Tuesday, April 15, 2014

2014 SUMMER ART CAMPS

I had so much fun teaching art camps last summer, that I just had to do it again! In case you're curious, I'll explain how I run my classes. I keep them small - around 10 kids. Class is held at my house, although sometimes we are inside,and sometimes we're outside, depending on the activity and the weather. We usually start out by getting to know a famous artist, like Jackson Pollock. We'll touch on bio information like where and how long he lived, family background, other occupations or interests, etc. Then we discuss what kind of art he created and look at as many examples as we can. Sometimes I'll read a kids book like Action Jackson to cover this information, sometimes we view powerpoint presentations or short videos, sometimes we just talk. We often do a short activity to learn more about the art and compare it to his or her contemporary artists and/or artists we've already studied. It's more fun than it sounds, I promise! And you'd be surprised how quickly kids can become interested in art history and art appreciation. I just wish we had a bunch of museums nearby for them to see the real stuff, but this'll have to do in the meantime! Then, the real fun begins and we get to get our hands dirty. Literally. I always have a project planned that allows them to use the same techniques or methods as our artist of the day, or focuses on his or her subject matter of choice. Or sometimes we pick a particular artwork of his and change it to make it our own. For example, on the day we are going to study Grant Wood, we're going to look at his American Gothic painting. The students will copy the background, but draw their own parents in the place of the famous farmers. Or on the day we study Da Vinci and Michelangelo, we'll create small frescos (like The Last Judgment or The Last Supper), by pouring plaster into pie pans and painting a story on it before it's dry so the paint sinks in. Gotta work fast on that one! I always have the goal of making the project that we do be fun and memorable in a way that lets them explore their own creativity and skill while helping them remember what they've learned. Those are some of the specifics. Here's the overview of the classes being offered:

Session I: DRAWING
June 9th – 13th
Learn various drawing techniques while creating artworks in chalk, colored pencil, oil pastel, and markers inspired by M.C. Escher, Grandma Moses, Grant Wood, Gustav Klimt, and Keith Haring.
Ages 5 – 9: 10 – 11 AM       $50
Ages 10 – 18: 1 – 3 PM       $85

Session II: PAINTING
July 21st – 25th
Using watercolor and tempera paints, experiment with different skills as you paint like Leonardo Da Vinci, Franz Marc, Jackson Pollock, Edward Hopper, and Roy Lichtenstein.
Ages 5 – 9: 10 – 11 AM       $50
Ages 10 – 18: 1 – 3 PM       $85

Session III: MIXED MEDIA/METHODS
August 4th – 8th
Enjoy expressing creativity like Andy Warhol, Faith Ringgold, Henri Rousseau, Andy Goldsworthy, and David Hockney while trying your hand at printmaking, textile art, collage, environmental art, and photomontage.
Ages 5 – 9: 10 – 11 AM       $50
Ages 10 – 18: 1 – 3 PM       $85

If you have more questions, feel free to ask! Leave a comment or shoot me an email. And since I keep class sizes small, be sure to reserve your spot soon! They're filling up fast!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Student Work

This last fall I taught two 16-week art classes for homeschooled students. It was so much fun and was a great learning experience for me and for my kids! We studied a different famous artist every week and created original artworks inspired by their styles, techniques, or intentions. Here's some of their awesome examples.

Matisse's Goldfish:
 Cezanne Still Lifes:
 Wassily Kandinsky copies:
 Picasso-like flowers and hands:
 Georges Braque and Cubist guitars:
 
Like Piet Mondrian: