Manchester High School Visit

Most of the schools I visit for The Carle’s art-centered off-site programming are at the elementary level, but occasionally we receive requests to visit middle schools and high schools, too. Earlier this month I taught an Eric Carle inspired workshop with art educator Andrea Ruzzo’s illustration class at Manchester High School in Manchester, Connecticut.

I discussed Eric Carle’s tissue paper painting process, which he later cuts and collages into his colorful illustrations. Students had a chance to stamp and paint their own set of papers using primarily handmade mark-making tools, brushes, stamp pads and tempera paint.

Bubble wrap, cupcake packaging, buttons, fruit netting, paper clips, straws and rubber bands are just a few of the stampers I created at The Carle to bring for this program. Disposable condiment cups work well for a stamping base and allows you to make lots of stamps for different visual textures. The small cups are available to purchase in bulk from Webstaurant and a fun lesson could include students making their own set of stamps with found materials and tacky glue or sticky-back foam.

In the workshop, students filled the rack with their painted papers very quickly! We used a variety of different papers about 12”x18.”

Their art teacher, Andrea, let me know that the papers the illustration students created in my workshop will be used to collage an underwater themed book they are making for the kindergartners. What a great idea for a class project! We didn’t have enough time to begin collaging, but as they worked I overhear them talking about how certain patterns and colors of their papers could be used to make fish and sea creatures in their book.

Thanks for having me Manchester High School!

For more information about bringing The Carle’s programs to your school or community center, visit our website here.