The sphinx is finally ready for some color and who better to begin applying it than our resident toddler artists. There was a flurry of paint being patted, tapped, brushed, smooshed and splashed as the base coat of our regal creation was applied with gusto. 
The toddlers also enjoyed some free choice activities including dot painting, oil pastels, markers, liquid water color and a combination there of.
A sphinx is emerging in the studio thanks to a fabulous armature created by our resident ceramic artist and all around amazing talent, Amy Laugesen.
Our method began by dipping strips of newspaper into a bucket of paste. The paste is a mixture of soyflour, white glue and warm water. We dipped the strips into the mixture and ran our fingers down the strip to remove the excess drips. Next, we applied the strips to the chicken wire armature in typical papier mache' fashion. Some of the students were averse to the tactile properties of the paste, while others ecsatically busied themselves layering the form with criss crossed paper strips. Later that day, while working with the afternoon group of children, I looked down at the strips of paper, many of them bore headlines regarding the changes taking place in modern Egypt. I didn't bring this element to the attention of the child but I did observe the process through a different lens, watching as small hands used this media printed with headlines and uncertainty, and carefully reshaped it into the body of a sphinx, modeled after one of the timeless gifts handed down through the years by an Egypt of old. Sometimes, these little gestures of art are deeply moving, a testament to the timeless power of creativity.