Art & Clay Summer Camp 2013
[gallery type="rectangular" ids="456,463,462,461,460,459,458,457,454,453,452,451,450,438,445,446,447,448,449"] Every year the fantastic clay artist Katherine Mathisen and myself hold a week-long art camp for children in Maitland. It is always a great time for the kids and so much great art is produced.
I helped the kids create the 2-d projects. We made a watercolor of an elephant and I guided the children through a step-by-step drawing process of the elephant. We created a mixed media still life, using old pages out of science books, acrylics, oil pastels and rubber stamps. We made Gelli prints and used the prints as the flowers of the mixed media piece. I assisted Katherine Mathisen in her portion of the clay camp. She expertly showed the children how to make a bust, a bug on a leaf and a decorative heart.
We also made a series of greeting cards. It seems sending and receiving cards is becoming a dying art (thanks to e-mail and the immediacy of the internet) and I asked to keep one of the cards to save as a pen pal kind of project. I'm working with a friend in Australia to see if there is a group of children there that would like to make some cards and start an exchange with my art campers. Keep your fingers crossed that it works out.
Thanks for taking the time to view my blog. It's been a while since I posted. With the return to the school year, perhaps I can get back to a regular weekly posting. :)
View some of Katherine’s awesome claywork: http://www.katherinemathisen.com/
Maitland Art Festival
[slideshow] This art show is basically in "my neighborhood" and I have done it off and on many times through the years. It is a gorgeous setting around a lake with a big fountain in the middle (Lake Lilly). A few years ago they changed it from a 2 day 10-6 show to a 3 day night show, 10-10. It is beautiful at night and the art in the booths are just wonderfully illuminated. The orchestra plays in the evening and people watch them peacefully from a grassy nole. The 3 days show is hard on the artists however, long hours, 90 degree temps and sometimes iffy weather and sales. My advice to artists thinking of applying to the show; request a booth space on a main path. I was in a new area this year. It was nice and grassy but off the main path. It was, seemingly, for the dozen or so artists in that area, our own private cul-de-sac.
The highlight of this show and all outdoor art shows (if you do a lot of them) are my neighbors and friends.
Doug Delind. My neighbor to the left. A great craftsman who loves Raku, the process and drawing.
http://www.brianjonesart.com/gallerymain.asp?GalleryID=88161&AKey=9b782dlq
Kevin Kichar. My neighbor to the right. His work looks like painting from far away but when you get close, you will see that it is filled with texture and dimension. He uses papermaking techniques and paint to make his colorful, stylish artwork.
Cindy Anderson. Friend and president of McRae Art Studios, a local art co-op that I was part of for over 10 year. She created brand new work for this show and completely redesigned her booth.
John and Lynn Whipple. truly free spirits, greatly talented, with open hearts. They are always cutting edge and pushing themselves towards new work and processes. You will always see new work in their booths and gallery shows.