Expressionist Self Portraits

I was very excited to finally order some double sided mirrors from Dick Blick that I have had my eye on for over a year now.  And so when they arrived, I naturally had to use them in class right away.

Hello self portraits.

But the students in my Tuesday class have all done a self portrait work once or twice with me already, so how to spice it up a bit?

Well, I decided to make them run.

Yes, that's right.

Run.

I put the mirrors and their paint palettes on one side of the room and the easels with their canvas on the other side of the room.

And they only had primary colors.

Why did I do this?

Well first, I wanted to help them try expressionistic painting.  And by putting their paints and mirror on one side of the room, they would only be able to do a stroke or two at each pass.

Second, they would really have to slow down and look at themselves in the mirror since they had to choose what strokes they wanted to add next.

And finally, it helps to put some distance between yourself and your work to really look at it.

But most importantly, what child would not think it was fun to have to run back and forth across the room while painting?

They did love the running.

But they weren't quite enthusiastic at embracing the fact they could only do one or two strokes at a time.  In fact, one student sneakily took her palette with her on a run and quietly began to paint the "regular way" until I caught her.

I loved the way the paintings came out at the end of class.  Keep in mind they only had primary colors, so were also having to think about mixing colors too.  Unfortunately two of the three kids walked out of class that night not loving their self portraits and so while I commended them on their success at staying with and learning a new process, I promised all of them they could sit down at a table with their portraits the following week and use whatever art materials they wanted to finesse their work.

I really loved their final work after the first night, but also respect that they all felt they needed to refine it to please themselves.  But I want to share both pieces here on the blog so you can see what I felt was a successful expressionist work of art and also the beautiful portraits they took home after the second week of class.

Expressionist portrait, 11 year old

I truly love this piece and although it does not look EXACTLY like her, it definitely captured the essence of the artist in spades.  Below is the additional work she did the second week.

And then there was this artist who was happy with her artwork after the first night.  Whether that is because she was a sneaky, sneaky artist who might of gotten her palette past me and to her canvas for a bit when the others didn't, I don't know.  But she went on to a new project the second week.

Expressionist portrait, 10 year old

And then there was this boy.  This was a painting style waaaay out of his comfort zone.  He is a very confident artist, but he was definitely feeling unsure during this process.  Yes, he liked running back and forth but he had a hard time really figuring out how to like an expressionist style of painting.  To me when I look at this artwork, it captures the artist very well.  I also think it does a marvelous job of also capturing his feelings during this process.  I thought this piece was extremely successful, but he did not share the same opinion.

Expressionist portrait, 7 year old

He thought he looked like a monkey. (he didn't)  He did the nose a hundred times and finally just painted it out when I assured him he could work on it the following week.   As I told him, sometimes it is about the process not the product, but I love this product.  I wish he could of seen it through either my or his mother's eyes.  

But as I always tell all the kids in my classes, you must please yourself first.  Not the viewer.  And so here is what he did to please himself the following week.

I love the details he added to the shirt and background.  He has a natural eye for detail.  He was much happier with the painting after the second week.  I think both are wonderful.

All in all, a fun way to do self portrait work.  

October Owls

The Monday afternoon art class started off the year focusing on owls.

It is October after all.

I went to the library and pulled a lot of reference books on owls for them to mull over and then they started by creating sculptures.

elf owl, 7 year old

I love the elf owl.  The owl itself is just about life size.  For those who don't know (i.e. me before the artist starting telling me all about this species), this owl is very small and lives inside of cacti.  I love that this little boy did not worry about making the cactus actual size but put one in to represent the owls environment only.

barn owl, 10 year old

Oh these eyes!  How could you deny this little fellow anything?  So stinking cute.

11 year old

And finally the artist who after looking at all the books, took the bits and pieces she liked and created an owl out of her imagination.  Love the nest she decided to place the barn owl in too.

Once they finished their sculptures, I gave them an opportunity to paint their owls in acrylic.

elf owl, 7 year old

I expected the cactus to make another appearance, but love that the artist decided to focus in on the owl itself in this picture.  I wouldn't mess with him.  He may be small, but he is mighty.

barn owl, 10 year old

I love the simplicity of this work.  She did such a wonderful job keeping the lines and details to a minimum, which has a wonderful effect on the work.

11 year old

I have learned to trust implicitly this artist vision.  She usually takes a left turn after I introduce the project and although I can't always connect the dots as she is explaining her ideas, when left alone she creates surprising and amazing work.  I would of not thought to put a sunset with the owl, but I think it works wonderfully!  I love the moon up high starting to make an appearance in the sky too.

I don't have to wonder hoo had fun creating this work, from the amount of laughter in the room it was evident all of them had a good time.

A day in the woods

I'm lucky enough to have my studio just a couple of blocks from the beautiful mountain trails of Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver.  Today was quite nice outside and I really wanted to take the students out to sketch in the woods.   I took a couple of large bags for them to also collect things of interest that we might utilize later at the studio in artwork, along with the prerequisite paper and pencils.

As an instructor, I always have hopes for what I'd like the students to get out of a project I introduce and there is something so rewarding when a project actually exceeds my hopes for the students by leaps and bounds.

Today was one of those special days.

I loved watching them start to slow down and really notice everything around them.  So often we "hike" and do not take the time to really look at just how much beauty is around us or how we can find incredible beauty in things we usually do not even register.

Like slug slime glistening in the morning sun on a moss covered log.

Or water trickling out of a pipe.

The clouds overhead peeking through the trees.

Or graffiti on the "wiggly" bridge.

Or 106 stairs that have to be climbed to exit the canyon floor.

Sorry, that was just me and my out of shape thighs that noticed that one.  I'm grateful to be still upright in the photo above taken right after marching up 106 stairs.  And may I mention that the under 10 set motor up the stairs at amazing speed, so I may or may not of been gasping for air at this point also.

We barely made it into the canyon before they all stopped to start sketching.  Here they are at a small trickling brook,  where they were fascinated in how the water moved out of one of the pipes among the greenery.

11 year old

The acrylic painting the student decided to do based off that particular sketch of water coming out of the pipe.  I think she was very happy with the end result, especially the water which she wasn't so confident about doing in the beginning of her painting.  I had some iridescent fluid acrylic that I gave her to add a bit of sparkle to the water here and there too.  I wish it showed up better in the photograph.

I reminded the students to look up, look behind, look down and that it was really OK to focus on the small stuff.  Here are two students hard at work capturing the light coming through the trees in the morning sun.

11 year old

And the artwork created from the sketch.  One of the things I talked to the students about when we got back to the studio and they started going through all their sketches was that they didn't have to draw it the way it looked in the forest.  I went over stylizing their work and showed them several artist who are from the Northwest, in particular local favorite Emily Carr, and how they interpreted the woods of British Columbia.  This student was quite inspired by Emily Carr and she was so thrilled from beginning to end with how her artwork was developing.  It was so exciting to watch her fall in love with her painting while she was creating it.

And then the lowly clover elevated to new heights in paint.  Again, fun to watch a student stop and acknowledge something in their world that most likely they walked by a hundred times before without much thought.    And I love the perspective she chose for the composition all on her own and her creativity with the overall painting.  The original sketch was just the weed itself.

7 year old

My original thought was we would sketch in the woods for an hour or an hour and a half at most.  I could not get them to stop!  We did not even make it down the stairs to the water without having to give students time to take a moment to draw the multitude of things that caught their eye.  Our hike did not complete until two and a half hours later they all got so lost in the sketching....which just makes me so happy.

When we finally made it down to the water,  the students took some time to "just be".  They grow up in a world that is "go, go, go" and full of television, computers, and video games.  For me, it is wonderful to watch them just sit and relax in the world around them.  Enjoying a moment just taking in their surroundings.  

We were at the water for quite awhile, as they sketched and watched a couple cliff jump. They seemed to naturally break off into small groups as they sketched too, enjoying each others company as they worked.  Here's an artwork inspired from this moment.

10 year old

As we were observing the world around us, I kept reminding them that as artist, they got to pick and choose what they sketched on their paper.  And when we got back, I reminded them again that as artist they could now combine their numerous sketches from what they saw any way they pleased and also that they could manipulate the time of day and anything else their heart desired.  

One student choose to paint what I think is probably the harvest moon that has been so gorgeous this week amongst beautiful stylized trees.  And although the students spend a long day with me, they are definitely not at the studio once the sun goes down! So I was pleased to see that she was confident enough to take her sketches and put them together in her painting a way that we did not experience on our hike.

7 year old

As did this student with an amazing limited color palette.  When I first walked by, she had the trees completed and we talked about what wonderful color choices she had made.  I could see the potential for a beautiful work if she continued to limit her palette and asked her to consider continuing on with her tree color choices throughout the painting, including the sun and sky which might seem "weird".  I was thrilled to see her do it and think this artwork came out so nice.   I later heard through my daughter, who helps me in the studio, that this student doesn't like to paint because she doesn't think she is "any good at it".  From the results of this painting, I beg to differ with her.  She is quite a beautiful painter!

8 year old

And then there were the unexpected things students were captivated by during our hike.  Like a slug's slime trail that was sparkling in the sun on a mossy decomposing log with little white mushrooms all around.  Many of the students stopped to sketch this, but only one chose to put it in a painting.

8 year old

I wish the iridescent paint she added for the slime trail showed up better in my photograph.  She worked hard to capture the glistening effect on her artwork.  I really like the way she choose to interpret the mossy log too and the way she changed the perspective from her sketch, which was just straight on, to this composition which creates lots of interest.  Together we talked about a couple of ways she could make the log look more interesting in the painting and in the end, I think she made a great choice.

And while we were looking down at the ground or out into the forest, I reminded the kids to also look up!  There were some really nice clouds in the sky set against an incredible color of blue.  I was quite transfixed by it and obviously wasn't the only one!

6 year old

I just love this painting. So simple but yet so beautiful.  The sky was that blue and I could stare at this painting even longer than I spent staring at the sky on our hike.

And finally, last but not least.  While stopped on the "wiggly" bridge to draw the raging river below us, one artist's eye focused on something completely different.

7 year old

The graffiti left behind by someone on the bridge!!  She looked at me and asked, "Can I draw this?" which made me smile because of course!  draw what pleases your eye.  And obviously it really pleased her eye as this is what she chose to paint out of the many sketches she made that morning.  There is beauty in everything.  This child proves it.

I think they would of stayed out in the woods all day had their stomachs not started complaining for lunch.  I wish I had thought to bring along their lunches to enjoy by the water, but I honestly did not expect us to stay there drawing as long as we did and so we came back to the studio to fill our growling stomachs before starting to paint.

I think they all had a great time, even though I'm sure there were moments that I seemed way too "bossy" and "mean" as I harped on them to stay together and not get too close to the water.  I'm pretty sure their parents expected me to come back to the studio with the nine children I had entered the woods with in tow and it is easy to get lost in the forest.  In fact just last week there was a couple of tourist that inadvertently got lost from their group overnight while on a day hike.  I'm thinking having to call Search and Rescue would not of impressed the student's parents and so I probably had my moments that could of seemed mean and bossy.  

Also I have a heightened fear of running into one of the many black bears that inhabit these woods, just ask my friends that are my usual hiking buddies, and the idea that one of the kids would come nose to nose with a bear while sketching off on their own was enough to throw me into full "helicopter mom" mode as my 20 year old son calls it. 

But hey,  I feel no shame in it.  I got three babies to adulthood in one piece with all their fingers and toes thanks to helicopter parenting and I gave all the students back to their families today in similar fashion.  Great art and kids in one piece, I call that success.

The students spent so much time today hiking around that when it was time to go home, they all remarked that they had only completed TWO pieces of finished work.  I think they too were surprised at how quickly the hours flew by while engrossed in sketching during the morning.

However, I'm planning on utilizing the sketches they created over the last two days of camp in other projects.  So hope is not lost!  They will without doubt create lots more finished work thanks to a morning spent in Lynn Canyon.

ONE BIG DAY ART CAMP

Just a reminder that this Wednesday, August 6th, Kudzu Studio will be offering a one day camp from 10am-4pm where artist will create one big painting and one big sculpture.

To register call, 604-971-1147.  Space is limited and appropriate for ages 6-12. $75.00

silk painting on canvas, 11 year old

deconstructed book sculpture, 8 year old

Mixed Media self portraits

This is a mixed media project inspired by another blogger/artist named Jeanne Oliver.

A few years ago she ran her first online art course and I took it on a whim and one of the projects was a mixed media assignment that I have since used as inspiration in several children's projects.   They all seem to really enjoy the process of building many layers of different materials into a painting and the results are always very interesting.

The kids worked on this project over a couple of days, finishing it on the third day of camp.

We started with canvas squares and a whole bunch of paper scraps I have in my own studio.  Once they finished, they added paint, stamp marks, oil and chalk pastel.  Then they got down to work creating their self portraits and painting them in acrylic. Some of them chose to do their portraits with a 3/4 view and others wanted to stick with what they had learned from the previous days.  I was supportive of either one.  

Once finished, they added either self affirmation statements, their dreams of what they'd like to accomplish as grown ups, or simple sentences of what they find important or love in their life at this moment.

Whatever they decided, I know as they grow they will cherish this small part of the work the most when they look at the final painting.

Each and every one of the art pieces truly reflects the child who created it.  

6 year old

6 year old

7 year old

7 year old

6 year old

8 year old

6 year old

8 year old

10 year old

10 year old

blind contour portrait drawing

On the second day of the self portrait camp through North Vancouver Community Arts Council, I had the students do a blind contour drawing of themselves.  It is an exercise to help them work on their observational skills.  I also believe this is an exercise to help them grasp the concept of abstract art, which I find with younger children sometimes difficult to embrace.  

Not that this was not difficult for some to embrace too!

The more analytical the child is by nature, the more difficulty they seem to have embracing this style of drawing.  Out of the eleven children, two had tears of frustration because it did not "look right" but once I told them to go ahead and draw while looking, that they succeeded by at least trying the style, they were able to take a deep breath and try again.  A couple of them modified the exercise and ended up with something definitely in the same style but also accommodating their need for more control.

That is OK by me.  I feel my job is to show them different techniques that they can use in ways that work for them and I encourage them to incorporate those things into their drawing with whatever modifications work best for them

On the other hand, there were many children who giggled as they looked at the final results on their paper and really enjoyed doing several practice rounds prior to doing a final image on the water color paper.

How did I do it?  I handed each student a paper plate with a sharpie pen stuck in the middle.  I told them to hold the pen in their hand underneath the plate.  I had to show a couple of the six year olds what I meant, but once they understood, they had no more issues.   They then had a photographic image of themselves that they looked at to draw blindly.  I emphasized that I wanted them to draw off the paper to help them loosen up their drawing and "draw big".  This is very important with the younger students who tend to keep things small.  I also stressed that they should not lift up their pen and draw with one continuous line.  Again, some embraced this more than others but in the end, it all worked out fine.

Once they were comfortable with what the results would look like and tried it several times on practice paper, they took their photographs to the table and did a final drawing on watercolor paper.  I then gave them liquid watercolors in the primary colors and told them to change colors whenever they hit an intersecting line. I showed them how to create new colors out of the primary ones given to them. We talked about how they could use water to change the tone of the same color and how a paper towel could be used to create texture by dabbing away some of the wet paint also.  

I loved that the students discovered and share amongst each other how to splatter the paint on the paper and you will see several examples of it in the artworks below.  I love seeing students who were once strangers start to bond over the common interest of creating great art, becoming good friends by the end of the camp week.

This was a great project to bridge into upcoming projects where the students will create self portraits inspired by other unusual artistic styles.  That they can alter their image but still look like themselves by incorporating features that make them unique individuals.

Like a flower headband

freckles

curly hair

or a sly smile.

I am quite pleased with the results of this project and even students who were not buying into the process when it was just sharpie on paper liked their end results once they added the color.

6 year old

8 year old

6 year old

10 year old

6 year old

7 year old

7 year old

10 year old

8 year old

6 year old

Selfie Camp Day One

This week I am teaching eleven children between the ages of six and ten years old at a summer camp through North Vancouver Community Arts Council focused solely on self portraits.

The selfie.

I have been looking so forward to sharing the projects I organized with this class and so far it has not disappointed.  The first day, we just went over the "rules of the face" and created a traditional portrait in acrylic paint.

The results were beautiful and unique to the personality of each child.  I love each and every one of them.

First the brother and sister, I think you can tell they are related even in the artwork and both created a very accurate likeness of themselves.

10 year old

8 year old

Here's another brother and sister and again, I think the parents are going to be very impressed.

8 year old

6 year old

Then there is the gaggle of girls who go to school together and are sweet, little friends.  Each and every one of them are eat 'em up darling.

6 year old

You'll be seeing lots of that flower headband in upcoming projects and I love the "wild beast" colors she embraced for her skin tone. And that jacket!!  I can't believe she took such a challenge on in the first project.

6 year old

6 year old

This girl did the most amazing job on her self portrait.  Not only has she capture her likeness, but also her personality which is serene and confident. And more than once I have seen this expression as I suggest something she thinks just might be a wee bit nuts.

10 year old

And this young girl did such a great job.  She is as fun loving and carefree as her portrait suggests.

7 year old

And last but not least, this gregarious girl who works so hard in class and has lots of stories to share with everyone!

7 year old

I can't wait to share the other projects we are working on too.  At the end of the week, we will have finished the clay bust they made out of air dry clay on the first day too.  They are absolutely amazing and I wish they would dry faster so I could see what they do with them next and share them with you.

Luckily, I have several more great projects they have done waiting to share to hold me over until then.