-
Art Camp Day 5: Watercolor Pool Party!
Art Camp is OVER! And it ended with a splash like it should. Between you and me I am so glad it’s over because it was so much work and it kicked my butt but we are already talking about doing it next year so I’m thinking it must have been worth it! I like the idea of it becoming a tradition. Maybe not the best business model but definitely something that the kids and I remember forever.
On the last day of Art Camp I knew we had to end it at the pool. It’s really the only place to be this summer as we swelter in the heat. Why not add some watercolor paint poolside and make it a party! A watercolor pool party! I could have really thrown some money into decorations and gone crazy with that theme but as I mentioned earlier art camp is not the best business model and I had to watch my bottom line and not go crazy with the party fever like I usually do.
We painted poolside in the shade of the pergola in our home association’s pool clubhouse. It was lovely. There was even a breeze that obnoxiously kept kicking up our art supplies and knocking things over. At one point I got in trouble for having glass at the pool but paper cups were just not working in the breeze. Thankfully, the security guard left us to figure that out on our own and didn’t enforce the rules too strictly.
We painted and we painted.
We even made swimsuit cover-ups ala alphamom. I love that craft. It’s so easy and fun.
Of course there was food. It was a pool party after all. We’ve been living at this pool lately.
Poor Bug was sun-kissed to death. We all wore sunblock but since she and I were there since ten in the morning, and she spent most of that time in the pool in direct sunlight, I think she might have caught a touch of heat stroke.
That night we all went home exhausted and a little sunburnt. We all had so much fun but I’m happy it’s over and I don’t have to think about it again until next summer!
-
Art Camp Day 2-4
Day Two of Camp was Sketchy Drawing Day. I had big plans of teaching the kids how to draw upside down, how to draw from a grid and even how to draw hands. It didn’t quite work out as I planned. They got bored after about three squares of drawing from a grid.
So we decided to take our drawing class on a field trip, to the mall! To eat macarons! Bug may have been responsible. She definitely challenged my authority during these classes, showing off for her friends, mouthing off, not doing what she was supposed to and generally being a pain in my butt. She frequently got to visit her room for quiet time while I maintained a facade of composure.
The mall was really nice though. The weather was great for sketching outdoors. It definitely added some extra interest to drawing day. Not quite the splash of the water fight from day one but definitely not boring.
Day Three was NOT boring at all. Day Three was Paper Mâché Day aka Paper ma-MESS-ché Day. Boy did we make a mess. The girls mixed their own flour water paste, shredded their own newspapers and sculpted their own piñata shapes from balloons and tape. It was grand.
We only had enough time to sculpt and put down one layer newspaper but I promised to finish up the rest of the layers for them and then let them paint their creations sometime next week. If I ever do this camp again I’ll have to schedule drying time into the week’s agenda because painting a paper maché creation is kind of the best part!
Clean- up is not so much the best part. Don’t try this at home folks. Or do try it but keep in mind that however many hours that you are having fun you will also need to spend just as many hours cleaning up the fun, maybe even more. Scraping off dried flour paste is not my favorite way to spend the afternoon.
I had wanted to host this class outside and just hose it down but since summertime temperatures were nearing the 90’s, we nixed that idea. It was definitely nice to craft in the nice air conditioning but my house was a wreck for a week.
On the fourth day of Art Camp we played with cardboard. You know how I feel about cardboard. It’s my favorite! I was thinking of handing out box cutters to the kids but then I started imagining trips to the ER so I ended up doing most of the cutting myself. They designed, I cut.
Bug and Joon both made wings and swords which they are talking about using for Halloween costumes but you know how that goes. They’ll change their minds weekly all the way until October and then decide they must have a costume from the costume store.
Bug and Joon were lucky enough to live here and after everyone else left I let them break out my collection of spray paint. We don’t mess around in this house.
The other girls got to paint with regular acrylics and glitter…
and pom poms! Lots and lots of pom poms.
It was a blast. Next up Day Five: The Watercolor Pool Party!
