EXPRESSIVE ARTS SUMMER CAMPS
UPCOMING PROJECTS
MAKING Art is not JUST about creating something so beautiful that it is worth displaying on a wall.
Art is about being open to who you are in the moment, and allowing who you are, how you feel, and how you see the world to be authentically communicated to others.
These projects are inspired by the foundational strengths that allow each fearlessly creative person to bring forth their heart's work into the world. Through expressing our most authentic selves through our creativity, we develop a deep understanding of how to bring things into the world that only previously existed as a fragment of our imagination, which to me is a literal example of magic.
Each of our projects listed below will guide students through a unique experience that helps them develop trust, confidence, emotional awareness, and fearlessness when it comes to expressing themselves freely.
This eccentric mixed media painting project involves using two types of acrylic paints, liquid silicone, rubbing alcohol, and professional artist mediums.
The multi step nature of this effortlessly captivating project is designed to help students experiment freely and feel confident doing so.
Students will begin this project by filling paper cups with different paints and acrylic mediums to create their own unique color palette.
ABSTRACT CELL
PAINTING
A JAPANESE METAPHOR OF REBUILDING
Kintsugi is a perfect example of an art form that is exquisitely beautiful and thought provoking.
The ancient Japanese art of restoring broken dishes piece by piece with gold enamel is an art form that has been around for 9,000 years.
This art form is designed to symbolize the thought that our growth as humans is beautiful, and we should celebrate how far we've come.
Inspired by this intentional and unique art practice, students will crack open a ceramic vessel and carefully repair it with kintsugi tools and materials.
KINTSUGI
3-D PAPER
sculpture
This project will take what students think is possible to create with paper to the next level!
Students will use patterned, holographic, textured, colorful, and hand marbled suminagashi paper to create their own
3-dimensional paper sculpture.
We will explore the diverse work of paper artists and paper sculptors from all over the world so that students feel empowered to create something that is unique to their creativity.
Students will learn a variety of paper folding, stacking, and layering techniques that they can use to create a flat, hanging, or free standing paper sculpture.
SOY CAnDlE
CREATION + stained
glass JARS
This all natural soy candle making project is a returning favorite from our 2021 Expressive Arts Summer Camps!
However, we will be switching things up a little bit this year by turning our glass candle jars into works of art themselves first!
Using professional transparent inks, students will create their own 'stained glass' candle jar. The stained glass effect rings true in daylight or when the candle inside of the jar is lit.
For the candle making portion of this project, students will design their own professional grade, all natural soy candle.
With all natural wicks, waxes, and candle fragrances, students will learn exactly how the highest quality candles on the market are made!
SQUEEGEE
PAINTING
Using small hand held squeegees, alcohol inks, acrylic paints, and a variety of different textured paper, students will bring a work of art through adding and subtracting layers of color.
Using different types of paper, inks, and paints, this project will guide students to experiment while simultaneously being challenged to trust the unknown of their creative process.
Students will have time to create a series of layered squeegee paintings with their materials and paper of choice!
ICE DYING
A MODERN TWIST ON TIE DYE
As an all time summer camp favorite,
my students have yet again requested another tie dye class!
To make this tie dye experience stand out from our previously hosted tie dye classes, we will tie dying our fabrics with ice and powder based tie dye pigments instead of traditional liquid tie dye.
Ice dying is really unique in the sense that the ice itself is responsible for transforming the powder pigments into liquid dye during the fabric dying process.
As the ice melts it slowly carries different color values and hues throughout the garment, creating a crackling or firework like formation of diverse colors on the fabric.
Students will learn about where our modern tie dye practices come from, as well as a variety of tying techniques to create truly unique designs on their fabrics.
WATER MARBLING
INSPIRED BY THE JAPANEse
ART OF SUMINAGASHI
Suminagashi is the ancient Japanese art hand marbling paper with ink, water, and paint brushes.
The word suminagashi translates to 'floating ink', which is exactly what this art form entails.
To create the marbled paper, inks are layered and swirled around on the surface of water. Once a marbled design is complete, paper is then slipped into the water. The inks on the water transfer onto both sides of the paper, creating an effortless marbled masterpiece.
Inspired by the ancient Japanese art of suminagashi, students will use multicolored Japanese inks and thick watercolor paper to create their own series of marbled paper.
Students will have the option to use their Beautifully marbled designs during our '3-D Paper Sculptures' project if they'd like to do so!
