The Center for the Creative Arts will soon become the largest crayon box in the state.
The center is playing host to artist-in-residence Katie Naber this summer and she is leading a group of students as they build 12 larger-than-life crayon sculptures that will be scattered around the Yorklyn facility.
Crafted mostly from recycled materials, like empty paint cans, plastic bowls and soda cans, the giant crayons are being painted with bright solid colors and some more unique patterns, like polka dots.
But instead of sticking to the classic crayon design, Naber decided to manipulate some of the sculptures into bizarre shapes, like a u-shape.
“It’s all about people being interactive with the crayons because they are so crazy,” said Naber, of West Chester, Pa. “I hope they get excited about them and wonder what they are.”
There are challenges to working with recycled materials, she said, like the fact that metal paint cans need to be primed before they can be painted, while the plastic pieces do not. Making sure the sculptures are sturdy enough for the outdoors is tricky, too, but rebar running the crayons’ length ought to keep them standing straight, she said. She's hoping they'll all be finished by the end of next week.
For 15-year-old Rachel Hawkins, of Hockessin, problem solving has been the most interesting part of making the crayons. When the soda-can crayon wouldn’t stand up, the students figured out how to change the design, she said.
“It’s really interesting to work together coming up with ideas and then see those ideas turn into something real,” she said.
Kelley Barba, 17, of Hockessin, said she enjoyed seeing all the unique crayon shapes come to life. She never expected a paint can to become a piece of art, she said, but it was a good lesson in creativity.
“You can do anything you want with art,” she said. “It’s easy to take an idea and just form it into something.”
