Art Workshop: Josef Albers Inspired Leaf Creatures

Led by Fritz Horstman, education director at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation

After looking at a few of Josef Albers’s leaf collages from the 1940s, we’ll try our hands at it ourselves. Using autumn leaves and colored paper we will discover, invent and assemble creatures.

This workshop will be appropriate for learners as young as 6 (with help from an adult), and also for older learners. It will be conducted via Zoom. We hope that we’ll be able to see what you’re making, too, so we can talk about it and learn together.

Participants are asked to gather at least twenty leaves a day or two before the workshop. Press them between the pages of a thick book overnight. This will flatten them and make them easier to work with.

Materials needed:

• At least 20 leaves, gathered and flattened the day before
• Sturdy white paperboard or cardboard (Printer paper is a bit thin, but could work in a pinch.)
• A variety of colored papers (construction paper, old magazines, packaging – anything with large areas of color – the more colors the better)
• Scissors
• Glue – Elmer’s is good. Glue sticks are ok, but may damage your leaves.
• (Optional) Pencil or pen
• (Optional) Clear tape

Duration: approximately 1 hour

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