Catalina Gutierrez of Red Violet Studio shares how to make a coral reef with clay that even glows under a black light! A great way to learn about coral reefs.
As we continued our conversation about corals, we wanted to explore it through some form of art making, which is what we enjoy the most as a family.
Photo by Catalina Gutierrez
And that’s how this fun invitation to create our own clay coral reefs started. We love the way these beautiful clay works of art look and they are a lovely reminder of how special and fragile the coral reefs are.
Start by sharing some images on coral reefs to get your imagination going. Point out the details, textures and vibrant colors.
Prep the board
Now set out the white air dry clay, tools and wooden board. Begin to spread the clay with your fingers until the board is completely covered with clay.
Create a clay coral reef
Once the board is completely covered, it’s time to start to create your own corals. Some can be long and spiky, others might be more flat or rounded. Anything goes pretty much!
Have fun with this part and get as creative as possible. Create as many corals as you need to make it look like a reef (there’s no limit)!
Add texture
Use the clay tools to give texture to the clay corals and to create patterns on them – think dots, little holes, lines, or any shape that stands out.
Cut the wire into 1 inch pieces and squeeze them into some of the corals for extra texture.
Let dry.
Now let the the clay piece dry overnight.
Add color!
Paint your corals! Corals come in many colors and shades, and many even glow in the dark. If you’d like to make yours glow, paint with neon colors under a black light with other lights off.
It’s not necessary, but I guarantee it will be pretty amazing!
Catalina is the founder of Redviolet Studio, a mobile art experience for children. She is originally from Colombia but has been based in Miami for the past 10 years. Catalina teaches after school art classes for preschool and elementary kids and sensory art & play classes for toddlers. She is very interested in the Reggio Emilia approach to education where the children lead their own learning process with the teacher being more of a facilitator rather than a voice who shows them where to look and what to find. She loves crafting with her boys and a good process art session. Catalina also has an amazing art & play activity guide for purchase through her website that The Artful Team highly recommends!
