Living Map of Israel

Laurie Bellet

There is a map of Israel (or is it a mural?) hanging in the hallway across from the Art Studio at Oakland Hebrew Day School. No ordinary map, this piece is active with the combined experiences and emotions of our entire school community. The inspiration for the map came to me at the NAEA (Art Educators) conference. I was passing the Twisteez Wire exhibit, when I stopped to marvel at a 3-dimensional mural of New York, crafted with Twisteez and all manner of odds and ends. As I was avidly photographing this piece, I quickly realized that it was much more complex than I originally thought and, much more exciting. Then to my great delight, the Twisteez representative (Twisteez is a Rabinowitz family business.) explained that his sister is the artist who created the piece and that she lives in my area!

Reuse, Repurpose, Reimagine

Making the Most of the End of the Year Art Closet

Laurie Bellet

Edot Studies – Ethiopian style challah covers (textile supplies specific to this activity.)

It’s the end of the year. Classrooms get cleaned out and the art closet becomes the repository of all the leftover and unused art supplies that have collected in the cabinets and on the shelves. The easiest thing to do is to close the closet door and plan to “deal with it” when school reopens. Reluctant though you may be to tackle the mounting chaos sooner, rather than later, a few simple steps now can save you money and waste later.

Reuse, Repurpose, Reimagine

Scrap Paper

Laurie Bellet

Collage created for Mayor Jean Quan with papers directly from the box.

Almost every classroom I have ever been in has a box labeled ‘paper scraps.’ I have noticed, though, that the majority of these boxes have only a one-way door – papers go in but never go out!

In the Oakland Hebrew Day School Art Studio, we love our paper scraps boxes. We have one for colored paper, one for white paper and one for patterned papers. These scraps form the basis for some of our most impressive collaborative art works. Whether for a celebration like Yom ha-Atzma’ut or a special occasion like a visit from the mayor, our collaborative, sometimes whole school, collages make good use of our paper scraps.

Reuse, Repurpose, Reimagine

From Marker to Mezuzah

Laurie Bellet

At Oakland Hebrew Day School, we welcome you with mezuzot that are colorful and unique. They are painted, tiled, molded, jeweled and created from materials that were once cast-offs from another life.

The mezuzah artist begins by selecting a base—perhaps mat board donated from a frame store, a piece of scrap wood, or a sample swatch of laminate surface. (Donated by home improvement stores, these are the favorite choice because they come with a hole in the top!). The next step is to select a container for the Klaf. For this purpose we have a box of test tubes (contributed by a local science based corporation). But, our favorites, by far, are the leftover barrels of dried out markers!

Artfully Speaking by Laurie Bellet

Starting with a Clean Slates

A New Year, a fresh start, it is time to begin with a ‘clean slate,’ literally. You can purchase individual student slates, approximately 6”x9, at local craft stores. The slate’s wood frame gives space for any sort of decorating you wish. Write the alef-bet or a blessing around the outside. Add symbols for the New Year or ones. Ask students to embellish the frame with pictures or stickers that reflect their personalities and interests. The wood frame takes acrylic paints and paint pens without spreading like marker will. Seal pictures or stickers with Mod Podge for a decoupage finish. Use tacky glue to insure that your collaged pieces will not fall off. (The individual chalkboards from Oriental Trading Company have plastic frames. You can write on these with permanent markers.) Then, save those slates for student use throughout the year. Practice your Hebrew lettering on the slate instead of using paper. Have students write down their answers to your questions and hold them high for you to see. At the end of the year, reflect on all you have experienced on those once ‘clean’ slates!