Short Person and Art Camp

Sometime back in April, Short Person's school sent around a questionnaire about what types of Community School classes we'd be interested in enrolling in should they offer then. One of the choices was an art class and Shortie was enthusiastic about this idea. So enthusiastic that from that moment all I heard was "I want to go to art school".

Since summer was coming up, and as luck would have it she wasn't old enough to take the Community School classes, I set out to locate an art camp or school that she could attend. The first one, and only one, I found that was suitable was in Beaverton-- an hour away! It would have been tough, but I would have taken a week vacation to get her there and back, just because that's the wonderful kind of mom I am. (haha)

As I was muttering about this one day at work, the City Planner pointed out that the city's new Cultural Center had opened and was offering art classes. In a series of events that literally had me waiting until the Friday before camp started, I was able to enroll Short Person in the camp they were offering. It was a mixed media art camp, offered from 9am to 3pm, Monday through Friday.

Best I can tell, Short Person enjoyed the classes, but she's very critical of her work so it seemed that every day I'd pick her up and she would be unhappy with the results she'd gotten. I, on the other hand, thought she did a wonderful job.

Here is some of her art from that week.

The first day, the got to throw clay. The way Short Person talked about how well it was going having the clay on the wheel, I really expected that it would be a clump of nothingness. I should have known better. These are the two little bowls she made and a piece of glass she made during that week as well.

The drawing below was the first thing she got to take home. It is of my favorites. I'm not sure why. I just think it draws you in. Anyway, it was the first thing I got to see from camp and I was excited and complementing Short Person on it. She looked at me and said, "I don't like it. It's not my usual work." I responded that I hadn't even known she had a *usual work*. She looked at me, sighed, and said, "Yeah, I didn't know either... until today!"

This was a face she did, Picasso inspired. Again, she is not happy with it, but I am framing it :)

Below are photos she took. The purple, featherish one is actually a pinecone.