Mola- Colorful Art in Layers

 The mola is an art form traditionally created with layered fabric and used as Kuna women's clothing (Kuna is the name of an indigenous people of Panama and Columbia). the Kuna's native language, "mola" means "shirt" or "clothing".
In third grade we create molas by cuting, pasting, and layering colorful pieces of paper. I  discuss warm colors, cool colors, contrast, pattern, repetition, layers, mola, geometric shapes, and organic shapes in this lesson.

 Materials: 

Colored 9x12 paper (background), two 8x8 squares (different colors), scrap paper, glue, scissors.

Procedure: 

Discuss the art of mola, colorful art in layers and typically made of sewn fabric pieces. Students will be creating a mola from construction paper and glue. Demonstrate drawing the outline of an animal (organic shape) on a 8x8 square. Cut out the shape and glue it onto another 8x8 square that contrasts in color. Cut around the outline of the animal again leaving a small space so that the next layer is visible. Glue the layered shape in the center of a colored 9x12 paper, also of a contrasting color.

                                    Demonstrate drawing and cutting out a small geometric shape from scrap paper. Glue it to another piece of paper of a contrasting color and cut around the shape again leaving a small space so that the next layer is visible. Glue the layered shape inside the animal shape. Repeat this technique until the animal is filled with geometric shapes. No shapes should overlap.

                                    Choose a different geometric shape and repeat the technique in the background of the composition.