Precious Samoa
PROJECT: Samoan Art Project for X Public School
Concept:
Loose landscape of air, land and sea using the repetitive nature of
Samoan art and patterns to create landscape all being tied
together with one of the most precious of Samoan craft-the fine
mat ‘ie toga’. PRECIOUS SAMOA.
The illusion is that canvases are being put onto the fine mat.
air:
variations of blue for the sky canvas with white signature flower
pattern (which is actually a starfish) to symbolize clouds and a sun.
[May need to look a an alternative pattern]
-Petals will be cut from the ie toga or WEAVED, thin wire and
ribbon to edge each petal forming part of the pattern. Can be
manipulated to provide the 3D effect & also going outside the
boundary of the canvas itself.
land:
straight paint onto canvas using the repetitive nature of tattoo or
tapa (siapo) type art. Will design a stencil to repeat on all 5
canvas in this row. Browns and Blacks. designs will intricately
resemble small fale o’o (huts) nestled within coconut trees.
Hopefully being able to draw from research of the symbolism of
different lines and shapes.
water:
blue/green canvas. beginning the coastal line at top of each
canvas with coconut shells (or materials similar to) flowing into
sand recreated using afa “twine” and marking out wave like
patterns to begin the water section. Blue and green feathers used
in the water section (as used in traditional ie toga for decoration)
for either bubbles or begin the water section after the sand section.
Fish will be cut out from the ie toga (fine mat) similar to the clouds
in the top row. Thin wire and ribbon will outline them and to
provide 3D effect.
The bottom row will have the fringe of the ie toga.
Questions:
How will the canvases be mounted?
May need black sheet to mount/sew canvases onto and make
allowance for two rods top and bottom.
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Precious Samoa
TOP PANEL AMMENDED VISION:
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DUE DATES:
End of Term 1
Design & Method
End of Term 2
Collaboration and Construction
Term 3 Harmony Day August 30th 2012 unveiled in school hall as
part of Harmony Day celebrations
APRIL
1. Recreate project on paper with full dimensions
2. Stencils for middle (LAND) row for kids to begin rolling
3. Create fish cut-outs for bottom (SEA) row and kids to add
feathers as used in the fine mats. (still working on
possibilities as original vision was weaved mat fish with
some feathers arranged on fish to incorporate traditional fine
mat design.
4. Kids to paint background colours for all 15 canvases in Term
Two.
MAY
1. Begin LAND row using rollers to add layers via stencils
LAND row represents the tapa (siapo) using lines and shapes to
convey meaning. It is repetitive as in most traditional designs.
The design is in complete at this stage and considering whether to
make each panel slightly different but keeping the main shapes of
the samoan fale and coconut trees. (Can u see them?)
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Precious Samoa
2. Begin the construction/weaving of the boarders and the
flower petals. 8 X 4 smaller weaved individual petals to
create clouds and 4 weaved large petals to create sun.
fine mat bordering to go around outside of all 15 panels
and holding all of Samoa’s treasures within the precious
fine mat itself.
Petals for flower clouds and sun made
out of fine mat & edged with white
(clouds) & yellow(sun in middle) with
thin wire inside the edging so it can be
manipulated to create a 3D effect
JUNE
1. Continue weaving and sewing and sourcing materials for the
bottom (SEA) row.
 coconut shells or art teacher suggested a length of brown
material to represent the coast line.
 feathers for fish
 small shells to boarder the bottom of the SEA row and
having the fringe of the fine mat flow.
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Precious Samoa
 twine or similar to outline the waves
coastline
fine mat SAND
twine for waves
shells along bottom and
fringe hanging from
underneath the shells
JULY
Putting it all together
AUGUST
Final touches
Materials:
 Fine Mat will be sourced from family or hand made from
current materials with the help of a network.
 Ribbon or similar for edging Black, White, Yellow( Orange &
Green-maybe for fish)
 Thin wire like in pipe cleaners to provide 3D effect.
 Sewing machine and matching cotton for ribbon
 Paint Brown, Black, Blue, white, green and rollers
 Twine (afa) will need to research further how to make
 Small shells as in images provided for inspiration
 Paua shell-look at simulating through other materials
 Feathers
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Precious Samoa
INSPIRATION
http://cbarber.aiwsites.com/imd110/design.htm for tattoo and tapa designs
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Precious Samoa
My sisters photos of the mother land
My sisters tattoo around her forearm.
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