Creative Kids!!! ~ A Summer of Art Camp!

Art is not a part of life, 

it is not in addition to life,

it is the essence of those pieces of us, 

that make us fulfilled. That give us hope. 

That give us dreams 

and provide the world a view 

very different than what it would have been 

without us.

~Hansan Davis

Leopard Love

by Stella, age 5

watercolor pencil, white pastel

Stella ... artist, fashion maven, spitfire and future designer of all things animal print.

I've been a little behind and slow with blogging over the summer. Once again I was teaching summer art workshops, at the Wizard of Art in Los Feliz, (near Griffith Park.) This summer I did 10 weeks and the very last day was on Friday!

I thought I'd share with you, some of the amazing kids we spend a week or more with, over the summer. The kids sign up by the week. Some do 1 week, some two ... Keya spent 4!

Penguins in Pastel by Keya, age 12. 

I don't have the photo of Keya but there will be much more of her work to come. She is starting as a regular student, at the Wizard of Art, this fall. She is a rock star, and I can't wait to have her in class.

Tiger Eyes

pastel on canvas

Alexis, age 8

Alexis ... artist, animal lover and sweet spirit.

Hummingbird in the Afternoon

Watercolor on paper

by Georgia, age 10

Georgia ... watercolorist, over-achiever, and future Ivy League grad.

Ringo 

charcoal tone drawing

Lola, age 7

Lola ... artist, and future editor of Rolling Stone. (She walked in Monday morning and we asked what she wanted to draw. Without hesitation, she said, "Ringo or George.")

Harp Seal at Night

Mixed Media on paper

by Graham, age 6

Graham ... artist and future Green Peace activist.

Apple on Green

Oil on Canvas

Gabe, age 10

Gabe ... well first let me say, that this brilliant apple was Gabe's first oil painting ever. He's been doing acrylics for a couple of years, and using this new medium was a revelation for him. He kept shouting, "I love Oils!!!" while he was painting. 

I can't imagine him not becoming a painter, not only because of his talent, but how passionate he is about it! 

He also ran for school president and won. His platform was that the art studio should be open during lunch. An artist for president perhaps?

Night Owl

Charcoal on canvas

by Gavin, age 8

Gavin ... proud artist and Audubon enthusiast.

Dolphin and the Sea

Animation cell, mixed media, watercolor and salt

by Maggie, 5 1/2

Maggie ... artist, dreamer, and eyewear maven. 

Tropical Seascape

Watercolor on Paper

by Ziggy, age 9 (10 in one month)

Ziggy ... watercolor genius and future humanitarian award winner. (Wins current award for kindest smile, and most beautiful attitude.)

Evening by the Sea

Acrylic on canvas

by Asher, age 10

Asher ... painter, future A.S.B. President, captain of the football team, and most likely to be a missing member of the Kennedy family. 

Still life with Single Rose

Acrylic on canvas

Nelly, age 11

Nelly was leaving the next day. Her family was moving to the east coast and she was visibly shaken. Nelly did this painting for her best friend, and it was her parting gift to her.

Nelly ... artist and future art therapist.

Art opens up the closets,

airs out the cellars and attics.

It brings healing.

~Julia Cameron

Bright Poppies

Watercolor on paper

by Ruby, age 7

Ruby ... painter, sweetheart, and creator of things bright and beautiful.

And here are a few more of my summer faves that I happened to get photos of. Sometimes they left and I realized I missed photographing some of my favorite art pieces! (And kiddos!)

Orla ... artist and lover all things pastel, stuffed and furry. Age 5.

Sadie ...  sculptor, beauty (inside and out) and most likely to be a future choice, to represent the U.S., at the Venice Biennale. 

Tessa, 9 ... artist, watercolor enthusiast, and most likely to change her major from pre-med to art, a semester before graduating. 

Carolyn, ... painter, Monet enthusiast, and wins the award for sounding most like Brenda Vaccaro at 13 years old. (So fabulous.)

Samara, 7 ... watercolorist, and future head of a Fortune 500 company.

Ashley, 5 ... animator, cutie pie and future fashion blogger. Just look at those glasses!

And then there was Michael. Audrey, our high school intern (who has been taking at the Wizard since she was 4) and I were so taken with this little one. The cuteness ... was astounding.

He was also one of the most focus little ones, we've ever had. His squirley little buddy Leo, would come up and start joking around and Michael would sigh and say, "I'm trying to work."

He would get so passionate, about what he was doing, he'd have to get up. All that energy would just pop him up out of his seat!

I mean seriously, could he be any more adorable? ... A little bundle of joy and light. 

Parrots at Sunset
pastel on paper
by Michael, age 6

These are 3 of my favorite teenagers, on the planet. 

Audrey, on the left, is our super talented high school apprentice, and fast becoming a great art teacher. She still takes Saturday class at the Wizard. 

Faith is in the middle and has been coming back every summer for workshops and is another amazing painter. She always stuns me. 

Anna, on the right, also takes Saturday class and decided to do two weeks of workshops, this year. Yay!

Anna and Audrey did portraits of each other.

Here is Anna with her oil painting of Audrey.

Audrey

by Anna, age 16

oil on canvas

I know! Right? Incredible. So fun to see what she comes up with.
Here, Anna is working on a portrait, in ink.

Anna and Audrey, with Audrey's Portrait of Anna

Anna

by Audrey, age 16

oil on canvas

Faith was working on this, below. I will have to post the finished piece later. She found a photo of this British politician with  ... let's just say, he had a rather full face. Somehow, she imagined him ... pickled. 

You have already seen these Sartorial Sisters, with their art. Stella with her leopard, and Sadie with her seal. I love seeing how these girls express themselves, not only through their art, but what they wear. So dang cute.

A lot of silliness happens over the summer ...

And sometime you just have to join in. (Yes, that's me in the glasses.)

Shane, (Faith's sister) ... more silliness and artist's eccentricities! 

Another character, 6 year old Brooke, funny, sassy and smart as a whip. (And Alexis' sister.)

We have a snack break and you never know what will happen ... shoulder rubs, games, jokes, charades, hair braiding ... and of course, actual snacks.

The teachers ... Mekenzie, Audrey and I. It's funny, because we look appropriately tired in this shot! So lucky to work with these talented ladies! 

Making art is like giving a gift:
evidence of your spirit
and that you are here.
~Patty Mitchell

Blessings and light!