Chalk and Crayons

Eli Whitney Museum

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Thumbnail of Chalk and Crayons project

2017 Summer Program

In the beginning, before there were letters or words to write, an ancient ancestor picked scratched marks on a stone with a pebbles. The Greek word for pebble is chalk. The marks were white. A half burnt stick made black marks. Ocher clays added yellow and red to that early art. Add animal fat to the pigment. The crayon marks will last 10,000 years.

Make your mark. Find the modern uses of the most ancient drawing tools. Express yourself colorfully.

Chalk? On paper and on sidewalks. In colors you have not tried before. Try a compass or a string. Learn stencils and tracing. Learn games from around the world. Cast your own chalk.

Learn learn artist techniques: etching, rubbing. Heating, melting, ironing blending with oil, and more. Learn the history of coloring books which are often much more than a dutiful amusement. Concoct and cast your own crayons Make a portfolio of your work. Make cards to mail (another ancient technology) to grandparents.

With guest artists.


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