Well another week down… and another week of Summer Camp completed!
This week, it was “Wild Things”… a week full of art projects all about animals.
And I had a great group of “animals” to play with all week long.

We started the week on Monday with introductions & ceramic animal masks. Despite a
rough start on Monday, and the first time I’ve ever had to send a kid home… issues… the
rest of the class finished up strong, shaping their masks and painting them with underglaze!
Tuesday took us to Lincoln Park Zoo for our camp field trip!

Keeping a group of “wild things” corralled, contained & entertained is quite a feat.
Luckily, I had Brian, my favorite summer camp assistant with me for the week.
Not that it stopped any of the kids from being themselves… mugging for the camera!

The rest of the week we were back at Lillstreet Art Center creating their animal sculptures.
With an armature of wire, wood, newspaper, wire hangers, styrofoam & masking tape,
the kids each created their own animals. Once the base shape was created, we covered the
armatures with a layer of plastered fabric, and then a second coat of plaster gauze.
Friday was spent painting the animals to bring them all to life!

And not to be outdone, two of my campers decided to go for the “actual size” animal…
with a life-sized proboscis monkey and ostrich standing nearly as tall as the artists!!!

This week at Lillstreet Summer Camp I’m teaching “Clay & Multimedia.”
Which basically just means that we do a clay project on Monday, and then
any kind of other art projects for the rest of the week. So we started this week
with ceramic birdhouses!!! Slabs, textures, basic handbuilding & underglazes!!!

And then followed with a weaving & sewing project – Woven-Top Pillows!
So the kids had to choose their fabrics, cut out their strips, weave them
together and then sew it all into a throw pillow!

Then… as if it could get any better… today was Tie-Dye Thursday!!!

So this week we offered a new & completely different option for the kids.
Many of them have taken several clay classes… or metalsmithing classes…
but why not put them together?! Why not combine the two?!

Pam Robinson (Lillstreet Metals Dept. Head) and I worked together
to develop a camp for the kids to put both materials together in one project.
Fire. Forge. Feast. – fire the clay, forge the metal and then feast on the results!
Yep, we had the kids make a complete dinnerware set this week.

So we started the week with two days of clay – designing & making slab plates,
platters & bowls… as well as clay handles for what would become their cutlery!
So Monday & Tuesday the kids designed & made their dishes, as well as painting
them with colorful underglazes!

Then on Wednesday & Thursday, we moved over to the Metals Dept. to start
cutting their metal components…. knives, forks & spoons. It was a lot of sawing,
filing, sanding, texturing… and unfortunately, broken saw blades!

Friday was a day to finish up their pieces, finally combining clay & metal…
and enjoying a potluck meal on their finished projects!

And my new collection of knives… that I made all by myself!!!

Another week down… another week of Chess Camp done!
And we finished just under the wire! Without a moment to spare!

The second week of Chess Camp had fewer kids, and a bit younger too!
But the week started out as usual – with a discussion of theme ideas.
What we’re they planning on making their chess set look like.
What team is battling against what team?

One of our most ambitious themes was “DC Comics versus Marvel Comics”!
That was until he worked all day on Monday, came back Tuesday and realized
that it was “going to be too hard.” So he came back with a plan, started over and went
with “Chicago versus New York City.” Other themes included:
* Jungle Animals: Fierce vs. Cuddly
* Transformers
* Cats vs. Dogs
* Medieval Royalty vs. Dragons
* Foods vs. Drinks
* some video game… that I’m sadly too old to have ever even heard of ?!!!
* The Simpson’s: Good Characters vs. Evil Characters

So the kids worked hard all week – making pieces, painting them with underglaze
and painting their chess boards. As this was only a “morning camp,” they had
just five days (less than 20 hours) to get everything done! One day we skipped lunch,
and today it was close – as Ethan was still building his last piece just minutes before
class ended!!! Whew… another week done! But we made it.

So after the woven clay plates on Monday, we continued our “weaving” theme
with a traditional weaving project – each kid with their own vertical “loom.”

We started with dowel rods & twine hanging from the ceiling. They had to string the loom
and tie it off the bottom with another dowel rod and hung a brick at the bottom
to keep it all taut. Once assembled, their looms were ready to start weaving. We discussed
techniques and colors.. and let them go! They loved it… in fact, they’re still doing it!!!
Tomorrow we’ll a short break from it today for some of my favorite – Tie-Dye Day!!!
But as soon as we were done – they will be right back to the weaving.

Then Friday is our last day for this camp. They’ll need to finish weaving back & forth
and then tie-off the bottom and add some decorative fringe!!! And voila’…
another week of Summer Camp will have come to an end. With a lot of happy kids!!!

And as if playing with the kid’s all day wasn’t enough…
my adult’s Beginning Wheelthrowing Class begins tomorrow night!
It’s another 8-weeks of fun – and a chance for the brand new beginners
to get their hands dirty, and the “experienced” beginners get to further
their skills and begin to develop their own style!

Lillstreet Art Center
Beginning & Advanced Beginning Wheelthrowing
Tuesday nights from 7:00pm-10:00pm… with ME as your teacher!!!

There’s only a couple spaces still open – register in person or online!!!
If you miss out on this Summer Session, mark your calendar now for the
10-week Fall Session which will begin on the Tuesday after Labor Day!

After a fun holiday weekend… it’s back to Summer Camp at Lillstreet!!!
This week I am teaching the kid’s “Clay & Multimedia Camp”…  which basically
means we start with a clay project on Monday (so it can be fired and taken
home on Friday) and then other “assorted” art projects throughout the
rest of the week! Fingers crossed… we may actually tie-dye on Thursday!!!

We kicked off this week with woven clay platters. Fun with coils in terra cotta.
Once they finished weaving, we draped them over their handmade molds and
finished off the edges. Not the best pasta bowl… but great for bread or rolls!
Tomorrow we paint them with colorful underglazes… and then move on to
our “other” art projects for the rest of week.

As we move forward into the summer… and get “deeper” into Summer Camp,
we start having some “specialty” camps for the kids to keep it fresh & fun.
This week was one of my favorites… Chess Camp!!!

During this camp, the kids each make a complete chess set out of terra cotta and
paint a board to go along with it. No simple sets here… the kids also need to come up
with a theme and decide who is “battling” who! I love to see the natural creativity
of the kids shining everyday through the process. Some of the themes were brilliant!!!
I think my favorite was Luke’s set which portrayed “The Seventies versus The Eighties.”
Complete with Rubik’s Cubes, Ms. Pac-Man, Rocky Horror Picture Show’s logo lips,
Purple Rain, Lava Lamps, Richard Nixon, Pinball Wizards, and much more.
And how strange & sadly untimely that his set also represents Michael Jackson
with his glittered glove… just one day after his death!

Other themes included…
* Freshwater versus Saltwater
* Dogs versus Cats
* Greek Warriors versus Egyptian Warriors
* Foods versus Drinks
* Antarctica versus The Arctic
* Monsters versus Aliens
* Fruits versus Vegetables

So by the end of the day today, everyone had completed their chess sets & boards.
They are now drying and will soon be glazed & fired. That is all except Noah…
who was working so diligently knowing that he would never finish his aquatic set.
He was working with such care & detail, making his pieces the best that he could –
and hoping to come back for the next session of Chess Camp that starts on July 20th.
We all hope he comes back… I want to see his finished “masterpiece.”

So it’s official… Summer Camp has officially started at Lillstreet!
Which then also means that summer has officially begun!
Although you couldn’t tell it by the weather we’re having these days?!

Summer Art Camp has officially begun at Lillstreet Art Center – and I’m so excited!
This is the first week – and I’m teaching kid’s Wheelthrowing in the morning…
it’s good to be back at camp! It’s going to be a fun summer!

In the afternoon, I switch gears, switch classes and switch some kids!
The afternoon class is Clay & Multimedia… which really means we get to do a clay
project on Monday, and then whatever we want to do the rest of the week!
I’m sure there will be a few days of tie-dye later this summer!

Tonight was the opening of my friend Sarah Chapman‘s Trunk Show
at Lillstreet Art Center. It was a fun night to chat with friends and see some
of Sarah’s latest metal creations! I just love her work… the textures, the movement,
the different metals, the inclusions of beads, shells, rocks & m0re!
Can’t wait to add to my collection!

Her work will be on exhibit in the Lillstreet Gallery through the month of May.
Check out her website for details: www.ChapmanMetals.com
Or Lillstreet Art Center’s website: www.Lillstreet.com