Kids Art Classes, winter session is now enrolling!

Check out the classes page and sign up today.

 still life with Hydrangea, acrylic on wood

Picasso inspired self portraits

sculpture time

Fall Art Classes Now Enrolling!

 ...check out the classes page for details.

Here's a few more things from this years summer camps.

We looked at the work of Frida Khalo  before students started their own portraits. They were asked to add something to the background that was special to them as well as a banner that had their name on it and anything else they wanted to write.

Elena age 7

Torin Age 7 

Cole age 8

Our first step was carefully observing  ourselves in the mirror. We then tackled our portraits step by step, observing all the proportions of our features. Portraits were outlined with black marker and then filled in with oil pastel and water soluble crayons.

Fall Session is now enrolling!

Check out the classes page for all the details.

 Poofy, posing, perfectly for Priya's pastel portrait.

Real Life and Still Life inspired by Matisse

Summer Camp '13, Seattle skyline collage

 

 Fireworks over Seattle  by the 9-12 year olds class.

Fireworks out of tissue paper circles.  

We used acrylic gloss medium for our glue. 

Fireworks out of tissue paper circles.  

We used acrylic gloss medium for our glue. 

We cut out the some of the main buildings in the skyline and created different patterns with sharpies.

 Wrap it all the way around the edge.

S

Summer Camp 2013, still life studies

Still life studies with chalk pastels.

 I love the effects of chalk pastels on different colored papers.

 A large Cala lily study with  water soluble oil pastels. All the fun of watercolors with a little more control.

 Origami lilies on our still life day.

Summer camp 2013, Bug Jars

I'll be posting some photos from this summer's camps over the next few days.
These are the "Bug Jars" by the 7and 8 olds drying on the patio.

We first drew large jars lightly in pencil, making sure we covered most of the page. These are 11"x15."

  The kids picked a selection of leaves from the garden and began filling their jars. 

 ...then a "bug brainstorming session"

 We used watercolor paints and inks in contrasting colors. We painted our bugs and leaves first, backgrounds second, and jugs third so that our colors would not blend into each. With black ink the final step was painting around all of objects.

Summer Camp 2013 Matisse day

A few selections by the 7 and 8 year olds on "Matisse day.

"

 

First step was drawing patterns with oil pastels and then adding a watercolor wash to create our background wall paper.

 Our still life for the mid-ground of our compositions.

 Cutting out our still life drawings and window scenes. These were then glued onto the backgrounds.

The last step was adding the wire chair beside the window.

Summer Camps are now enrolling!

Check out our Classes Page for the details and join the chickens in the garden for lots of summer fun.

Small class sizes allow for lots of personal attention.

Kids Art Auction Projects (updated 02/14)

I have several requests for more detailed instructions on the "Fireworks over Seattle Project" so here goes!

For a class over 24, each child should get 2 sets of circles and 2 buildings. Do the circles first. When everyone is done, explain  and start on the buildings. Allow 1 1/2-2 hours depending on the the age of the kids. I usually do this project with 4 or 5th graders.

1. Have the kids select 3-5 sheets of precut squares of tissue and cut concentric circles. Working lightest/brightest to darkest. Tissue paper is translucent once you apply the glue so keep those dark colors small!  Color theory comes into this as well. Do not layer colors complimentary colors. Use orange tissue only with yellows, pinks and reds. Try to keep orange   to  a minimum.

2. Apply a  thin layer of gloss medium with a brush to the canvas or wood surface slightly larger than the first circle. place the circle down and with the sam brush smooth it out so that there are no air bubbles. Brush gently, do not scrub. Tissue paper tears easily. tissue paper also bleeds so have the kids brush with the shape of the circles as they putting them down not across the circles.

3. Overlap around the edges and with the other circles so that there are no white spaces showing.

cover cover about 2/3rds of the board.

Planning out the circles.....

Fireworks!

4. Using pencil crayon draw in your skyline. Have all the building shapes precut from at least 3 different papers so that there is a bit of variety in the color, white to off white, cream even pale grey. Card stock is to heavy, thinner is better. Cut the main buildings in the skyline and then more rectangles in a variety of sizes. 

5. Draw a few examples of patterns to get them started. I even have them practice a few before they get started. They usually really get into it and  just start doodling. Have them select a building and cover it in pattern with sharpies. I have them pick with a thick or thin sharpie. I also ask them to hide their names or a message within the pattern. The patterns are abstract and not drawings of the buildings. 

6. Attach the buildings in the same way as the tissue. Gloss medium first, then brush the building into place making sure its well attached without air bubbles.

For a class over 24, each child should get 2 sets of circles and 2 buildings. Do the circles first. When everyone is done explaining and start on the buildings. Allow 1 1/2-2 hours depending on the the age of the kids. I usually do this project with 4 or 5th graders.

7. When its finished, give it a few more coats of medium letting each layer dry.

Finished!

Ms. Wilder's  fifth grade class's collage; the background is layers of tissue paper. Students chose a state and wrote about what they would like to change in America. They added a monument, logo or drawing of something that reminds them of America. The final piece is coated in a layer of melted wax covering the entire surface.

We used acrylic gel medium to collage all the papers to the wood surface. Tissue paper is in the background. Colored paper for the states. Use colorful gel pens to write with NOT pencil crayon or crayon, its just not bright enough. I outlined the states with colorful, bright sharpies so they would stand out. The kids traced or free drew the "emblems' onto vellum with sharpies and then cut them out. The vellum is translucent so the tissue paper show thru when its attached. I put a layer of wax over the entire piece. Ever waxed a snowboard? I keep  an old iron, set up a messy area outside, press a block of parrifin wax to the hot iron and let the liquid wax drip all over the piece. Once you have a a nice coating over the whole piece you can iron the dry wax if its to thick in parts and smooth it out. SOme of the papers will absorb the wax creating some deeper , interesting sections in the artwork.

Chalk drawings by 2nd grade students on wood.

 I love the intense colors ...

More melted wax to seal in the drawing.

I added a small mirror and a wood frame!

 Wood relief sculptures in the style of Louise Nevelson.

Decided on white instead of black to emphasis the play of shadows.

Its not in the picture, but I had a parent make a lovely simple wood frame for this. I find it a really striking, large, modern piece that was totally a result of the kids creativity!