Государственное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования « Поморский государственный университет имени М.В, Ломоносова» факультет технологии и предпринимательства

Н.В. Гузенко, С.А.Суслонова

Способы декорирования изделий из природных материалов

Учебно-методические рекомендации

Архангельск 2010

Печатается но решению редакционно- издательской комиссии факультета технологии и предпринимательства ПГУ им. М.В.Ломоносова

Авторы: Н.В. Гузенко, старший преподаватель кафедры методики обучения технологии и дизайна ПГУ им. М.В.Ломоносова; С.А. Суслонова, старший преподаватель кафедры иностранных языков ПГУ им. М.В.Ломоносова

Рецензенты:

М.В. Дружинина, доктор педагогических наук, зав. кафедрой иностранных языков ПГУ им. М.В.Ломоносова

Консультант: Paul Huff (США)

Учебно-методические рекомендации включают тексты на английском языке, раскрывающие различные способы художественной обработки материалов, инструкции по выполнению изделий и задания для самостоятельной работы студентов по изученным темам.

Рекомендации предназначены для студентов очного и заочного отделений факультета технологии и предпринимательства по специальностям 050502 «Технология и предпринимательство» и 261001 «Технология художественной обработки материалов».

© Гузенко Н.В., Суслонова С.А. © Факультет технологии и предпринимательства

ПОЯСНИТЕЛЬНАЯ ЗАПИСКА

Создание учебно-методических рекомендаций «Способы декорирования изделий из природных материалов» обусловлено изменением содержательного аспекта языкового образования и новыми требованиями, предъявляемыми к выпускникам вузов в связи с модернизацией системы образования России.

Данные УМР направлены на профессионально ориентированное обучение студентов иностранному языку, совершенствование их навыков самостоятельной работы с иноязычными текстами, воспитание экологической культуры, развитие творческих способностей, воображения, фантазии и т.п.

Учебно-методические рекомендации включают в себя тексты на английском языке, задания для самостоятельной работы, варианты технологий декорирования изделий из природных материалов, терминологический словарь, список рекомендуемой литературы.

Представленные в УМР тексты раскрывают технологические аспекты художественной обработки природных материалов (аппликация из чешуек шишек, травяное ткачество, лепка из репейника, штампование фруктами и др.). Чтение и реферирование данных текстов предусматривает освоение студентами иноязычной профессиональной терминологии, специфических речевых оборотов, грамматических конструкций и т.п. Фрагментарное освещение в текстах многообразия техник работы с природными материалами направлено на стимулирование самостоятельного поиска профессионально значимой информации и способствует творческому самовыражению и проявлению фантазии студентов.

Выполнение разработанных заданий к текстам предполагает формирование тематического словаря; освоение различных способов чтения, приемов переработки, свертывания и фиксации информации; обучение анализу и критическому осмыслению прочитанного, высказыванию собственной позиции в устной и письменной формах.

В качестве примеров отражения технологических аспектов работы с природными материалами в УМР включены описания последовательности выполнения изделий, иллюстрирующие различные способы художественной обработки природных материалов.

Материалы УМР способны найти применение при организации интегрированных занятий, а также мероприятий внеучебной деятельности (ярмарка «Дары природы», фестиваль цветов, викторина «Природная кладовая», экскурсия на «Цветочный вернисаж» и т.п.).

В дальнейшем наработки могут служить стартовой базой для научно- исследовательской деятельности студентов по специальности с привлечением иноязычных источников или подготовки докладов на иностранном языке, в частности, при участии в международных конференциях и выставках.

READING MATERIALS

Text 1. TREASURES OF NATURE

Nature has always provided Man with clothing and food, medicine, and shelter from the enemies. Natural materials needed for the production of practical items have also been used for decorative and spiritual purposes by all cultures. Even our daily bread is a gift of nature as the nature herself is a gift of God.

Nature is a wonderful workshop. In the hands of a master craftsman with the soul of an artist everything turns through craft to wonder, revealing nature's never ending beauty. Removing the extraneous and adding attributes of function one can transform driftwood into the image of a crocodile, an original candlestick or a vase.

The diversity of natural materials presents endless possibilities, and that's why this type of artistic expression attracts people of ail ages and professions. The artist may choose the material he likes though some are apt to say the materials choose them. Many craftsmen devote themselves to the ideal of revealing through refinement the beauty already found in nature.

Decorative household utensils of natural materials, such as tree bark, roots and knots, cones and nuts, dry leaves and flowers have their origins in the ancient past. Archaeological excavations show that during all stages of civilization developing peoples created articles and mouldings according to traditions. This reflected not only the desire of people to decorate their dwellings or create presents for loved ones, but also to fulfil their aesthetical needs completing projects using available material.

Folk arts were developed over centuries, by countless generations of

masters, their secrets being passed down from father to son and from mother to daughter. Also in the creation of new works the true master not only utilized the lessons of the past, but also tried to demonstrate an original expression, sanctifying each article through his uniqueness and personal talents. It is said that in this way a crafted item retains the warmth of his hands.

The charm and humble appeal of methods developed and refined over the centuries preserved to reveal the simplicity of nature's beauty are especially attractive in this era of mechanized, overly urban manufacturing. Natural materials found in cities, in the country, within forests, at the seaside, in parks or in one's garden, when appreciated with an eye for the peculiarities and subtle nuances inherent in folk traditions allow for wondrously quick and easy results.

The following methods represent but a few of the possibilities for making home-made things of beauty and the individual character of these things adds to their beauty. There are no identical cones or stones in nature. And if you add your imagination, every article will be unique.

Text 2. METHODS OF DECORATING NATURAL MATERIALS

The history of applied arts knows various methods of decorative processing natural materials, such as applique work, weaving, modelling, stamping, drawing and so on. When choosing the technique it is necessary to consider the appearance of the material, its properties, constructive features, etc. For the specific natural material a master can apply this or that method of processing or combine them. For example, in the Northern folk crafts one can find remarkable pro-carved birch bark items decorated with painting.

Drawing is the most common technique. Children start drawing as soon as they can hold a pencil. All people can draw, better or worse. One can draw both on natural materials (birch bark, wood cuts, feathers, stones and the like), using them as a background, and with natural materials, such as cotton wool, sand (so-called dry types of drawing).

It is possible to apply paint to some natural materials and make stamps. The most common object for stamping is wood. But, if desired, one can use other objects and natural materials (fruit, vegetables, leaves, etc.). It is necessary to remember that if the work has a decorative character, you can stamp with any type of thick paint, but to make the work functional, you should only use professional paints.

Soft and flexible materials, such as wet clay, wax and the like are ideal for modelling that is creating a sculpture. The main tool for modelling, especially for beginners, is one's fingers. The supplementary tools include thin sticks, thoroughly polished, and slightly bent. Their ends can be pointed, rounded or jagged. They are made out of solid kinds of trees, such as beech or oak and before polishing they are boiled in drying oil so that they don't swell during work and keep the shape.

It is better to model on a table or on an even board (wooden or plastic), but there can be some exceptions depending on the material used. Modelling is performed by both hands - this speeds up the work and develops the left hand, which can be handy for other applications too. If you want to model using natural materials, place the example in front of you, examine it thoroughly, feel it if possible. Don't begin with a complicated, detailed figure - model something simple, for example, an apple, a plum, a pear, a beetroot or mushrooms.

One of the oldest methods of processing natural materials is weaving. Scientists consider weaving to have appeared even earlier than pottery. People wove dwellings, household items, fences, furniture, sledge and carriage bodies, and various baskets. Different methods of weaving passed from one generation to another, improved little by little, becoming more and more advanced and practical.

Natural materials are widely used for performing applique work, which is a method of inlay drawing, usually pasted to different material. Generally, applique work incorporates a variety of materials. It is necessary to consider in what way they are typically processed and combined. For example, small stones, shells and sand look beautiful together. But using creativity and imagination one can make an аррlique work out of materials, initially seeming incongruous.

Thus, there is a diversity of methods to make artworks with natural materials. Further you will find descriptions of the above mentioned methods and their technological peculiarities when working with various materials.

Теxt.3 APPLIQUE WORK WITH STRAW

There can be three types of applique work using straw: it can cover the entire surface, outline or it can combine the fine delicate outline while entirely filling some areas.

The most common mistake is performing applique work directly on the base without preparation. In this case every straw is fitted, which is a rather hard work.

Having prepared the material, the base for the work is chosen. Usually it has a dark background. Straw looks good with black velvet paper. As a base one can also use a piece of cloth, stretched onto a frame or a sheet of veneer. Painted saw cuts of wood or coloured cardboard can serve as a background.

A sheet of paper is covered with glue, then the straws are arranged according to the design and one should also consider the direction of straw, and pasted. Afterwards, the paper, along with straw, is cut according to the outline and is pasted to the background appropriate for the composition.

Text .4 APPLIQUE WORK WITH BIRCH BARK

The surface of the birch bark is velvety with a net-like pattern of fine thin lines and it is beautiful even without any decoration. Its typical colour has a golden tint and subdued reddish-brown tones are a beautiful compliment. This feature of the birch bark can be used in creating different pictures and panels by arranging the birch bark plates which vary in colour and texture.

This technique is like the inlay of the birch bark on the birch bark. But inlay has a wider meaning because apart from wood, some other materials can be used, such as metal, glass beads, and nacre, among others.

Engaging into applique work with birch bark one should understand certain peculiarities and features of the material. For example, light parts in a design look bigger on a darker background, while dark parts on a lighter background seem smaller. Dark outlines create a shadow effect, while light ones make the design stand out.

The size of the design is also important. It should neither be too large because in this case the birch bark design will look rather coarse, nor too small - this will make it inexpressive and difficult to perform.

The design is drawn on a birch bark considering the direction of stripes and colour. Then pieces of birch bark are glued to the paper and only after this they are cut out.

In carving the design it is necessary to retain the line from those parts of the design needed to complete the picture. For such work a flat chopping-knife is used, the same as the one for cutting birch bark.

After all parts of the design having been cut out, they are arranged according to the design and the composition and colour is checked again. If everything is correct, one can glue the birch bark to the base. Scenes representing genres or patterns can be glued on a background, for example, using wood, cardboard or veneer.

Теxt.5 APPLIQUE WORK WITH CONE SCALES

Flowers made of fir and pine cones can be used to enhance any composition. Cone segments can be used to depict hedgehog spines, bird feathers, the chain armour of an epic hero, a roof of a country cottage.

The scales are cut off with a sharp knife or broken off carefully one after another beginning from the base of the cone. It is better to remove the individual segments beginning from the bottom of the cone. The segments of a dry cone are fragile, and that's why better separation can be achieved if the cone is first soaked in water.

Flowering cone segments look beautiful with birch bark, moss, and as a background one can use canvas or flax cloth glued to a cardboard or velvet paper.

Gluing is done in rows. The segments of each row are arranged between the segments of the previous row and cover about one third of them, the stem of the peddle segment pointing towards the following row.

Text 6. APPLIQUE WORK WITH CONIFER NEEDLES

Conifer needles can be collected in any season. It is best to keep them in a box. Green needles of fir, pine or cedar are the best for аррlique work.

Firstly, the dense base is prepared. Then a sketch is made. The next step is to apply the needles. For that, the surface is covered with glue and the first row of needles is carefully placed on the sticky surface. The needles of the next row are arranged between the needles of the previous one. If necessary a needle can be shortened with scissors.

Conifer needles are often used for making toys or for decorative details (hedgehog's prickles, butterfly's feelers or doll's skirt).

Text.7 APPLIQUE WORK WITH BIRD FEATHERS

In this kind of craft bird feathers of various sizes, tints and sorts can be used (chicken, duck, goose, sparrow, parrot, pigeon and others). Decorative panels, postcards, bookmarks and other articles can be made out of feathers. They can be used for depicting beautiful flowers, birds, butterflies, leaves, for decorating carnival masks and costumes (for example, the costumes of a rooster, a magpie, an eagle or an Indian).

The collected bird feathers should be sorted according to the size and colour. Before the work they are washed, dried and brushed to make them look nice. If the feathers are overly dry one should soak them in hot water before working. If there is a lack of bright coloured feathers one can use the usual aniline cloth dye to

colour the white feathers. With the help of scissors, pincers and diluted gelatine (instead of glue) one can give the feathers any shape. For example, in making the flower petals the feathers are grouped with pincers and a thin layer of gelatine is applied to the back side. Then, they are placed upon paper (cardboard, veneer, birch bark or any other background) and pressed carefully and densely.

Leaves can be depicted in different ways. According to the form of a leaf the feathers can be either clipped with scissors or just smoothed to the pivot.

Text 8. APPLIQUE WORK WITH SHELLS, SCALES AND FISH FINS

In many rivers and lakes one can find shell-fish. The inner surface of its shells is pure iridescent nacre. Breaking the shells into pieces one can exfoliate the nacre from the shell and carefully apply it with glue to a prepared design, selecting the pieces of nacre as in mosaic.

The base for the work can be made of veneer, small board or thick cardboard. First, the background is adhered to the base, usually dark or light blue, and then the design is created.

The design of the river nacre can decorate the top of caskets, covers of albums and so on. Placed under the glass and in the frame they look beautiful on the wall.

Generally river or sea motifs are used for such designs - fish, seaweeds, hippocampuses, sea shells, or starfish, but some other compositions can also be made.

Apart from the nacre one can use fish scales, fins, tails and bronchial plates of river and sea fish.

The fish scales are collected, washed and dried by spreading in a thin layer on the paper or cheese cloth and pressing them to avoid curling. If the scales are too dry and have lost their nice looks, they should be soaked before the work.

Tails and fins are cut off carefully removing the other portions of the fish. Tails and fins are dried and straightened, having pinned them to a plank or a veneer. Cleaned and dried branchial plates are also a valuable material. Before processing they need to be steamed to become soft and pliant.

Text 9. APPLIQUE WORK WITH BRANCH CUTS

Sliced with a sharp knife branch cuts from different trees differ in size, bark colour and wood colour. Poplar bark is greyish green while birch branches have black bark. Black rowan bark is reddish brown, alder bark is pinkish, elder bark is dark.

The shape of the cuts depends on the direction of a knife blade while slicing them. If the knife is held in a right angle the cuts will be round, at an acute angle the cuts will be oval. The lesser the angle between the branch and the knife, the longer ovals will be. The cuts must be even and not too high. For slicing cuts the wooden laying bar is used.

For the background of the applique work one can use dense coloured paper, cardboard or veneer covered with stain, processed with thick solution of potassium manganese or coated with ink or gouache. Then the draft is done on the background and the cuts are pasted. The glue is applied with the following method: several drops of glue are spilled on a rough cardboard, then the cut is pinned onto a big needle and placed into glue, after that the cut is pasted to the background with the help of pincers or a larger pincer type tool.

Text APPLIQUE WORK WITH EGG-SHELL

Wash egg-shell in warm water with soap, then remove the inside pellicle, and dry the egg-shell. Prepared material is kept in small boxes.

Egg-shell can be painted with aniline dye (dye for cloth and yarn), onion peel broth, coffee, and so on. The egg-shell is boiled in the dye solution, and taken out little by little. This allows getting varying colour saturation. The natural colour of egg-shell - white and beige - can be also used in work.

One can make applique work of egg-shell without using glue. In this case a thin layer of plasticine is applied to a cardboard, marking is done, and the pieces of the egg-shell are pressed into the plasticine.

Text 11. APPLIQUE WORK WITH SEEDS

Any seeds of grass plants, cereals, flowers or trees can be used for applique work. All of them vary in shape, size and colour and this allows creating interesting pictures and panels. Cucumber, tomato, carrot, radish, pumpkin, water­melon, sunflower, melon, plantain, horse-tail and garden flowers seeds will do for making a panel. Poppy seeds are used for creating fine lines in a design.

In winter, in spring and in the beginning of summer, when the seeds haven't ripened yet, one can use ordinary grain, which is probably present in every household. They are not so various in colours, but with a little imagination one could create interesting compositions. One can use the natural colour of grain. Buckwheat grain is brown, pearl-barley and wheat ones are grey, millet and maize are yellow, lentil is redbrick, semolina and rice are white and so on. Besides, the grain can be dyed (using ink, gouache, aniline dye, beetroot or cherry juice, potassium manganese, stain and other methods). The size and the structure of the seeds are also very important. For example, peas, pumpkin and water-melon seeds are good for panels with large design.

The work starts by arranging and simplifying the design. All lines and details difficult to make of seeds are excluded. Afterwards, the seeds are selected according to the colour and the size of the design. There are two ways of applying seeds: with glue and with plasticine. In using placticine, it covers the background and then the seeds are sunk into it according to the design. The glue is applied to the small areas of the base just before placing the seeds not to let it dry. After the design is finished a thin veneer or a cardboard is placed above it and a small weight is put on it. This is done to even the stuck seeds. After this the picture can be varnished or, better still, placed under glass.

Text 12. APPLIQUE WORK WITH PLANTS

Creating pictures out of dry plant material is very interesting. It demands patience, persistence, accuracy, and most of all desire. Pictures made of leaves, herbs, individual petals, or flowers look very spectacular.

In this kind of applique work all details of the design are arranged using dry petals, leaves, herbs, flowers and seeds. Аррlique work with plants can represent an object, can be decorative and depict some pattern or design; it can also have some plot, for example, based on a fairy-tale.

The plants are collected in dry, warm and sunny weather. One can use flowers of pansy, jasmine, willow-herb, primrose, or camomile. Dry the leaves of ash-tree, poplar, decorative bushes and raspberry. While collecting plants, try to select the unusually coloured ones. Remember, that light delicate plants, hardly noticeable in nature, look beautiful in a picture. Select the plants carefully - they should not have any spots, holes or outside coating.

The composition is made beginning from the sketch. Plant material is arranged on a glass or a table according to the design. Every detail of the composition is carefully placed up with pincers, starting from the centre, and moved to the background. The details are stuck to the background with glue.

For making applique work you can use flowers, their petals, panicles and ears of different herbs, moss, plant down, dry pods of acacia, haricot beans, long thin blades of grass, etc.

Text 13. cotton wool drawing

Different kinds of cotton wool can be used for this, but natural ones make the pictures livelier and more picturesque.

Firstly, the outline of the design or photo is drawn or copied. Then the inner area of the drawing is filled with the cotton woo!. After that the details are drawn.

Every image comes alive in its own way. For the rose petals, for example, the delicate, nearly transparent cotton wool, just out of the cotton boil is taken. For a landscape the scenery can be made out of viscose cotton wool, but it needs to be stretched by fingers to become bright and glittering. A fluffy animal can be made of the same kind of cotton wool, but it must be fluffed, stretched along the velvet to make it airy. A horse mane or a waterfall can be done out of long white flat cotton wool, fog or mist - out of the transparent synthetic cotton wool. For the high lights it is better to use white technical cotton wool - it is lively and full of air.

As any other kind of work, cotton wool drawing has its own secrets. For example, as not to let it blow away because of wind or one's breathe, the cotton wool is cut onto a piece of provolone. To cut the cotton wool into dust the scissors are held nearly horizontally.

Different kinds of plants (thistle, dandelion, poplar) and animal down can be used for this work. It is better to collect plant down in fine sunny weather. Down is put into the cardboard boxes or glass jars. In a plastic container down will turn yellow. Applique works of down may depict snow, animals, birds and make the pictures look soft, fluffy and warm.

The main feature of the down is that all the fluffy details of the applique work can be attached without any glue, by cohesion. That's why apart from the main illustrative material one should thoroughly select that or those for the background. Any material with a rough surface can be used. Usually, it is velvet paper of a dark colour. While correcting the design the main tools one would use are pincers, scissors and a needle. Several methods are used for work, such as superposition, braiding, crumbling and cutting of the edge.

Superposition is used for different shadow transitions. For the light area the down is attached in several stages, usually one layer over another. For grey transitive tints the number of layers is reduced. In the dark parts of a picture no down is placed.

In a braiding method the down is seized with pincers and rolled into a braid, the thickness depending on the amount of down. The hairs are pulled out of the end of the braid and placed evenly on the background. As a result very clear outline is obtained.

To get a crumbly structure the braids of down are reduced to fragments across the fibres and rubbed into the background surface until a smooth texture is obtained.

Cutting along the edge shapes the uneven boundary of the picture. The fibres are arranged according to a pattern, and then they are clipped and transmitted to a background.

Text 14. BIRCH BARK PAINTING

Painting birch bark is one of the first types of folk art. Different regions of Russia have their own methods of decorating birch bark. Nowadays berry baskets and dishes are most commonly painted.

The composition of the painting is determined by the shape and the purpose of the item. Plant motifs are typical for decorative painting flowers, leaves, and plant patterns. Similar to decorative painting wood, a small amount of paints is used. The most important consideration is the background surface, and it determines the brightness of the painting. The traditionally used colours are red, yellow, sometimes green, brown or blue.

Before painting the surface of birch bark it should be primed. The primer used is the mixture of chalk and joiner's glue. A thin layer of the primer is applied to the surface. After that the birch bark item is dried for 6 or 8 hours at a temperature of about 18-20 degrees. A while later it is smoothed with a fine­grained sand-paper or a pumice-stone to even the surface. Next comes the process of dying with whitening, firstly watery, and then progressively thicker before drying. Eventually, the birch bark item is ready to be decorated with designs. The last stage is coating the bark with varnish which should be done twice. Varnishing is to be followed by a twenty four hour drying interval.

The natural colour of the background of birch bark items without preliminary priming and whitewashing makes them look light and natural.

Text 15. DRAWING WITH SAND

River sand is a very interesting and pliant material. Applique work is usually performed on a cardboard. Firstly, a design is made, some areas of the design are covered with glue and then sand is placed on the glue. In the areas of a thicker layer of sand the picture looks more embossed and saturated.

If you want, you can colour the sand with the mixture of aniline dye and glue, but only small sifted sand is good for this.

One can buy already prepared sets for sand drawing including the sketches, sticking base and coloured sand. The only thing is to perform the work.

Using small white and black shells one can decorate interesting jewellery boxes, photo frames, and make toys and decorations.

Text 16. STAMPING WITH FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

Pictures created in this technique exude freshness. Nature gives us not only motifs, but stamps as well. A table setting of cloth stamped with a lemon looks original and festive. To make such a picture you should cut the lemon in the middle and leave both halves to dry for one or two days until the peel gets firm. With the help of a sponge cover the cut surface of lemon with yellow dye and do the stamping according to the design.

Other fruits (apples, pears and so on) and vegetables can also be used for stamping and making pictures. One can get interesting impressions by stamping with a cut onion or stamps of geometrical figures, flowers, ornamental elements planed out of carrot, potato or beetroot.

Text 17. MONO-TYPING

Mono-typing is a kind of print drawing.

To create a composition in a mono-typing technique, apply natural materials. One can use leaves of different trees (oak, asp, thuja, alder, maple, rowan), or the bushes (hawthorn, honeysuckle, nut-grove, sweetbrier, currant, raspberry, lilac, jasmine, black rowan tree) and some kinds of grass plants (sedge, fern and others). It's also possible to use some vegetable leaves (parsley, carrot), but they require greater accuracy because they are very thin and fragile. Indoor plants' leaves are no good because they don't stand repeated painting and spill.

One should better collect green leaves and grass plants, but fallen ones also will do if only they are not deformed or too dry. Only the upper part of the grass plants is taken, because it is more flexible.

Collected leaves are washed and dried in a book under slight pressure. After drying they must be flat but though retaining a clear leave structure. One must not iron the leaves because the texture of a leaf may be lost and it will become brittle. Grass plants are smoothed out for drying and put under press.

One needs gouache or oil paints for printing, water colour don't suit. The best and most colourful prints are on black, violet or blue paper. Album paper or

whatman paper covered with two layers of black ink (far and wide) are also of great use.

The technique of making prints is rather easy. The side of the leaf or a blade of grass to be used for printing is covered with paint and pressed gently to the prepared sheet of paper. If the leaf is very big or fragile it is better to cover it with a piece of paper and to press it through the paper. You shouldn't press it too hard because the leaf can get stuck and it will be difficult to remove without spoiling the print. It is desirable to arrange the entire composition and mark the places of leaves before you start printing.

A thin layer of paint is applied by the flat brush (number 8 or 10). The usual bristle or a glue brush can be used for a supplementary effect in a print. In this case the leaf is put on a chosen background and paint is applied with a glue brush going over the edges. This type of brush does not entirely cover the background surface. That's why after removing the leaf one can see its outline.

The compositions depend not only on the design, but on the printing technique as well. The prints can be clear or vague, bright or hardly noticeable, one-coloured or multy-coloured. All this can be realized in one design and in one composition.

With the help of this printing technique one can create interesting postcards with the background of not only black paper, but the picture of sky, nondescript scenery, clouds and so on. It is interesting to print with leaves and grass using oil paints on cloth. Smooth and thin cotton and synthetic cloths are the best for this.

Text 18. MODELLING WITH SNOW AND SAND

Modelling of snow and sand is always performed outside. The necessary condition for these materials is sufficient humidity. Dry sand spills, snow isn't sticky in a frosty weather, but having absorbed enough water they can keep the given shape. Usually snow and sand sculptures are rather big.

The main tools for making and processing these sculptures are spades, scoops and moulds. One can use any available materials, such as sticks, wires, scraps of cloth and the like. Snow and sand have their own constructive features. For example, one can make a sand building higher by applying wet sand on a figure, creating the effect of a pyramid. A snow ball is a real mystery because it is hard to imagine how one could get a huge ball out of a small lump quickly. Besides, snow details are easy to connect, to smooth and contour or to decorate with paints. For better adhesion of appendages and for the better attachment of additional decorative elements to a snow figure it is necessary to moisten the junctions.

The only disadvantage of snow and sand is their short life. The snow melts turning into a spring brook, the sand dries and blows away.

The sand sculpture can be preserved by adding some paste or glue into the sand and beginning work immediately so that the substance doesn't harden. The only way to extend the life of a snow sculpture is pouring water over it to make an ice-crust.

Text 19. MODELLING WITH BURDOCK

One can create modelled figures out of burdock. In this case the seeds of the plant are used. Burdock usually grows along roadsides, on vacant lands, or in parks. Owing to the crooks burdock seeds can be fastened together and keep the shape for a long time.

The preparation for the work with burdock is very simple. One should collect some clenching balls and shape them into a large lump which is to be covered with a wet cloth so that the seeds don't get dry - and the material for modelling is ready.

Animal and plant figures can be modelled out of burdock with the help of a specially prepared frame. The frame is made out of the wire 1-2 mm wide. This wire is easy to bend according to the desired shape. The frame can be fixed on a pedestal of wood or cardboard. For big figures the frame is made of paper fixed with glue. It gives the figure the necessary volume. To make the figure solid this construction should be covered by pieces of cloth.

The first layer of burdock is attached to the paper frame, and the next are fastened to one atop the other.

To decorate modelled burdock figures one can use beads, buttons, plasticine, matches, threads, scraps of cloth and many other things.

Text 20. MODELLING WITH CLAY

Clay should be prepared properly for modelling. To know if it is wet enough and if it is thoroughly kneaded one needs to roll into ropes (as the dough is rolled between the palms) about a finger in diameter. Take one end and hold it horizontally. If it bends, knead the clay again between your fingers and roll it out again. If it doesn't bend, the clay is ready for modelling.

If the clay crumbles, one should wet it with water and knead it again. As you gain experience, you can assess the quality of clay to the touch. If you don't like the figure, you can recycle it and mix it back in with the rest of your clay. The same clay can be modelled many times.

While modelling one should remember that it is not necessary to sculpt every detail. Reveal the most characteristic feature of an object - something that is typical to animals or people, such as reflect their movements or their mood.

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There are different types and colours of clay. The best ones for modelling are grey or reddish clay. If it is difficult to get this particular type, one can use any type of clay if only it is flexible, viscid and slippery to the touch. Certainly, the usual soil clay is polluted with other admixtures bad for modelling, such as plant roots, stones, sand, which are necessary to get rid of. In this case the clay is mixed with water to fluid gruel. Then this gruel is sieved. All useless particles stay in the sieve.

To engage into clay modelling one needs pieces of cloth to dry his hands, an oil-cloth and a sheet of veneer or a plastic support, a piece of linoleum will be of great use too; so it is easy to remove a figure and to wash up after work.

If the work lasts rather long the clay needs to be sprinkled with water from time to time; non-finished work should be covered with wet cloth and wrapped in a plastic bag. In this condition it can be kept for several days.

The further processing of a sculpture begins with drying from two to six days according to the size of the figure and the air temperature. Sculptures must not be dried near radiators, heaters, cookers or in the oven. This can result in cracks or even ruin the figure. The best way is to begin drying on the floor, and then to put the figure higher. Progressive evaporation of water will make the clay figure rigid and then it can be decorated with design.

To make the sculpture even more rigid it is baked in the special oven called a kiln. Here the sculpture is baked for two and a half or three hours at a temperature of 400—450 degrees.

After baking the sculpture is coated with glaze to make it waterproof and ready for decoration. Then it is baked again.

If there is no opportunity of baking (firing), one can use glue to make the figure rigid. Glue is added into the clay (about 1-2 teaspoons of glue per- kilogramme of clay) and the substance is mixed again. In this case the clay can't be stored.

After baking the clay changes its colour - from grey or brown it gets an orange-brown tint. The sculpture becomes waterproof and can be decorated with paints. Any available dyes can be used for that - gouache, watercolours or others. To make the sculpture keep the colour in case it gets wet, the design is fixed by adding some glue into gouache or varnishing the sculpture.

After that the work is dried for several days. Not to let the work be ruined while baking it is pierced with a pin in unnoticeable places.

Text 21. WEAVING WITH BIRCH BARK.

For making birch bark woven articles different pieces of birch bark are used. For larger items, such as baskets, one needs wide birch bark band, taken off the trunk in a spiral. For making smaller items, such as salt cellars or glasses' holders narrow stripes, cut from a layer of birch bark are used. Birch bark is cut into stripes of equal length with a chopping-knife and metal ruler. The ruler is placed on a birch bark in parallel to its black veins.

Band weaving is a rhythmical intersection of squares. Made by the interlacing of birch bark bands, they may be oriented differently; at right angle to the base or at the angle of 45 degrees. In the First case it is called the right weaving, in the second - oblique weaving. The right weaving is mush easier than the oblique. That's why it is better to begin practicing with the right weaving. Before starting birch bark weaving it is useful to practice with paper stripes. Only after you learn surely to weave the article or its copy out of this pliant material, you will be able to work with birch bark.

Text 22. WEAVING WITH WITHE

Woven items of withe are not only light, durable and convenient, but also pleasant to see because of the natural beauty and warmth of the material, its expressive rhythms and diversity of woven pattern.

Nowadays, as in the old times, weavers use sprouts of different willows, growing in our country.

Amateur weavers usually collect withe on the banks of rivers, ponds and lakes, in ravines and other low places. For the mass production withe is grown on the special plantations not far from the workshops. One and two years' sprouts are used for weaving.

If it is necessary to weave an item urgently, withe can be collected in every season. But it is worth considering that in summer, during the fast growth of sprouts, they are rather fragile and break easily. That's why the best time to collect withe is early spring or late autumn.

Withes collected in this periods should be soaked for 3 - 4 hours and then steamed for 20 - 30 minutes. After this they are cooled in cold water and the bark is removed.

Some withes used for decorative weaving can be dyed. Withes contain tannins, which prevent them from even dying. One can remove tannins by boiling withes with wood ashes. Withes can be dyed in bright colours with aniline dyes, used for dying cloth.

During many centuries the craftsmen basket-makers worked out several kinds of weaving. They were used depending on the purpose of the article and decorative aspirations. The most common was the so called simple weaving. It is easy, but not very durable.

To give the woven article more durability the rope weaving is used. This kind of weaving is also used for fixing the edges of a basket, made by simple weaving. This kind of weaving is called so because in performing it the craftsman interweaves two thin withes the way the rope is woven. Sometimes the triple rope is done, when three withes are interwoven.

The beginners can benefit from the following piece of advice: if you have any difficulties in weaving, take some pieces of coloured wire and interweave them. This will help you to understand weaving better.

Text 23. WEAVING WITH STRAW

In all parts of the world folk craftsmen used straw of the grains cultivated in their surrounding areas for their work.

In Western Europe, where wheat was grown, wheat straw has been used for handicrafts. In Russia, Byelorussia and Ukraine the main grain was rye, which was used for baking brown bread. Wheat, used for baking white bread in the forms of pies, rolls, knot-shaped biscuits, and ring-shaped rolls (barankas), traditionally was not as common. In everyday life peasants dealt with rye straws. Rye was used for household needs and various handicrafts. Sometimes wheat, barley and oat straws were also used.

Rye straw is long, straight and durable. Having been steamed and soaked in water, it becomes so flexible that one could weave very small articles with delicate decoration. The shape of an article made in wet condition keeps well after drying. Rye straw is very durable and resilient. That's why it can be used for weaving articles used for bearing hard burdens - baskets, bags and rugs.

The craftsmen living in the country try to find at least a small area of the garden to plant rye or wheat. In this case the material will be always at hand. Trunks can be cut at any stage of development, and the straw will have different tints. Wild grains will also do for those who can't get rye or wheat straw.

The trunk of every plant, both cultivated and wild, can be divided into several parts, called nodes. The longest node is in the upper part of the stalk and it ends with an ear or a panicle, and the shortest and the thickest part is at the bottom, near the root.

The straw, dried under the shelter is divided into two parts. The first part is kept in the attic or other dry place, having tied it into sheaves. The other part is processed preliminarily. The ear or a panicle is cut off every straw with scissors, the leaves are removed, and then it is cut into nodes. The nodes are sorted into three parts according to their length and diameter. To make the straw acquire an even and saturated golden colour it is kept in the sun for about two or three days. Straw can be coloured or whitened in other ways in any season and just before weaving. The sorted straw is kept in bunches or in separate boxes.

Collected and sorted straw can be whitened by the hot 5-10 % solution of hydrogen peroxide, seasoning it for about 6 hours. Whitened straw can be dyed in any colour with aniline or plant dyes.

Text 24. WEAVING WITH HERBS

Handmade weaving is based on a technique of linen interlacing of base and weft. Nowadays gobelins are considered to be the most fashionable woven wares. A gobelin is a hand made woven picture. It can be made of different materials, including natural ones. Different kinds of dry plants are used in creating a gobelin. For decorating one can use dry leaves and fruit, woven birch bark or willow, stones, shells, etc. It is interesting to combine natural and supplementary materials (wires, nets, furs, laces and so on).

Gobelins provide the opportunity to preserve a piece of summer. The most interesting ones are those made of healing herbs. They create a healthy and favourable atmosphere in the house.

Gobelins are not very difficult to make. The most important thing is to have the strong threads of the base stretched between two branches. The best threads are flax. A bunch of grass is passed through the stretched threads of the base: under the first thread and above the second, under the third one and above the forth and so on until covering enough of the gobelin.

READING COMPREHENSION

Text 1.

I. Vocabulaiy

1. Translate these words: to provide, shelter, purpose, gift, workshop, extraneous, image, diversity, devote, to reflect, subtle, unique.

2. Find them in the text and translate the sentences.

   2. Comprehension

      1. Find the sentences with the word nature and translate them.

      2. Answer the questions:

• What purposes are natural materials usually used for?

• How do the artists decide about the materia! to use?

• What decorative household utensils can you name?

• How old is the craft of making articles with natural materials?

• Why did people of all times engaged into producing articles with natural materials?

• How did the masters preserve and develop the crafts?

• Why are these crafts especially attractive in our era?

• Where can natural materials be found?

• What natural materials can you name?

3. Speaking

   1. Tell about:

• the gifts that nature gives us;

• the purposes why craftsmen use natural materials for their work;

• the history of these crafts;

• the way the crafts developed;

• present day situation with these crafts.

2. Express your opinion:

• People nowadays can produce many artificial materials (leather, fur, cloth). Why do we still need natural materials? Can we do without them?

• Are the articles made of natural materials really important? What do they give us? Where can they be used?

• Can we use natural materials without doing any harm to nature?

Text 2.

I. Vocabulary

1. Translate these words: to consider, to combine, technique, necessary, flexible, supplementary, to swell, exception, pottery, to incorporate, incongruous.

2. Find them in the text and translate the sentences.

   2. Comprehension

      1. Write out from the text the names of natural materials.

      2. Find in the text the English equivalents to the following words and expressions: декоративно-прикладное искусство, при выборе техники, конструктивные особенности, при желании, можно использовать, декоративный характер, следует пользоваться только, лепка, мягкие и гибкие материалы, глина, воск, дополнительные инструменты, тщательно отполированные, слегка изогнутые, заостренные, закругленные, с зазубринками, твердые породы дерева, провариваются в олифе, сохраняют форму, в зависимости от используемого материала, может пригодиться, методы обработки, передавались из поколения в поколение, необходимо учитывать.

   3. Speaking

Which of these topics are covered in the text? Tell about them:

• variety of methods of decorative processing natural materials;

• history of decorating natural materials;

• drawing technique and its types;

• technology of drawing;

• peculiarities of stamping with natural materials;

• tools and equipment for modeling;

• recommendations for modelling;

• the history of weaving;

• different kinds of weaving;

• the main features of applique work.

Text 3-4,

I. Vocabulary

1. Translate these words: entire, outline, base, background, frame, tint, peculiarity, design, coarse, pattern

2. Find them in the text and translate the sentences.

II. Comprehension 1. Fill the table with the words

technical operations	instruments	natural materials	other materials

2. Fill the blanks.

1. . The most common mistake is ... applique work directly on the ... without...

2. . As a base one can use also a piece of..., stretched ... a frame or a sheet of...

3. . The paper, along with ..., is cut... to the ... and is pasted to the ... appropriate for the ...

4. . The ... of the birch bark is ... with a ... pattern of fine ... lines.

5. . Inlay has a wider meaning because ... wood, some other ... can be used, such as ..., glass beads, and ..., among others.

6. . Dark ... create a ... effect, while light ones make the ... stand out.

7. . The design ... contain too many ... details.

8. . The ... of birch bark are ... to the ... and only ... this they are ... out.

9. . Scenes ... genres or ... can be glued on a ..., for example, using wood, ... or ...