The creativity was flowing at Clarkston Junior High School as students in grades 6-12 participated in Teen Art Camp, July 16-19.
“It’s different from other camps,” said Roxanne Thornton. “It shows me different ways I can use my skill and express myself.”
The week opened with learning about the art of graffiti.
Claudia Keglovitz, an art teacher at the junior high, added they learned about graffiti tags and looked at pictures of graffiti in Detroit. They also learned the difference between vandalism and what graffiti is allowed.
“Some come as a form of vandalism,” Keglovitz said. “While other pieces of graffiti are art.”
The campers then created their own graffiti tag, either in the form of their name, initials, animal or design to represent them, and put it on a large piece of drywall.
Back by popular demand was screenprinting which the campers used to put on T-shirts, hats, cards or used in other art pieces.
Some fused their screenprint designs and graffiti into one piece.
“They like to do what they can’t do in class,” said Keglovitz.
The artists also created with acostic paint and hot wax, scratchboard, charcoal and watercolor paint.
They learned about different techniques they could use while painting with watercolor such as using a blowdryer, letting rain drop onto the paint while it is on the paper and using Kosher salt for texture.
“Watercolor is used for art therapy,” Keglovitz explained to the campers. “It is the most forgiving of all the different medias.”
She also gave them tips such as after dipping their brush into the watercolor paint, let it slightly touch the paper and let the paint place and dry.
Other campers worked on pieces they started at home and asked for input from their other creative campers.
“I really like it,” Alona Lysa said about the camp. “It is free range and there are lots of stuff to do. I am definitely coming again next year.”
Carolyne Hughes agreed. She went to the art camp for the first time this year and enjoyed the screen printing.
The week finished with an art show displaying all the pieces they had worked on for friends and family.
Teen Art Camp is offered by Clarkston Community Education. For more information, please visit www.clarkston.k12.mi.us/cec or call 248-623-4326