Learning Masterfully!

This summer these students took their art to the Next Level!  And they fell in love with their paintings!  They already knew how to draw, so they went on to tackle the beast of mixing colors.  We first began the course by creating a color wheel so they could see how colors were made.  Then, really observing their animal, they had to decide where to place the shades first.  By understanding your darkest darks on your object you can gauge the lights and mediums.  Once that is in place, the artist looks at the highlight areas: areas where the sun is hitting their object.  We first started with a still life so by using simple shapes we could understand darks do not have to be black!  After that exercise,  we moved on to animals of their choices.  Here are their results. . . they were pleasantly surprised even if they felt it might be too hard.  SECRET: To tackle the fur and the palm tree fronds we used a special brush so you don't have to paint every hair or leaf.

Mosaics - Just some broken tile turned into art!

I love working with students to see their ideas become a reality.  This Koi fish mural was done from the design of a Senior named Lucy, at Ventura County Christian School.  Our ideas in our art class were to transform the boring white walls in the cafeteria to a relaxing place for the students to enjoy lunchtime.  It was a great project to show how Interior Design can change a place.

The following tile pieces with the children, were done in a summer camp at my Art N' You studio in Camarillo.  The smiling faces tell the excitement they had to break the tiles and then rearrange them into a work of art.  Our lives are very much like that.  Things happen in life and they don't look the same.  With the help of the Creator, we can rearrange them into beautiful pieces of art.

I have also attached some murals that I have seen at a variety of places and was inspired by.  I love the ocean so I was impressed by these ocean murals.  And of course, I had to include some work by my favorite architect Antonio Gaudi and his famous mosaic lizard at the Park Guell!  Gaudi's work brings joy to the heart.  Amazing what a few pieces of broken tile, glass, and concrete can do for a city!

I have an upcoming Mosaic class July 2 and 3 from 1- 3 pm at my Art N' Studio in Camarillo. $55 includes supplies, students will break their own tile pieces, as well as use, pre-cut pieces to adhere them to either a 12" square or a plywood heart of similar size.  Adults can join if they want to get in touch with their inner child!  Please bring a drink as we will be working outdoors in the garden patio.

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! ☺