annual art exhibit

fingers, feathers, and straws

The kids have done great this week with their paintings! Each day I have challenged the younger groups to paint with nontraditional items...their fingers, feathers, and straws! They have met each challenge head on and done wonderfully! The photo above is of Katy and Alisa, both using their feathers differently. Below is a picture of Riley, Nathan, and Micah working on their art.

I haven't actually snapped any pictures of the older groups yet...I don't know that they quite like the camera as much as the younger ones! They have done a great job this week as well though. We have gone over different painting styles and they have tackled pointillism, surrealism, and cubism. I'll get some photos online soon, because they have just done so well!

Remember, you can see more photos at Flickr!

yay for summertime

"Yay!" for summer- time and a new blog post! It's been a little while since the last one...all of this preparing and getting used to the summer schedule has had me very busy! However, we're starting up the second week now and things are going great!

Last week we focused on some basic art skills...while somewhat necessary to cover, I think the kids were finally ready to get their hands in some paint today. Literally! This week the younger groups are exploring painting techniques and today they finger painted.

We did take our first art fieldtrip of the summer last Friday! We went to see Mystic India at the IMAX Theatre, had lunch in the park, and had a blast in Exploris. The kids seemed to have a lot of fun and it turned out to be a great day. The picture up top is our group shot outside of the museum and below is of a piece of the Berlin wall inside the museum. Thanks to Exploris, we'll get to take three more trips to see a documentary and tour the museum!

Another first for this summer is my list of art stars (posted to the right)! Actually, throughout the Club, staff will be selecting members who stand out each week and their pictures will be posted on our bulletin board. I'll also be posting a list of my weekly picks on here...just to brag on them a little bit more!

I've also created a Flickr account to host some of our photos from art class and such. I only set it up last night, but already there are over thirty photos online. If you click on the little cute flashing picture link to the right, you can go see all of our pictures! Keep in mind, if there are any photos you would like removed, please let me know and I will be happy to do so.

felting fun

For the past few weeks, I have held a felting class in the evenings. The girls have learned the techniques of wet and needle felting. It's been a lot of fun and they have done an excellent job with their projects. These pieces were created by Sarah K., LaQuantis N., and Bianca L. (in order from top to bottom).

The girls started out by wet felting a multi- colored piece to act as a foundation for their designs. Using a combination of wet and needle felting, they were able to create wonderful works of art!

I will post more pictures of the class and their work as they finish their projects!

little hands have great potential

I knew coming into this job that children are full of artistic potential, but I am continuously impressed with the work these kids create! Everyday dozens of club members filter in and out of the art room, each one with his or her own artistic style...and the potential to create great things.

This little blog is just a way of showing off what their many little hands create!