Sonia Delaunay Wearable Art Project for Kids
i love creation more than life, and I must express myself before disappearing.
- Sonia Delauney
I am so excited to welcome the brilliant creative duo of Let’s Make art UK, Karen and Alice.
I first discovered Let’s Make Art UK after they tagged me in a photo on IG and I have been a die-hard LMA fan ever since. The magic that Karen and Alice produce consistently is truly inspiring. I am going to share a teaser with you guys but promise me that you will pop over to their feed for a long leisurely scroll + follow.
Karen and Alice started Let’s Make Art in 2012 with a “bag full of their own supplies and a lot of imagination.” Since then, Let’s Make Art has grown into a premier UK arts organization.
They bring their unique and inventive art programming to schools, museums, galleries, libraries, shops, restaurants and festivals.
When I was curating the list of artists I wanted to feature in the Series I knew I wanted to feature Sonia Delaunay and I was (really, really) hoping that the ladies at LMK would put a brilliant spin on Sonia’s “wearable art.” When I opened the file with their project pictures I CRIED. This project is so beautiful. I hope it inspires you to think outside of the box when it comes to re-purposing materials and introducing famous artist studies to kids. The process of wearable art and playing dress up and make believe while learning about an important woman artist is a magical way to approach an artist study if you ask me.
I’ll let Karen take it from here…
MAKE YOUR OWN ABSTRACT CAPE INSPIRED BY, SONIA DELAUNEY
- Let’s Make Art uk
Ukrainian born artist Sonia Delaunay was adopted by her wealthy uncle Henri Terk and his wife, Anna, in St Petersburg and she received a privileged upbringing. The family spent their summers in Finland and travelled widely in Europe, introducing Sonia to art museums and galleries.
Sonia arrived in Europe in 1910 and spent over a decade at the heart of Paris’ avant-garde. Around 1911 she had the idea of making a blanket for her newborn son, composed of bits of fabric she had seen in the houses of Russian peasants. When it was finished, the arrangement of the pieces of material seemed to evoke cubist conceptions and she then tried to apply the same process to other objects and paintings.
Together with her husband Robert Delaunay, a pioneer in the field of abstract painting, the duo founded the Orphism art movement – a version of cubism – through their collective creative exploration of colour and form. Robert received numerous accolades for his artistic achievements, however it was Sonia Delaunay’s work as a textile and fashion designer that made her stand out as a true visionary.
As well as a major retrospective at the Kunstmuseum Bielefeld in 1958, Delaunay was the first living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre in 1964.
Delaunay continued experimenting with colour and geometry through a technique she coined ‘simultanéisme,’ indicating the simultaneous designs that occur when placing bright hues and shapes next to one another.
Simultanism is the strand of Orphism practised by the Delaunays. The name comes from the work of French scientist Michel Eugène Chevreul who identified the phenomenon of ‘simultaneous contrast’, in which colours look different depending on the colours around them. For example, a grey will look lighter on a dark background than it does on a light one. The Delaunays dispensed with form and aimed to create rhythm, motion and depth through overlapping patches of vibrant hues.
As figurative elements quickly fell out of her work in a movement towards total abstraction, as did painting. Before long, her art was wearable. We have been inspired by her love of the theatre, fashion and set design and provided a simple step by step guide to create a wearable piece of art.
Materials:
Two large skewers or wooden dowels - approx 30cm
Cloth tape, i.e Duck tape.
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Long before a piece of couture makes its runway debut, the design begins in a fashion sketchbook. The first step in this process is called a “croquis”—a quick sketch that serves as the template for a piece of clothing or outfit.
We were inspired by Delaunay's use of colour, particularly her eye for mixing bright colours and her abstraction of shapes. After studying her work, and observing what attracts you, sketch your ideas on paper - the drawing will be an important reference tool when designing your final piece
Cover the table with a suitable covering - a bin liner with the seam removed and cut down one side will open up and cover quite a large area. Unfold your tablecloth, you may find creases but they will disappear when painted.
2. To cut the shape; Fold the tablecloth in half, to make the circular shape of the cape, you can sketch it out by eye or here's a top tip using string and a pencil: (This is easier with two people) Tie the pencil to one end of the string, holding the string in place at the top of the centrefold, draw a line holding the pencil fairly taught to ensure an equal curve - its like a large compass!
3. Cut out the big semi circle and fold back in half. At the top, again on the centrefold add a slight curve for the neckline and cut out.
4. From the remaining table cloth cut two pieces approx 3cm x 60cm - to use as ties later
5. Next, referring to your sketch, transfer your design onto the cape.
6. Using acrylic or poster paint to colour in the different sections, we looked at how Delauney also used texture in her paintings. An easy way to enhance your solid blocks of colour is to add a wax resist with an old candle or crayon onto the tablecloth and add paint on top. Then leave to dry completely.
7. Take the strips you cut from the excess tablecloth and add a strip of double sided tape along one edge and fold over to strengthen it.
8. Attach to the neck with a stapler and cover with tape to secure.
9. On the back tape a skewer at the ends to keep the shape when worn and arms are extended. The other option is to cut the cape smaller and add two loops of elastic at the ends to secure around the wrists when wearing
10. Ta da! Colourful and abstract wearable art!
Little cape model standing in front of a ZOE POWER mural in Bristol
Looking for a book to pair with this project? Madame Sonia Delaunay is a very fun pop-up book!
Karen is a designer and art educator. She gained a degree in Textiles and Fashion at UWE, Bristol. After graduating she managed her own clothing business and independent clothing and culture store Alterior; one of the first venues Banksy exhibited his work and sold his merchandise, which Karen advised with. She has over 14 years’ experience of teaching art in schools and was artist-in-residence at Henbury School supporting GCSE Textiles students. Karen has extensive experience of managing events and workshops for festivals, businesses and registered charities.
Alice is an artist and a teacher. Her degree is in primary education and she also has a background in fine art having studied sculpture at Kingston University . Alice has taught in Finland and the UK, specialising in literacy and art. Alice is an award-winning photographer, working freelance in Bristol and beyond.
in 2012 they formed the now renowned UK arts organization Let’s Make Art UK.
You can find Let’s Make Arts fabulous new book here
