Ida Kohlmeyer, Rebus 3D-89-3, 1989. Painted aluminum. Gift of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Foundation. ©️ Ida Kohlmeyer.
New Orleans-born artist Ida Kohlmeyer began her life as an artist at age 37 when she took her first painting class. She created a unique pictorial language with playful combinations of line, color, and shape. Working in a variety of media including paint and pastels, Kohlmeyer also translated her personal glyphs into stacked aluminum sculptures, often titled Rebus. A rebus is a riddle. What do you make of this one?
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MATERIALS
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STEPS
1 – Use markers and/or crayons to color one side of your paper with various shapes, lines, and other designs. Fill the entire page. |
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2 – Cut your paper into strips in a variety of sizes—wide and narrow, short and long. |
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3 – Wrap the paper strips, design side up, onto a pencil until the paper is fully rolled. Secure the end with a piece of tape. Slide the paper off the pencil. This will create a skinny tube of paper. Repeat this step with each of your paper strips. |
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4 – Create a base for your sculpture by gluing 3–5 of the paper rolls in a rectangle or triangle shape onto a piece of cardboard or heavy paper.
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5 – Glue the additional rolls in a variety of directions and levels. As you build and assemble your pieces into a sculpture, use tape to secure and reinforce ends and meeting points. Allow time to dry. (Hot glue is an option for quicker drying time.) |
Once you’ve finished, browse more family-friendly art-making activities.
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