Winter Kids art classes now enrolling!

Winter Art classes start January 27 and are now enrolling! Details are all on the classes page.


Had all the students making collagraph prints, this time self portraits.
Our collagraph plates were made out of matt board. Students used heavy paper (70lb) collaged in layers to create their portraits. A final coat of matte medium was applied to seal it all in place.

Printmaking is about the process as much as the end result.
Students print an edition of original prints. These are not reproduction, posters or fine art prints which is a fancy name for a high quality mechanically reproduced image. These are original prints.

 A finished collagraph plate, ready for inking.

 Tools of the trade. 

I have a  sweet "Daniel Smith Baby Press" I scored at an artist garage sale a few years ago!

Finished results, the first print on the left, last on the right, total edition of 6. 

One more round of printing to go.

RIP Poofy, Speedy, Big Mama and Blank

We lost the girls last week to the neighborhood racoons. They had lived a fabulous 7 years roaming the yard and side yard on a daily basis. Poofy modeled for so many students. We will miss them dearly. 

Poofy, Ruby, Speedy, Big Mama and Blank

Poofy...

Speedy and Big Mama checking out the studio

Life drawing with Poofy.

Poofy always posed perfectly for pastel portraits.

Block printing with Kids

Printmaking is my favorite subject with the kids. We started this project with small quick sketches of ideas for small blocks (or stamps) before moving on to a larger project. The kids quickly understand the possibilities and limitations once they started carving their small blocks. 

Students made their own sketchbooks. The covers are recycled grocery bags that they decorated with their hand carved blocks. Books are bound using a traditional Japanese 3 hole stab binding stitch.

For my younger students, we did a simpler 2 hole binding.

5-7th grade students explored radial symmetry, tile patterns using a reduction method of carving.

It's harder than you think to remember to rotate the block to print it. I love how this student just repeated whenever she remembered and filled the page.

Can you see the dragon tail?

Black and silver, once again the radial symmetry isn't all there but the finished result is quite fabulous!

If it isn't obvious, I love tiles.

Fall kids art classes

Starting the fall sessions with some back to basics drawing sessions before we move into the projects.

We did some large chair drawings in charcoal and then time to explore lines with bamboo pens and a curvy, wrought iron bistro chair as the subject. It was the end of the day and the kids were so focused as they drew with the bamboo pens.

Value and proportion while drawing curved and square glass vessels and paying close attention to placement.

From the summer a little free paint time at the end of the day with leftover paint.

 Quick figure studies using a manikin and chalk pastels.

Kids Fall Afterschool Art Classes

Fall art classes at Studio-Kids are now registering. All the information is on our classes page.


Here's a few shots from the beginning of summer and the 2-day Painting bootcamp with 1st-3rd graders. We started the camp with a Bicycle color wheel project. Students mixed all their colors for these paintings with just the primary colors, yellow, cyan and magenta. They mixed tints of their colors to finish the rest of the painting.

We reviewed and learned about primary colors, secondary colors, warm colors, cool colors, complimentary colors, analogous colors, tints, shades and so much more.

 A little black and yellow ochre were added to the mix.

I mix up the projects regularly but i do have my favorites for students that are new to my classes.
Still life arrangements with musical instruments is one of them. Everyone can relate to music. Students did a few thumb nail sketches of possible compositions before they could start sketching on their canvas. I help out with making small adjustments and usually just telling them to make everything larger and to fill the space.

The first stage of the painting is a base coat.

With our leftover paint at the end of the day, students worked on abstract compositions. A fun way to experiment with brush strokes, wet on wet effects with acrylic and color.

We finished camp with a group critique where all students could share their favorite part of the classmates work.

Kids Summer art camps are here!

Summer camps are now registering! Find all the information on the classes page.

I look forward to summer camps when students can dig deeper into projects and explore a theme in a variety of mediums over the course of consecutive days. Our backyard artist studio is an inspiring space where individuality is encouraged. Small class sizes allow for personal attention and safe space for the development of ideas and friendships.

We've been working on larger format block prints with a few of my private students. The block size is 8x8. I just love it!

Day 1: Our first session was spent with a quick brainstorming session for ideas. From the studio window our Weber Bbq is visible and that was one of the ideas my student had. His father loves to grill, so we took the idea and I had my student do 4-6 different thumbnail sketches. From there, he picked his favorite and we discussed composition, design elements and pattern. A few more sketches and he had a finished drawing an hour later. I like to use a sharpie to define which areas will be carved away.

 
Day 2:  The drawing was scaled up using a simple grid and put onto the carving block, the block carved and proofs printed both by hand and on the press. With its larger size, the proof pulled on the press gave us the best results.

Day 3: With everything in order in the studio we printed the edition. I have a table set up with the press in the middle. to one side is the ink and a place to roll up the plate. On the other side a separate table with a pile of printing paper torn down to the correct size and an area to put the finished prints.

Order is extremely important to insure a good flow and keep the prints clean.

Ta da!!!!