My Talent Show Project

When I was told I was going to be participating in a talent show at the end of my art class this semester I was terrified. I had no idea what I was talented at other than writing, something I wasn't about to share because I can't read my own writing out loud to anybody; I get too self-conscious. Therefore, for about half of the semester I did a lot of soul searching to try and find something that I could do to show my classmates I was talented.

I don't know how I came up with the idea to make a miniaturized model of a library in the turret of a house, other than the fact that I've always kind of wanted one, but once I got that thought in my head I was a goner.

I knew it was going to be difficult, really difficult and incredibly time consuming. I had months though, so I started off slow, getting my bearings and laying out the structure. Two and a half months, two emptied gallon containers of white vinegar, a slew of cardboard boxes, I couldn't even tell you how many sticks of hot glue, and about eighty hand cramps later I have this, a still unfinished library:

"The Greatest Arsenal"

Every piece of it that isn't hot glue or duck tape is recycled. The books are handmade, two tiny pieces of cardboard glued together and painted, and the outside has individual cardboard "bricks" that are going to get a coat of mortar between them.

The piece is titled "The Greatest Arsenal" because of a Doctor Who quote:
      "You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!"
                - The Tenth Doctor, "Tooth And Claw"

Books are the best weapons in the world, so it stands to reason that a library would be the greatest arsenal.

The roof is currently missing, as are the lights to actually read the titles and the ladder to reach the books and the reading loft. They will be added and this post will be updated as soon as it's finished.

I'm a very detail-oriented person, as well as a perfectionist, both of which make doing something like this a lot easier and a lot harder at the same time. I'm patient enough to actually complete this huge time-waster, but now that it's almost finished all I see are the tiny mistakes. I tried to make everything as close to on scale as I could, but I know that this type of room wouldn't actually be practical in a real home.

In the end though, I really, really love how it's turning out, and I feel like it was the perfect culminating project for this semester.

I don't really know exactly how I'd use this skill in my classroom, other than to show students that all it really takes is one tiny step at a time to make something huge and incredible. Also, I know that I can bring the attention to detail and the passion I have for this project into my teaching and I think that's going to mean a lot for me.

For examples of amazing art using recycled items that kids can create in the classroom, visit Education.com.