Stone & Bone Inuit Carvings

Research the native Inuit people of Canada then create your own sculpture of a natural figure, using Crayola® Model Magic to simulate stone or bone.

• 1.

  Locate the Inuit native lands in Canada's Nunavut province. Research information about the Inuit tradition of carving. What materials do the Inuit use in their sculpture? What tools are traditional? Look at examples of Inuit carvings or pictures of them.

• 2.

  Choose a natural figure from the far northern hemisphere such as a person, turtle, seal, fish, whale, owl, bear, or bird to sculpt in the Inuit style with Crayola Model Magic.

• 3.

  To create the effect of a gray rock such as soapstone, knead color from gray or black Crayola Washable Markers into white modeling material. For bone, antler, or animal teeth colors, add a little yellow or brown marker. For a marbled effect, partially knead color into the Model Magic.

• 4.

  Use your fingers and/or craft sticks to shape your carving. Include as many details as possible, such as facial features, feathers, beaks, or claws. Dry.

• 5.

  If you wish to add more stony or bony color to the surface of your sculpture, cover your work area with newspaper. Soak the bristles of a Crayola Paint Brush in Crayola Washable Paint. Lightly spatter your carving by gently tapping the brush on your finge

Benefits

• Children research information about Canadian Inuit history, geography, and culture.
• Students study many forms of art created by the Inuit, including sculpture with stone, animal bones or teeth, and other items found in their northern Canada environment.
• Students create their own Inuit-style sculpture with authentic subject, style, and color choices.

Adaptations

• Research more information out about Canadian Inuit origins and culture. Where are carvers still active today? What materials do they use? Find samples of their work on the Internet and in museums, such as the Art Gallery of Ontario.
• Discover other forms of Canadian native art such as totem pole carving, painting, or masks.
• Encourage younger children or those with special needs to learn more about Inuit life, and how people deal with the cold weather and long, dark nights of winter. What do they wear? In what kinds of homes do they live? How do they travel? What foods are traditional?
• Write about the meaning of this statement by Luke Tunguaq, a contemporary Inuit carver: "Inuit carve what is traditional. They carve what they have seen, what they remember. Since they didn't write on paper, they put their thoughts into their carvings."
• Younger children and those with special needs may benefit from short practice sessions experimenting with Model Magic sculpture techniques. Add color to small pieces of white Model Magic® to get the desired effect then create miniature sculptures to pra