2017 VC Youth Art Show Winners

The Show goes on till May 19th!

Please take family and friends to see the art pieces at D.A. Davidson & Co., 60 So. California Street, Suite 301, Ventura.  This is a private business so hours are only Monday through Friday 10-4pm.

Wow, it was so wonderful to see so many of my students at this fabulous Reception/ Exhibit on March 23, who created such beautiful artwork! They all deserve a round of applause, not just those who won.  This sure had to be difficult to select the best for awards! Not all took a prize, so they should not be discouraged.  I will blog on what makes a good art piece later this month. It was such a joy to meet many of your families at the event.  And of course these happy faces are priceless!  Overall, it takes practice and work to succeed, at art and other areas in our life.

This year there were so much more younger participants and they also were quite happy to get gifts as a "Budding Artist!".  I was happy to see that those who were about ready to give up on a piece put in more time and it PAID OFF!

Cartooning, is this Art?

Parents are always wondering if their child drawing cartoons is really learning any skills? YES! When your child is drawing and copying what they see, even if it is an anime or another cartoon, they are focusing on their drawing skills. For many young children, drawing something realistic is intimidating and they are afraid of failure. Drawing cartoons puts an animal into a correct perspective, yet they can be silly which takes the edge off of it having to be perfect. So much of their schoolwork revolves around them performing or testing well and this gets translated into a need for "perfectionism" for many young children. And who wants to fail?

I have found that the students in my after-school cartooning classes at St. Mary Magdalen's School love to draw and have fun with drawing many of their favorite characters from current movies, such as "Jungle Book", "Finding Dory", and "The Secret Life of Pets".  They are learning how to draw expressions, a variety of animals, create a story, and will gain confidence to draw beyond the "stick figure".

NEVER too old to learn Art

I wanted to highlight my 101 year-old student: Jeanne Clark.  She was such a joy to teach! She was joyful, open to new ideas, and had such a willing heart to try things. She looked forward to our weekly art lessons, as much as I did. She has helped me to see things that will last long in life: joy, counting your blessings, being close to family, having a happy heart, and doing things that you enjoy!  I also enjoyed hearing her sing "Blue Skies" whenever I asked her, "what color do you want the sky?"  I downloaded it on my song list for her art lessons!

Now that I go to several different senior homes, someone will say, "I am too old, I can't do that", I share pictures that Jeanne has created. Those 80 year-olds don't have her beat! If she can, you can too! We are never too old to learn art and have fun expressing our creativity inside!

"An artist brings joy into our lives by teaching our eyes to see. How deeply I recommend Michelle Honles as a person as an artist, and as a teacher. My mother at 101 years is taking art lessons from Michelle. How gently, patiently and sweetly she engages my mother in art . There are few things my mother can do any more. Her art lesson with Michelle is the highlight of each week and the best expenditure of money, for her well being that I can make. Beauty satisfies the soul."

Christie Johnson, (Jeanne Clark's daughter)

2015 Summer Camps at Camarillo Art Center

Not only do art camps expose students to art in general, they also allow the students to hone their artistic talent: whether it be in drawing, architecture, fashion design, painting, or fantasy art.

Lorrie Milton taught an Animal Adventure class where they drew a variety of animals, Ashley Goodman-Konzmann taught a small group how to paint and see value in their work, and I taught Fashion Design and Fantasy art.  Next week we will cover a variety of media including sculpting.

Each day, these art students learned how to draw fantasy art and then they chose how they wanted to complete their pieces. Students were able to choose between watercolors, markers, colored pencils, art Stix, or chalk pastels. Andrea, the youngest, brought in glitter and it added a sparkle to our unicorns! Never would have thought of that! I love their creative touches — loved this week! ☺

Many Winners in The Ventura County Juried Art Exhibit 2015

Many of my students created exceptional pieces for the Ventura County 2nd Annual Juried Art Exhibit where there were many entries and the competition was fierce! My students were able to take home prizes of cash or art supplies! Everyone did a fantastic job and thanks to all who participated! 🏆

Ventura County 2nd Annual Juried Youth Art Exhibit

19 of my students are participating in the Ventura County 2nd Annual Juried Youth Art Exhibit. What an exciting opportunity to shine in art and have a chance to win one of many great prizes! There are $3,600 in gifts and cash awards this year. Last year, many of my students won prizes and scholarships for art lessons! Crowell, Weedon, and Co. in Ventura are sponsoring this event to promote the arts in Ventura County. (Pictured our 2014 winners)

Join us at the reception & Awards May 19th from 4-7pm.  5740 Ralston, Suite 301, Ventura.