Kid’s Art Camp class – session one. Now you would assume that it would be predomintly kids attending this kids art camp class but as it worked out because of circumstances beyond our control, we had three adults and one child attend. Who would of thought that baseball tryouts, one student moving into a new home and a large remodel project in the back yard would get in the way of more kids attending the kid’s art camp class, but as usual we just went with the flow. So Will was our only true kid and then there was Vicki and Wills mom Beth who jumped in along the way. Their assignment for this class was to use watercolor pencils, a paintbrush and water to create a self portrait on watercolor paper. Earlier I had attached the watercolor paper to some red plastic placemats with tape to keep them flat while painting.
We discussed how to make a self portrait without using body parts because this self portrait wasn’t about their body but about who they are or want to be in the future. We talked about several ideas of how this could be drawn on the paper. I then demonstrated how to draw on the paper with a pencil, fill in with the watercolor pencils and then paint water to smear and create the final project. Then I let them know that they would have to explain their self portraits at the end of the session. Vicki and Will immediately started to create and I also started mine. While Will was painting Beth( Wills mom) was cutting out some squares using our Accu-quilt cutter system. About half way through the class suddenly Beth picked up one of the extra watercolor papers and joined in. 
She said she couldn’t help herself because we were having so much fun creating our art pieces. When we were finished with our creations it was time to explain each of our own unique views about ourselves… Will went first and his pictures was a large grassy area under a fantastic tree with a book laying open were he had written “Once upon a time” . Obviously he loves to read and his picture made me feel as if I was under that tree without a care in the world lost in a great book.
Vicki’s picture was a house with a yard and in half of the yard it was raining and the other half was in the sunshine. The flowers in the sunshine were flourishing and the flowers in the rain were drooping. She explained that the house represented where she raised her kids and grandkids and when things are good they are in the sun. When things are hard they are in the rain and she nurtures them and puts them back in the sunshine.
Beth’s picture was about what she dreams of doing in her free time. She works full time. She loves working out in her yard in her garden then canning her produce. Her picture was a large window looking out into the yard with a big tree and her garden. Inside the house is a kitchen table with jars of peaches and fresh tomatoes sitting on it . She also drew a chair by the table to sit and admire her efforts. 
My self portrait was a field with a seed packet on one side and then the flowers growing in the field. All my students are in the package and then when they come and take a class they grow into beautiful creative people in the art studio.. At the end I provided a suggestion box for ideas for future art classes. Will put in six suggestions! We all had a wonderful time and are looking forward to next months Kids Art Camp class……
