Eric Carle inspired collages

How do you do an art camp focused on children illustration without looking at Eric Carle.

I was honestly surprised that the kids did not recognize him name, but knew immediately who he was once I started reciting, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by heart! Thanks to the million times I read it out loud to my now 23 year old daughter.

I can't remember my cell phone number but can remember a book I read 23 years ago.....

Anyway, this project was fun from beginning to end. We started by turning the studio into a paper making factory.

walrus. 8 year old

Each child had a palette of paint in primary colors plus a stack of copy paper.

I used this part of the project as a chance to have them really learn about color mixing and adding tones and tints along with my all time favorite teaching moment, texture and line!

school of fish, 7 year old

The kids created a large variety of papers in a multitude of colors with patterns, textures, and interesting lines. They had a ball. We made so much paper that I have a large stack leftover to utilize at a later date on another project.

Mr. Fox, 5 year old

This also gave me the opportunity to discuss with them what collaborative art is all about. I told them that we would all be sharing the paper the next day and so they were participating in a collaboration that benefited the whole group.

cougars, 6 year old

The next morning arrived and they could not wait to use the handmade papers they had created.

Each child chose an animal they wanted to create and looked at some reference photographs that I pulled from my files. Another great teaching moment as they needed to reduce the animal details to defining shapes in order to create their pictures.

cougar, 7 year old

I used matte medium for glue, in hopes this would help the younger children get things really stuck on the paper. In the future, I will go back to just a regular glue stick as I found the matte medium left a definite film over the artworks where they globbed it on.

leopard, 10 year old

All of the kids enjoyed cutting shapes, finding different color papers and then textures they thought were perfect for their animal.

Was the studio a mess afterwards? you bet.

But a quick sweep of the broom and all was back to normal in no time.

cat, 5 year old

Well worth it for the amount of fun the kids had creating this cute pieces of art.

laurel burch inspired animals

I ran an animal themed summer art camp two weeks ago and am just now getting started showing the art! The amount of work kids are creating this summer in the studio is astounding, proven by the fact that I am getting way behind in downloading and editing pictures!

So to the families who have been waiting patiently to see their artwork on the blog, I apologize.

As I was preparing the projects for the camp, a children's art studio down south called Small Hands Big Art posted a project they had run on Seattle artist Laurel Burch. The artwork was stunning and the project built several different processes on top of each other, which I knew the kids would like too.

It didn't hurt that I'm a fan of any artist from Seattle after living there for eleven years.

So although her artwork of cats is quite famous, I chose to show the kids her birds and horses.

laurel burch

I had the kids point out the different aspects of her work that stood out to them and then we set out to create an artwork inspired by Burch of their favorite animal.

7 year old

Some children stuck with the bird and others quickly ventured out on themes of their own.

Rhino. 9 year old

While the youngest student just enjoyed the process of creating.

preschool

I started the project using the format provided by Big Hands Small Art and then adjusted as I watched the kids begin to create their works of art. Because I was not having them all do the same animal, each child took the starting off point I provided and resolved it on paper to fit their aesthetic, so the pictures developed differently based on each child's personality.

8 year old, (check out the artist signature on the left)

After they had their basic animal shape created in white china marker on the black pastel paper, I gave each child a box of chalk pastel. 

8 year old

Each of them added a base layer of chalk and then I encouraged them to layer two more layers of color without blending. I harped on how important lights and darks are to create interest and dimension in artworks and pushed them to give it a try.

6 year old

I think they were pleased when they began to see some of the beautiful things adding dark and lights to their work created in their pieces. I also spend a lot of time having them refer back to the Laurel Burch reference as they were creating their art to pick up some of their favorite aspects of her creations.

But as always, I told them as artist it was completely their decision if they applied the things they observed to their works of art.

5 year old

Once they had what felt like layers and layers of chalk on their paper, I handed them a paper towel (or they were free to use their fingers if they didn't mind getting dirtier) and asked them to blend the colors.

7 year old

Then I gave them a black oil pastel to add any dark lines they wanted to their artwork.

8 year old

And then put out some white acrylic paint and showed them how to use the top of the paintbrush to create dots and told them to add them wherever they felt they wanted them on their works of art.

How about that "R" for a robin bird? 

At this point the studio, the children, and myself were covered in colored chalk and the project was deemed complete.

7 year old

With some pretty incredible artwork left in the wake. I think they did a great job and have no doubt Laurel Burch would be pleased.

You're invited! To the Culture Cram this Sunday, Lynn Valley Library, 1pm

This Sunday, Kudzu Studio will be participating in Culture Cram.  We will be at Lynn Valley library from 1-2pm.  Come by and try your hand at creating a relief print.  We will be creating our "dream city" and pull one print to take home and a second print that will be part of a collaborative community project to be left behind for the library to display.   Look forward to seeing you there!  It should be lots of fun!

9 year old