-ures that need to be shaped on a base.

The Hand as Primary InstrumentThe versatile hand can achieve a

multiplicity of surfaces and forms if it workspatiently and carefully. The complex andsensitive way fingertips, pads betweenjoints, and palms work together in harmo-nious sculpting movement is the heart ofthis rewarding artistic activity. Direct con-tact and dialogue with the material through-out an entire process of transformation arewhat really enriches our inner being,

including our brains. Tools interfere com-ing between us and the material. They elimi-nate the wonderful movements of the handand its vital role as delicate sense organ andshaper of worlds. Touch nourishes us.

Silence is GoldenIn many exercises, students can be

asked to model silently so that they can be-come fully absorbed in letting their handsspeak forth forms, a right brain functionthat need not be disturbed by left brainchatter. Talking too much can detractfrom the deeper effects of being fully im-mersed in the sculptural experience. How-ever, it should be noted that in certain cir-cumstances where children suffer from lackof verbal stimulation at home, modeling hasbeen used in schools to promote speechdevelopment.

Shutting the Eyes OccasionallyIt is important for children to follow

the forms they are making with their handsand learn to use their hands as unique senseorgans. At special moments, children canbe asked to be quiet, to shut the eyes ofthe head. Ask them to feel with the eyesof their fingers how round and smooththeir spheres are becoming, or how othershapes are expressing themselves in theirhands. Close your eyes and feel how yourfish is gliding smoothly through the water.Sessions such as these help students learnto heighten their hands touch sense. Theycan bring this special kind of perception intobalance with their more highly developedand dominant senses such as sight. In gen-eral, however, the eyes particularly play animportant and critical role in the learningexperience. The eyes reach out to graspboth process and object. Modeling helpsvitalize our sight and powers of observa-tion. It brings what we see into connectionwith our hands and capacity of will.

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ChoicesFor the most part, work on a given

subject can be done together as a class ex-perience. Periodically, especially in the up-per grades, choices can be given. For ex-ample, during U.S. geography, you can askthe students each to pick a wild animal andwork as a group to model a representativeselection. On very special occasions, allowstudents free modeling, where they canmake what they want within the frameworkof pedagogical and aesthetic expectations.

Small Group ProjectsAlthough students do most of their

exercises individually, from fourth grade onthere can be more special occasions to workwith partners or in small groups of three tofour pupils. This strengthens interpersonalskills and tends, needless to say, to be a morechatty proposition. Large projects likemountains, bridges, and architecture suchas a Roman coliseum call for many hands.Individuals making small pieces, however,can also put these collectively into a sceneor common setting (example: see NoahsArkThird Series ).

Five-Minute Form ExercisesIn the early grades each of my stu-

dents stored in their desks a plastic bag(with a zipped lock) containing two verythin pancakes of plasticine or beeswaxready for quick softening. As part of themorning lesson exercises for a number ofdays or even weeks in a row, we regularlycombined them into a ball and then into allkinds of quick, simple forms and figures. Itwas similar to our regular morning recorderplaying, but instead we were using ourhands and fingers to play forms on themodeling material.

Gently Back into a Ball AgainIn reusing and storing the same ball

of clay or plasticine, older students (gradefour and up) can gently, slowly, and respect-fully compress an articulated form back intoa spherical one and finally into flat discs.Features of a figure are experienced asfolded into the round form from which itoriginally emerged, and then completelysmoothed into a ball and pancake ready forfuture metamorphosis. The round form be-comes a Proteus, the Greek sea god capableof assuming many shapes.

Display and ReviewAreas around the classroom should

be created for short- and long-term display.Children love to stand around collectionsof figures admiring and imagining. It isgood for teachers to comment on pieces thatshow certain features and aspects the stu-dents should be aware of. Generally, piecesspeak for themselves when they are seencomparatively in a collection. Even twopieces sitting side by side reveal much toviewers. Of course, this is best done in anoncompetitive way so that no ones feel-ings of adequacy are undermined.

Displays, arranged collaborativelyby teacher and students, can be placed oncolored cloth (felt), construction paper, bees-wax (for beeswax figures), or natural set-tings created from moss, stumps, bark,gnarled-wood collections, and so on. Suchdisplays need to be changed, freshened upperiodically, and not be allowed to wallowforgotten in the gloom of dust.

Cloth-Covered Display BoardsBeeswax pieces can easily fall over

unless they are firmly pressed onto suitablesurfaces. One option is to develop a clothor felt-covered display board, easily made

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by hammering in little brass nails to pro-trude a half inch or so. Pieces can be pressedover these nails.

May I Take Mine Home, Pleeease?!Students may take their figures

home after a period of classroom display.Younger children especially like to collectpieces in their own home displays.

Modeling BoardsSmall wood or masonite squares

(sixtwelve inches) can serve as platformson which to model. These are particularlygood for older children working with clay.Such squares are easily stacked and stored.Paper towels can be used also. Avoid let-ting children put clay directly on schooldesks. Paperwork will be soiled if the desksare not cleaned properly afterwards, whichis often the case. Keep everything as simpleas possible for both pupils and teachers.There will be enough wonderful mess any-way, and you want to joyfully bring out theclay as often as possible!

StorytellingFor children in grades one to three,

try using modeling in connection with sto-ries and their rich images. For example, youas a teacher can tell a folktale, fable, or na-ture story prior to modeling. Afterwards,when you demonstrate a shape, you canverbally conjure up again the storys pic-tures as part of the process. And the foxstuck his bushy tail straight in the air justlike this. For older students, descriptionsof nature, history and geography can ac-company the activity. And the crater of thevolcano, as we have studied it, is shapedlike this at the top.

JournalIf you are a teacher, keep a journal

of observations of how your students do thevarious exercises. Watching children modelcan give you new and valuable insights intotheir personalities. For some, modeling canbe a healing therapy.

Nature Forms in the Classroom and HomeOur experience of natures myriad

forms shapes our inner sense of form. Inaddition to what we encounter outside, wecan also have in our classrooms and homesnicely displayed examples of nature forms:moss gardens with crystals, beautifullygnarled roots, driftwood, stones sculpted bythe sea, dried plant pods, etc. It is good forchildren to take such objects in their handsand know them directly through touch.Such tactile and visual experiences enhancetheir sculptural sense of a universal lan-guage of art forms in nature.

In my collection of found objects in my studioare: stones, pebbles, bones, pieces of woodfor methey are all interesting shapes, though some mayfind them exaggerated or distorted . . . The olderyou are, the more observant you are of the world,of nature, and forms; and the more easily you caninvent . . . But it has to come from somewhere inthe beginning, from reality, from nature. Space,distance, landscape, plants, pebbles, rocks, bones,all excite me and give me ideas. Nature producesthe most amazing varieties of shapes, patterns andrhythms . . . observation enlarges the sculptorsvision. But merely to copy nature is no better thancopying anything else. It is what the artist makesof his observation by giving expression to personalvision and from his study of the laws of balance,rhythm,construction, growth, the attractionand repulsion of gravityit is how he applies allthis to his work that is important.

Henry MooreBritish sculptor

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Encourage a supportive atmospherewherein you and your children developconfidence in participating in the arts, in-cluding modeling as a natural part of hu-man activity.

Bring out the materials regularly so thateager hands can explore and discovermovement and form!

Pay attention to the space- and form-cre-ating possibilities of mobile hands, and cul-tivate playful hand exercises, finger games,and puppetry.

In your work and theirs, emphasize thewholeness of the process and of the pieceof material.

For the most part, try to keep the smoothsurface or skin of pieces intact and un-broken unless an exercise calls for breakingoff or adding sections.

Keep the amount and volume of thewhole lump the same as it changes and isshaped.

Most light pieces can be held in the handsin the air as they are shaped to fully em-brace and directly feel their moment-by-moment transformation.

Help forms emerge by moving yourhands in a caring way. Gently press,counterpress, push and massage your piecetoward forms. There is no need to aggres-sively pinch or pull out parts.

Patiently observe, enjoy, and respect thegradual metamorphosis of each changingstep. Go back and forth between emergingsurfaces rather than defining or refining any

aspect too quickly. Avoid forcing materialtoo quickly into intellectually preconceivedforms.

Immerse yourself in exploring and dis-covering all kinds of imaginable nonrepre-sentational forms.

Develop representational subjects out ofthe form you discover.

Live with and appreciate forms in natureand art!

Try to capture the gesture, movement andlife of a subject rather than its static struc-ture. Avoid overemphasizing naturalismand realism, which can so often lead tofrustration.

The hand is the only tool needed. Handsare capable of accomplishing the essentials,and they need their capacities of intelligenceexercised. Tools distance us from the pri-mary sensory experience and are not nec-essary in the elementary school years.

A quiet atmosphere of reverence and won-der is best for good, absorbed work.Childrens energy is best applied by allow-ing their hands to actively speak theirspecial language. Mouth chatter is left-brained and can interfere with the real task.Avoid joking and being silly about pieces(That looks like a Ninja turtle, etc.)

Art = You can do it!

Illustrations throughout the text and recommendations for materials at the beginning of each Series are meant as helpful suggestions. You as teacher or parent may creatively alter them to suit various purposes.

Summary of Suggestions

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THE EIGHT SERIES

Starter and Seed Ideasto Encourage You toDevelop Your Own

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BEESWAXFirst tell a story of how the bees makethis wonderful gift of nature (seeBeeswax: Gift of the Hive Community).

Folk Tale Figures:Golden BallPrincessFrog in WaterRumpelstiltskin

Other:Egg, Bird, and NestAcorn

Flat, Transparent FormsLeafFlower petalsButterfly MetamorphosisStarGuardian AngelHouse of LightAlphabet Letters and Numbers

BEESWAX, PLASTICINE, Salt Dough,or Small Pieces of Warm Clay

Hand-Gesture and Hand-SpaceExercises

The Basic ExerciseSimple Human and Animal FormsCradled FormsHarmony Exercise

SAND TABLE

Modeling brings intelligence to the fingers. Its like a feast to the fingers . . . and hands can demonstrate their inherent wisdom..

Fifth grade teacher

It is seeing with the fingers! Weighing with vision!

Third grade teacher

Folk Tale FiguresChildren around the ages of six to

eight love the imaginative world of folk andfairy tales. There are hundreds to choosefrom diverse cultures around the world. Thearchetypal characters of these stories havebeen born out of a deep folk wisdom. Inmany tales there is often a beautiful prin-cess. In Grimms story of The Frog Prince,the princess plays with a golden ball. Tell the whole story first so that its im-ages are fully living in the imagination. Themodeling will then be done in a colorfulcontext of meaning. Fingers will itch to cre-ate the activity and gesture of the subjectthat has just been emotionally experienc