Summer Art Camp 2012

The most potent muse of all is our own inner child.

~Stephen Nachmanovitch

Well, it's that time of year again! I have been teaching summer art workshops at the Wizard of Art in L.A. for three weeks now, and it's time to share some of my favorites!

Here we go ...

Grey and Black Tabby

Watercolor on paper with charcoal accents

James, artist, animal lover, and future cover of Teen Beat, age 7

Tortoise on a Textured Ground

Watercolor on paper with salt texturing (background)

Owen, artist and future head of the biology department at Scripps Institute, age 9

Young Fox

Acrylic paint on Sculpey clay

Pearl, sculptor and future Tony winner, age 6

Jiminy Cricket

Preliminary sketch for animation cell (left)

Unfinished animation cell, paint and sharpie on Dura-lar acetate 

Russell, animator and future winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, age 13

Baby Elephant

Pastel on Paper

Truly, Artist and most adult sense of humor, age 8

Red Biplane 
Mixed media on paper

Aidan, artist, biggest smile, age 5

Cute Puppy

Watercolor with salted texture background

Malory, Artist and total sweetie-pie, age 6

Sabor tooth Garfield

Animation Cell

Acrylic on Dura-lar

salted watercolor background

Gabe, animator and most likely to live on the North Shore as a surf instructor, age 9

Bouquet of Flowers

Mixed Media on Paper

Jordan, Artist, age 5 and sister to Malory 
... and most likely to have a doll made of her image
(could she be any cuter?)

La Tour Eiffel
Animation Cell

Leo, artist, most cuddly kid ever, age 4
(possibly the next Leo Buscaglia?)

Marlin
Watercolor with salted texture background and charcoal accents

Simon, painter of fish, age 7

This is Isabella and she will be doing the "salted background" demo for you today.

After picking out and painting fabulous colors on your watercolor paper (which is taped down to your cardboard to prevent too much wrinkling) ... 

You carefully (or not) sprinkle the salt on your wet paint. Carefully, if you are Isabella.)

Then you wait until it's completely dry ...

Brush off the salt ...

And if you are doing an animation cell, lay the plastic layer over your fabulous background.

Then, by all means, show off your work. Isabella is "8 and 3/4", and as you can clearly see, an artist and future art instructor at The Rhode Island School of Design.

For more amazing Kid Art, check out my past posts of more incredible kids HERE.

(And a few of the same kids when they were much tinier!)

The world is but a canvas to the imagination.

~Henry David Thoreau

Santa Barbara ~ Jazz on Birthday Boat!

He who can quicken the feeling of another to joy or gratitude,

by that much he adds to his own life.

~Hazrat Inayat Khan

My sister and brother-in-law were invited to their friend Rob's 40th birthday celebration in Santa Barbara. At the last minute, my bro-in-law couldn't make it. Bummer for him but guess who jumped at the chance to head out on a sailboat, on a sunny afternoon, along the Santa Barbara coast with her sis?  ;)

Here I am in my new hat, that my parents brought back for me from Lourdes, my sis (next to me) and Tegan (Rob's wife, who planned the birthday outing.) Love that we are all in our striped shirts! But what else are you to wear on a boat!?

Love that the little party favors of candies and snacks were in vellum barf bags along with a little warning card that Tegan printed on her vintage letter press. If you want to see more of her amazing print designs, definitely check out her blog!

The musicians on the boat were amazing and played New Orleans Style jazz standards ...

Tegan and Rob ...

Sistas ...

It was a gorgeous evening and it reminded me how blessed I am to live in Southern California. Santa Barbara is beautiful and it's always such a treat to spend time there! (just a couple of hours north of Los Angeles!)

Hope you are finding some time, even just an evening, to get out and enjoy the summer.

Blessings and light!
And I hope you are enjoying the summer!