Handmade Holidays at the Arlington Arts Center on December 5th

Hello friends: Here is how it works: I bring all kinds of fun papers and images, you cut them and glue them under little clear glass disks, and then we attach magnets and make clever packaging. The end result is not only having spent a fun evening with congenial people doing something artsy, but you will be able to cross some terrifically original holidays gifts off of your to-do list. Please consider joining us for my Handmade Holidays workshop on: Tuesday, December 5th, from 6:30-8:30PM. There is still room in the class. To join in the fun, enroll here: https://register.asapconnected.com/ClassDetail.aspx?pk=931438

clay garden pendants at the Torpedo Factory

This Saturday, from 12 to 4PM, I will be helping folks of all ages make (free) lovely polymer clay garden pendants. Come see me at what they're calling the Clay Pendants Project. I'll be at The Mobile Art Lab at the Torpedo Factory and we'll make lovely, colorful pendants, dusted with beautiful shades of powdered pigment for a touch of metallic bling. More info here: http://torpedofactory.org/event/22nd-annual-art-safari/

More Colorful Collage Creatures

The great thing about a good project is that you can do it over and over again, as long as the kids are new. My Thursday group hadn't made jointed collage animals inspired by the wonderfully whimsical work of Clare Youngs, so they each made a colorful collage creature today.

Feeling crafty (Polymer Garden Pendants)

We got a bit crafty last week, here at Carriage House A&C. Each of us made two polymer clay pendants, decorated by pressing in bits of rosemary, lavender, and boxwood from the garden. The final dusting, with pearly powdered pigments, added a touch of glam to the earthy nature theme. Then I baked them, and today the kids strung them on colored cord. They were delighted with the results.

Joseph Cornell inspires

Joseph Cornell has always been one of my favorite artists and I love teaching kids about his work. In class with the 7- and 8-year-olds they made "dream boxes" by turning shoeboxes into custom shadowboxes. They then painted them, added an animal (or two), and some found treasures. I love the results, and so did they. And the book "Mr. Cornell's Dream Boxes", by Jeanette Winter, accompanied the project nicely.

Check out the warm-up exercise from Tuesday's adult collage workshop. We played a sort of "exquisite corpse" game: Each person glued down one piece of paper, said whether it was to be a human or creature, and then passed it around for everyone to add to it until deemed finished. The results are great, sometimes very funny. I'll be posting some new upcoming workshops soon, too, so check back and see what's on the horizon!

Printing on Fabric workshop for adults: Sept. 13th, from 6:30-8:30PM

I'm not saying that you should stop buying dishtowels, but you could make one with me and satisfy that crafty urge, too. September 13th, from 6:40-8:30PM.

next adult art workshop: August 29th, from 6:30-8:30PM

Join me for a 2-hour workshop on August 29th, from 6:30-8:30PM: Channeling Children. We'll be making playful, colorful, collage animals, inspired by a project I've done with children. (Which was in turn inspired by artist Clare Youngs). 🐸

Collaborative architecture printing project

This is a new favorite project of mine. I have each of the kids draw the name of an architectural element (row of rectangular windows, double doors, cupola, chimney, brick wall, pointed arch, etc.). They then make a stamp of that element, using adhesive-back foam and cardboard. They are then to make at least three more architectural details of their choice (the first ones assigned just get them all started). When they're done making the stamps, all of the stamps are piled in the center of the table and the printing begins. Each kid composes a cityscape using the stamps, and they all come out wonderfully different! We used black acrylic paint because it dries quickly and won't run (as will block printing ink), if they decide to add color, once it has dried. We did these on BIG pieces of paper, and the results were just terrific.

Inspired by Pablo Picasso's cubist period portraits

Inspired by Pablo Picasso's cubist period portraits, the kids in one of my (many!) summer camp classes at the Fillmore Arts Center made these great, wonky, colorful faces from cardboard. I showed them works by Picasso, asked them to make at least the eyes of their faces asymmetrical, and then let them loose on a huge pile of cardboard. They glued them together, colored them with oil pastels, and then painted over the whole face with watered-down black tempera paint (they then blotted the excess off with a paper towel). The result are fun funky faces with their three-dimensional quality emphasized by the black paint, that stays best in the crevices between pieces. This was one of the kids' favorite projects.

Today in my new three-week art camp at the Fillmore Arts Center, we did a quick printmaking project in which the kids traced their own hands, and then made detailed Maori tattoo-inspired designs.

After a week off, it's good to be back in the classroom. Yesterday, in two different classes the kids were inspired by the work of artist and illustrator Marcus Oakley. While the nine-year-olds did terrific paintings inspired by his abstract collages, the eight-year-olds started wonderful painted cardboard collages. I can't wait to see them finished!

I took a week off after finishing up the last week-long art camp, and so am only now posting some pics of one of my favorite projects. We were inspired by the wonderful jointed paper animals of Clare Youngs, and made our own versions. Using cardboard, tempera paints, and some brads for joints, the kids made some delightfully whimsical creatures!

Day Two of Carriage House Arts and Craft's first Summer Art Camp

Day Two of Carriage House Arts and Craft's first Summer Art Camp: We finished up an awesome abstract art diptych (inspired by the art of Eva Magill Oliver), and then started in on a very cool 2-day printmaking project. There was some puppy love happening during our morning snack break, and "studio pup" Enzo was in heaven when we went to the playground after our lunch in Volta Park. Our kids AND another group all decided to pet Enzo at the same time.

Day One of Carriage House Arts and Crafts's first Summer Camp

The Found-Object Robot project is always one of my favorites. Although it's the same project that I've done elsewhere, with new kids, the robots are always different. Today was a great first day of Carriage House Arts and Crafts Summer Camp. Having Volta Park right around the corner makes a great place for a picnic lunch break, a bit of dog walking, and some time to play in the playground before going home.

Mother's Day creature sculptures

My Carriage House class made great animal sculptures last week, and wanted them to be Mother's Day presents. I bet that their mothers really appreciated them. They insisted on taking them home in brown paper bags so that the gifts would be a surprise today. I think that they're super creative and fun.

3D Creature Sculptures

Well, I think that I have a new favorite 3D project. My 7- to 10-year-olds, in the Arlington Arts Center class called "Thrilling 3-D," made these wonderful animal sculptures out of cardboard and wood. They were inspired by the wonderfully colorful and creative animal sculptures of self-taught artist Terrell Powell.

Summer Art Camps in Georgetown

I am scheduling some week-long Mixed Media Art Camps at Carriage House Arts and Crafts this summer. Classes will be small (limit 5 kids) for ages 6 to 10. Class starts at 9:30AM and pick up time is 1:00PM (includes time for snack and lunch). Art instruction will involve a wide variety of techniques and materials -- large and small projects, 3D and drawing/painting, collage and much more. We'll be inspired by important artists of the past, by ancient art, and by contemporary artists, too. Bring a snack, drink and lunch. Weather permitting we will take a break around the corner at Volta Park. The cost of one week-long session is $200. All supplies included. Payment is due in full at the time of registration. There are no make-ups or refunds for absences. Studio Location: 1519 35th St NW in Georgetown. 7 weeks are currently available: June 19-23 June 26-30 July 3-7 July 10-14 July 24-28 July 31-Aug. 4 Aug. 7-11 Please let me know if you'd like to sign your kid(s) up for any weeks. Jennifer Email: jenn.wilkin@gmail.com

DC monuments printmaking project

It was really hard for these girls to concentrate on their art projects today when there was a puppy under the table. Enzo fell asleep and then spent some time in the main house, so the girls did finish their works -- and they look terrific. They drew a D.C. city scene, onto "scratch foam", creating their own printing plates. They then printed them with block printing ink, over previously watercolored backgrounds. Although the D.C. buildings and monuments (all cut out as one piece for ease of printing) don't reflect symmetrically in the water, the overall effect is of a cityscape reflected in water. Making them really BIG gave the finished works extra punch.