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.

a little bit of this and a little bit of that

Here are a few projects that have been completed in the studio that were "one off's".  Sometimes I just let the kids do whatever they want or create a project just for them that I think they will enjoy. 

I knew this 11 year old would find it interesting to draw unusually large. This deer is her mother's absolute favorite creation. The artist was pretty pleased with herself also. It is created with charcoal and it is poster size.

charcoal deer, 11 year old

This 12 year old really enjoyed the wood burning project we had done in the winter and asked if she could do another project using the wood burner. I happened to have four wooden squares that I gave her and she created this lovely hummingbird work. It was suppose to be for her Aunt but I don't think her mother let it out of the house. Can't say I blame her. Love the bit of paint she added to the work in the end.

wood burn  hummingbird, 12 year old

Then a couple of the girls wanted to create a mixed media work. They both chose birds for their subject matter, even though they were in different classes.

10 year old

14 year old

I am honestly blown away at the talent that walks through the studio doors. I'm so inspired by their enthusiasm, their courage and openness to try new things, and the genuine love they have to create. It is rewarding for me to see them from time to time want to revisit a medium or technique I introduced previously because it resonated with them or flourish in a project that I felt was suited perfectly for them. It is a little more work on my part to have a variety of different projects going on in the studio at the same time, but well worth it when I see how happy it makes the kids.

So I know I'll continue to have days in the studio where there's a little bit of this and a little bit of that going on in the future.

Summer camps are beginning to fill up. I have lots of exciting plans for projects this summer in the variety of camps. You can find out more at KudzuStudio.com

adult mixed media workshop

I did my first adult workshop in the studio!

Five women registered for the workshop over two evening sessions.

It was so much fun to share some interesting techniques I have picked up along the way with like minded women.

And who can argue with students who show up with wine instead of juice boxes?

The first two hour session, I helped them build up a multi-media background.

They used vintage papers, acrylics, stamping, oil and chalk pastel, plus inks.  By the end of the night, they were works of art just by themselves.

The second two hour session, the women worked on their main subject matter. Some used image transfer and then painted and drew over the top and others used a variety of acrylic paint, including soft, fluid, and high flow, and water based pencils.

By the end of the night, they all had stunning results.

I had a great time getting to know them all and hopefully they had some fun too. A couple of the women's children were in the morning camps that week and they were so proud of their mothers!  It was so sweet to see them so excited that their moms were also going to art class and sharing their love of creating.

This Thursday evening I will be hosting another adult workshop in the studio on Watercolor. This time it is only one two hour session, from 7-9pm, but I am sure it will be just as much fun.  I am so looking forward to the night.

There are two spots left in the workshop and you can get in touch with me through Kudzustudio.com to register.

Inspiration is everywhere

Last spring, a student brought in a beautiful skeleton leaf she found while walking to class.  We both admired it and then the following week she brought in a whole envelope of them that I have kept and used from time to time for inspiration for projects.

When she came back from spring break, she was very excited about her experience using a wood burner and asked if she could explore the technique more in the studio.  Since I have a burner and she is 13, I told her that would be fine by me.

She pulled out one of the leaves and a piece of wood and began creating.  I love her final work. There's wood burning, carving, and a bit of paint.

13 year old

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and another teen student from the class had collected some skeleton leaves that she wanted to incorporate into a painting.

13 year old

Which in turn, inspired another student in the class to also utilize skeletal leaves.

14 year old

Isn't it wonderful to see three completely different creations all inspired by a found treasure from nature.  It just goes to prove that inspiration is truly everywhere, if only we choose to look for it.

Heading down the garden path

In the bottom drawer of the reference file cabinet at the studio, I have a mishmosh of different substrates I've collected that the older students can choose from for their work.

Heavy cardboard, plaster, canvas in all sizes, birch, and then I had a few wood pieces I had picked up awhile ago.

One teen was doing a focus on a model she admired, Allison Harvard. She wanted to work on a painting, so started looking through the bottom file cabinet. She got pretty excited about this piece of wood and was happy to use it for her work.

That is until I told her it would need to be treated with gesso and of course the only gesso I had on hand was white. (note to self, buy some clear gesso)

She didn't want to lose the natural wood surface so she began to use prisma pencils instead.

As my mother would say, she started walking down the garden path to wherever that may lead.

And by allowing her plan to change and by making decisions as the choices presented themselves, she ended up with this piece below.

Pencil, acrylic paint, and then glazes.

My 22 year old came home from University for the weekend and walked into the studio to say hello. She spotted the work sitting on the table waiting for the artist to make her final touches and fell IN LOVE with the work.

Beautiful and dark is what she called it.

The purple just glows on the work in person. 

The student was very happy in the end and that makes me very happy.

I thought it was a very nice combination of materials. And since I had never thought to combine colored pencil and acrylic together this way, I was quite happy to follow her down the garden path to see where the artwork would end up. 

Which was somewhere lovely indeed.

portrait of Allison Harvard, 14 year old

acrylic and colored pencil on wood