This summer I decided to do more art camps for kids. I did two themes this summer with the first theme being a Gustav Klimt inspired painting. I wanted the kids to paint their own tree of life inspired by the colors and feel of his painting, but with each one being their own unique masterpieces.
They all stained their canvases with a beautiful wash of gold paint to create a backdrop for their paintings. We observed Klimt's painting and picked out all of the shapes that were incorporated into his subjects. They used some of the same shapes in their own paintings and created some of their own shapes as well!
I let them have a lot of creative freedom and expression in these paintings and I just LOVE the way they went with it and how they turned out! Look how proud they are of them :)
The second theme of the summer was watercolor painting. I decided to hold not only a kids class, but also an adult class as well! This was to be my very first adult class taught here in Akron. I used to teach drawing and ceramics to adults before I moved to Akron which I enjoyed very much! I gathered that there was some interest in some adult classes around here so I thought I would try one here and see how it goes...
I was inspired by someone on Instagram ( @selfpollinate ) who arranges flowers and other natural elements in circular patterns and I thought it would be beautiful if this type of arrangement could be made into a painting! I found a way to repeat a hand drawn pattern in this circular form, and with some watercolor paints added to it, it really became something beautiful.
I first tested it out with my kids class. They did very well with it, the only problem being some of their designs got a little too complex and confusing along the way. My warning to "keep it simple" was not heeded too closely and there was definite regret.
They finished off their drawings beautifully with colorful watercolor markings and I was thrilled with how they all turned out and how different they were! That seems to be the running theme of what makes me happiest about teaching. I LOVE the variations that people come up with which makes sense because God created our minds so uniquely... "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14
Next was my adult class. I had 9 women sign up for this class and it was the perfect number. It was a completely different experience for me and it was refreshing to teach an older crowd since it had been so long since I had done something like this!
It was great getting to know some of these girls more in a fun and creative setting and I loved watching these masterpieces develop!
These girls really floored me with the fantastic designs they created from scratch and painted. I couldn't have dreamed up more beautiful paintings!
They worked so hard and diligently and were most proud of themselves at what they had accomplished.
This class went so well that I intend to host more adult classes in the near future, so watch out for my announcements on Facebook and Instagram. Also check back on my website to keep updated on my art class page to find out when new classes arrive! If you would like to be on an email list to be updated when I have new classes coming up, please email me at taratories@gmail.com or contact me through my website.
