Beasts!

On the last day of this camp, we created beasts... elephants!

Little artists learned about the differences between African and Asian elephants. Then we made 3-D elephants using sponge painting, collage, and paper folding techniques.












We borrowed this project idea from Mr. Giannetto's art blog.

Older artists created detailed drawings of elephants, then went over them with black school markers (like Crayola, Cra-Z-Art, and Rose Art markers). Then they painted over them with water - and guess what! Their elephants turned a rainbow of 'grayish' colors! Depending upon the brand, black markers will bleed blues, purples, pinks, browns, and greens when water is added, which we found makes awesome elephants! Permanent markers, such as Sharpies, do not do this (so we use Sharpies when we do NOT want bleeding to happen).

Finally, we used watercolors to fill in the background and more markers for details. 

  

Leapin' Lizards!

Little Artists got messy on Day 3 as they created their Leapin' Lizards with pastels. 


First they drew their lizards in black oil pastel, pressing hard! 


Then they filled in the spaces with colorful soft pastels while learning how to blend and soften colors with their fingers. (We had damp towels nearby for wiping off fingers.) 

Blending and blending

Final important step: go over the black lines with oil pastel again. 

My sample (I always like the kids' work better!)

We had a little spare time, so we also made another reptile: a pop-up snake!

Beach Critters!

Tylee's Shark!

Art Smart Kids made awesome watery 3-D scenes on the 2nd and 3rd day of Art Camp. They used Model Magic to create a 3-D image of a portion of their critters, either above or below the waterline.  

This project involved a lot of planning, painting, sculpting, and gluing, as well as creating a display stand. Oh, and applying generous amounts of iridescent glitter sparkles in the water! 

Taylor's Leaping Dolphin

Breaching Humpback Whale

Kemper's Sea Turtle

Abigail's Frog in a Pond with Ducks

Birds!

On the second day of this week's camps, Little Artists learned about rain forest birds and made one-plate toucans! 

We got this great project idea from pinkstripeysocks.com.
 

 

After that, each artist made adorable newly hatched baby birds in a nest... 

Look carefully to find bluebirds, parrots, parakeets, crows, chicks, and doves!

Bugs!

The first day of this Art Camp was about creeping, flying, or slithering BUGS! 

Little artists made 3-D caterpillars eating a leaf!





Then they made a magnifying glass so they could see a bug in the grass up REAL close. 



Older artists became field guide illustrators! They carefully observed photos of favorite bugs, insects, and arachnids as they created accurate scientific illustrations and labeled them. 

Making up and naming new insect species may have happened as well...

"Try It" MakerSpace Camp

This week our Camp theme was Try It! Make It! You Can Do It! This was another S.T.E.A.M. MakerSpace Camp, which was all about trying new things or using familiar media in new ways, AND making messes (which is sometimes the best part about being a maker!)


We constructed bridges and towers and forests and icy places with Styrofoam.







We designed and constructed flexigons (which can be very quiet paper fidget tools).








We created lifelike clones (or twins, as the case may be).

















And we made brown paper baskets and kites that fly and other stuff too!