Crazy Art Camp: July Edition

This is my 3rd summer of offering Crazy Art Camps, and all year long I am on the look-out for art projects that are going to WOW my campers!  I think this year's projects were a hit.  I had 16 talented, enthusiastic kids, ages 7-12, ready to try anything!

Projects 1, 2, & 3:  When the kids arrived, they stained and beaded wooden name tags, which my husband and I designed and etched on our Glowforge.  They also colored two big Crazy Art banners.  Then we went into the studio and viewed a slideshow of the work of artist Peter Anton, who makes giant, hyper-realistic food art.  We made pinch pot cupcakes with coiled frosting out of air-dry clay, then painted them a few days later and boxed them in adorable bakery cupcake boxes.  I have a policy that I won't do for the kids what they can do for themselves, so I let them figure out on their own without instructions how to fold the origami-style boxes.  Some of the kids loved the challenge and figured it out quickly and others had to persevere and get a little assistance from their neighbors.  It's definitely a spacial skill.  

​The kids also enjoyed some outside play time in my WonderYard each day!  Here is a slideshow of our first few projects...

Projects 4 & 5: We watched a slideshow of the Pop Art prints of Andy Warhol and then proceeded to make our own using gelli plates, texture items, and acrylic paints to pull our mono prints.  The kids printed on black & white photos of themselves that I had snapped on Day 1, then put them all together on black paper to make them POP!

​We also learned about artist Georgia O'Keefe, who is known for her giant, close-up flowers.  The kids sketched their own designs, outlined them with India ink-filled bingo daubers, then painted them with acrylics.  They even sawed a piece of trim with a miter saw to use as a stylish hanger.  Here is the slideshow...

Projects 6-7:  Friday was the BIG DAY!  We blacked-out the studio, turned on the blacklights, and painted with fluorescent paints.  There were lots of oohs and ahhh!  The kids loved how my wall mural and their Crazy Art poster glowed under the blacklight.  We designed and painted mad scientists in a cartoon style, with chalked bubbles in the background, and then I let them draw their own design and fill it in with glowing ice cream salt that I dyed with fluorescent paint.  They also had a chance to paint their faces and made fluorescent balloon hats.  Such a sensory experience for the kids!  We invited families into the studio for a Glow Show at the end.  Here is the slideshow...