Classroom Auction Project: Reverse Glass Painting

Reverse glass painting refers to glass art which is painted on one side and displayed to be viewed through the opposite side. Lampshades are one example of an object that lends itself to this technique. I have used this approach to create class murals displayed by hanging in windows.
These are the steps I took from start to finish- Any theme or design would work.

Theme: Native animals in Canadian and Pacific NW habitat.
I used plastic animals as models and let students sketch moose, elk, bear, dear, etc., on individual sheets of paper.
Students then referred to reference books to draw images of mountains, lakes etc., native to this area.
As a group, the students trimmed and arranged their individual drawings on an huge sheet of butcher paper. More background detail was sketched on the butcher paper in order to unify the mural.
I picked up a sheet of Plexiglas at a local hardware store and drilled two holes in the upper corners to thread chains through for installation. I covered those holes with tape so that they wouldn't become filled with paint.
The Plexiglas was placed over the butcher paper sketch.
First, the contour shapes were outlined in permanent marker. Then using acrylic paint, the participants painted in their images. (Bears, wolves etc., )
It was difficult for them to understand the concept that the first area painted is what is seen and that the last marks made (which are visible on the painted side) Could be hidden on the reverse side. So, if an animal is painted and then eyes are painted on top of a layer of fur, the eyes won't show on the reverse side.
If areas such as eyes and facial features are lost, they can be reclaimed by scratching out the area after the paint is dry and then repainting it. Trying to wipe it out while wet may lead to a smeary mess.
After the animals were finished, the background was painted. When the entire painting was complete, a coat of light paint was applied to the back of the entire painted surface. This enhanced the image and avoided the 'washed out' look.
Chains were strung through the back and the mural was hung in the art room window.
If you do an Internet search "reverse glass painting" you will find folk art, museum pieces, furniture and many possible ways to use this technique on different objects to make a classroom art item for an auction.

These are the basic instructions for reverse glass painting:
I used the same side for both the permanent marker lines and paint, so that the viewing side of the mural could be periodically cleaned. However, the caution in the following instructions about wearing down the marker lines with paint holds true.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2248883_make-reverse-glass-painting.html

Classroom Auction Projects - Begin with a simple survey

Prior experience as a chair for classroom auction projects at various schools has taught me that the easiest way to get started is to send out a simple survey to the teachers, using the survey input to create a timeline for each class to bring the projects from idea to procurement.
This is a sample of a survey I used at a k-8 grade school.

RE: Classroom Auction Projects/Art Projects

Dear Teachers:
This initial survey is the first step to getting the Classroom Auction Projects off the ground. Please return this survey to the office by __________. Thank you very much for your participation.
My classroom auction project is already in process and it is:

I would like my project to be:


Parents to contact as possible project volunteers are:


These are some prospective exciting projects for which we have artist/parent volunteers. Is your class interested in doing one of them?
(List any art projects talented adults have already volunteered to facilitate- IE., mosaic objects, painted furniture, class quilts,) etc.,

Do you have any ideas that would make a good classroom auction/art project, even if they are not suitable for your class?

If you have any questions, please call me at:___________

Thank you,

Parent Auction Chair

Classroom Auction Projects

For an impressive inspirational display of classroom art projects, visit a link to the Rooftop Alternative School in San Francisco. http://mywebpages.comcast.net/rooftop-art/portfolio/auction.html Classrooms with artist parent volunteers can produce spectacular group art objects for their school auctions. I have come across situations in which the parents in charge of classroom art projects were almost forced into the position by default and extremely stressed out by it. The first question is, "what to make". Instead of first looking through magazines and books at other art projects for ideas and asking the teacher and students for input, an alternative is to poll the parent volunteers to see what skills and volunteer time are available to donate to the project, and use those volunteer skills as the basis for selecting a project. Sometimes, it's quite difficult to find volunteers with specific skill sets to help facilitate a project when it is in the process of being implemented. Lining up the volunteers first and selecting a project tailored to their skills, can save a classroom committee parent a lot of anxiety over the year, and make the classroom project enjoyable for everyone. It's likely that some of the parents in a class have basic carpentry, woodworking and tiling skills. This is an example of a project which is not too intrusive on class time, and provides individual distinct student art in the context of a finished piece: a handmade clay tile framed mirror. Ask a parent to place a mirror inside a plywood base. It might be a good idea to install the hanging hardware at this stage. Measure the dimensions of the plywood surrounding the mirror and make dark clay tiles (red clay is always attractive) and cover with white slip to cover the area. (Clay shrinks, so expect a little margin.) Bring the wet tiles into the classroom and have the students do contour drawings through the white slip exposing the dark clay. A variety of nails and paper clips make good drawing tools. A possibility may be to have a theme based motif and have the students draw the images first on paper. After the tiles are dry, have them fired to bisque. The students many then paint a few layers of glaze on their tiles. Fire again. The finished tiles are ready to incorporate into the mirror. Arrange the tiles in a visually pleasing manner. Some will be darker (more white slip will have been removed in the drawing process) than others. Think of the over all balance and weight of the design when arranging the tiles. Lay the tiles in a bed of tile mastic. If you decide to grout, be careful not to cover the face of the tiles with grout, as detail will be lost. Finish the edge with a wood frame stained a color compatible with the color of the darker clay. This is one example of the direction one may go if parent volunteers offer carpentry skills.