Let’s Get Creative
Let’s get artsy! The boys have been thoroughly enjoying their Pottery as well as Arts and Crafts sessions. The campers have made loads of beautiful creations and learned a lot of different techniques along the way.
“The teachers are great! All the lessons are fun. You can tell they know what they’re doing because they are all so good at art” Miles G.
“Art is an international language, understood by all” - Igor Babailov
Pottery
We learn many different techniques in pottery, these include creating coils, slabs and handbuilding. While the more experienced campers can spin clay on the wheels. The counselors are determined to also teach the boys the correct jargon in the pottery room.
This includes understanding the concept of glazing, as opposed to painting, as well as knowing what a kiln is for brisking. Learning about pottery, understanding why you can not put wet clay directly into a kiln and the process behind creating their pieces ensure that they are learning.
Mushroom People - the very first lesson the boys enjoyed included creating mushroom people out of clay. It was super cute to see what these imaginative boys came up with. Mushrooms with top hats, smiles and marshmallow mushroom men were created with glee. The boys were really creative with this project, and we loved seeing the results.
Leaf Imprints - this involved giving the campers a rolled out slab of clay, while they looked for pieces of nature. They could utilize leaves, sticks or even pine cones of different shapes and sizes to create beautiful patterns on the flattened piece of clay. The results were wonderful.
Bowls & Cups - this was a fun project. The boys were asked to make either a bowl or a cup, using any of the techniques that they had learned throughout the session. It was wonderful to see the lovely little creations they came up with.
Chia Pets - now that we are getting more experienced, it is time to attempt a more advanced project. This is a chance for the boys to show off their new skills in the pottery room, utilizing many of the techniques that they have learned thus far. This is an extremely fun project that involves creating a pet, scratching up the surfaces, and adding soaked chia seeds to the top. The idea is the chia seeds will sprout and grow on top of your creation. Some fun designs include dogs and dinosaurs.
“My favorite lesson is Fun Fridays, where we get to create whatever we want!” explained Edward E. He made a pizza out of clay as well as a functional, tested, water fountain which he is extremely proud of.
Arts & Crafts
“These children are very creative and talented. They amaze me everyday and are extremely skilled.” Jurney Swinson, Falling Creek camp counselor.
The Elements of Art - starting with the fundamentals, the boys have an opportunity to learn about the elements that are included in art. These include, line, color, shape, texture, form as well as value. All these elements are usual tools and can be utilized to create something extraordinary.
Arts and Crafts is really an opportunity for the boys to express themselves through different mediums of art. Some include drawing, sketching, lino carving and printing, creating collages, water colors as well as acrylics in painting.
“My favorite project was the father’s day cards,” explained Oscar B. from Austin Texas. The boys created pop art using a range of techniques that they had learned in Arts and Crafts. They created a pop art card and decorated it with water colors and Sharpies.
