Super Spring Break Camps!

Monday was our first day of this year's awesome line up of Spring Break Art Camps. We all had a great time learning how to make abstract color wheels and draw oil pastel cheetahs with instructors Miss Emily and Miss Jessica.  Students learned how to break down animal forms into simple shapes, color blending,  colors theory, and the power of imagination!

Miles made a printing plate with a scrap of corrugated cardboard from a discarded box and plants handpicked from our garden. Miss Emily taught the children about the many intricacies and variations of printmaking. Above we interpreted the chine colle process.

Luca created his very own ORB and painted a watercolor still life of stacked tree slices colored with a rainbow of chalk pastel. Our week long Operation Rainbow Brains summer camp will focus on COMMUNITY ART. 

Check out our listings of our upcoming Summer Art and Music Camps. We would love to share a day of fun, learning and creativity with you!

Take-Home Fun at Oil and Cotton

Today was a busy day at Oil and Cotton, with activities and workshops running from morning until evening. First, we joined Esther Kao for a leather workshop, taking home handmade key chains and wallets for our friends, family members, and key/wallet-deprived acquaintances. 

Next, Lisa Huffaker stopped by to teach a paper snowflake making class. We used the snowflakes we made in Lisa's class to make everything from beautiful holiday cards to templates for elegant cake designs. 

After stuffing our faces with a piece of our chocolate-filled collaboration (shown above), we joined Jessica Trevizo for a screen-printing demonstration. 

In reward for participating in this test of upper-body strength (in which Sarah Westrup excelled and intern Paige Walton demonstrated need for improvement), we got to take home bags, tees and shirts featuring Jessica's original designs.

Screen Printing at Oil and Cotton

Screen printing, also known as silkscreen printing or serigraphy is a most simply put, a stenciling process. An image is transferred onto a screen of polyester or other fine mesh, with blank areas coated with an impermeable substance, and ink is forced into the mesh openings of the mesh by the fill blade and onto the printing surface. Screen printing first appeared in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD). The silk meshed used during that time has now been replace by synthetic materials. Screen printing is one most versatile and accessible of all printing processes, and can be used to print on just about anything.

Join us for our five week DIY Screen Printing Class, June 2 - 30, 3-6pm. This workshop will provide an in depth understanding of the screen printing process. Students will build a press and learn everything they need to know to silkscreen within their own home/studio. During class, students will complete at least two silkscreen projects. Each student will receive an 18 page workbook filled with information and tips for continued printing after class! This is the last week for registration. Visit our website to sign up today. We are also offering a five week Saturday Screen Printing Camp for Kids June 2-30, 1-2:30.

The above screen print, titled Three Deer, was originally printed by American Indian artist Woody Crumbo in the 1950's. To learn more about his work visit the National Museum of the American Indian.

Mylan Nguyen at the Public Trust Gallery

If you missed the opening reception this weekend, be sure to visit the Public Trust Gallery to see Mylan Nguyen’s first solo show. Mylan is a talented young artist that teaches our popular DIY Silk Screen Printing and will be teaching our Installation Art Camp and Manga Art Camps this summer.

Les Grandes Personnes Ne Comprennent (The Big People Do Not Understand) invites visitors to revisit childhood forts and secret hideaways. The center of Mylan's site specific installation is a dreamy "playhouse" full of her sweet drawings that are sometimes tinged with a subtle dark humor. In addition to her drawings, she has included sculptures, ephemera and found objects such as an old record player and an early video game system. The exhibition pays homage to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s, Le Petit Prince and whimsically explores the themes of love, loneliness, friendship, and death.

Songwriting and Music Summer Camp at Oil and Cotton

Back by popular demand, SONGWRITING AND MUSIC CAMP! We will write lyrics, form bands, then write, rehearse, record & perform a single. Bands will develop a visual identity as well, through merchandise - band t-shirt, CD cover & band photo. This camp is a unique opportunity to get a crash course in pop song writing - working with a country & western singer (Floramay), an indy rocker (David) and our in-house classical composition and piano teacher (Kayli). Registration for summer camps has started and folks are signing up. Visit our website to register today.

4-Day Music Camp for ages 7-teens
Instructors: Floramay Holliday, David Karsten Daniels & Kayli Cusick
Mon-Thurs, June 4-7, 9am-12pm
Price: $150
Musical experience (lessons or similar) recommended.
Passion and commitment to hard work, necessary.

Oil and Cotton Spring Break

Oil and Cotton spent Spring Break making beautiful artwork with our awesome students and generous teacher volunteers. Here is a bit of what we created in our Spring Break Art Camps. We are looking forward to our SUPER SUMMER CAMPS!

We painted a blue bonnet field, mixed paint to create color wheels, hand crafted leather bags and more. We are closed for the weekend, but look forward to seeing you in our weekly classes. Have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day and Spring Break!

Spring Break Camps at Oil and Cotton

Sign up now for our SPECTACULAR SPRING BREAK CAMPS! Camps are the week of March 12th through March 16th!!!

Oil and Cotton Summer Camps

For descriptions of camps and weekly classes, a calender and to register visit  

www.oilandcotton.com

Register Now for Spring 2012 Weekly Art Classes for Kids

Register Now for Spring 2012 Weekly Classes

13-week session runs February 19-May 25, with no classes held March 12-16.* 

*Enrolled weekly art students may take Spring Break Art Camps that week at 25% off

Art Classes are on sale for 25% off only until Sunday, Feb. 12:

New! Weekly Art Class for Ages 2-3

Get into the art studio through songs, stories, and handwork. Parents stay and participate as kids learn how to handle materials, take care of art tools, create original works and get messy in our studio! Monday 10:30 or Friday 10:30

Weekly Art Class for Ages 4-6
Explore a variety of art-making materials and concepts, while learning about artists from history. This spring we will wrap up our study of process in modern art as we learn about VALUE and draw with "Action" Jackson Pollock, paint with Joan Mitchell, and create combines with Texan Robert Rauschenberg. Then we will Get Real!, learning about LINE with John Singer Sargent and SHAPE with Paul Cezanne.

Tuesday 3:30, 4:30, Wednesday 4:30, Thursday 10:30, 3:30, 4:30, or 5:30

Weekly Art Class for Ages 7-15

While developing their technical skills, students experience working in the styles of artists and art movements from ancient history to present day and keep a sketchbook for original ideas and observational drawings. This spring, we will begin with a review of the art elements as we paint original seascapes inspired by Courbet. We will get to know British artist David Hockney and how he uses the principles of design as we draw, paint, sculpt and collage. Then students will create a series of original sculptures to focus on balance. Monday 4:30, Tuesday 4:30 (age 7-9), 5:30, Wednesday 3:30, 4:30, 5:30 (age 10-15), Thursday 4:30, 5:30 (age 10-15) 

Weekly Art Class for High School Teens
High school students learn drawing skills, work on portfolios, and develop a personal series of artworks in different media. Volunteer exchange available. Wed 6:30-8pm

Summer Camps 2012 will be outstandingly unique. In addition to our Around the World with Art Camps for ages 4+, we are collaborating with area non-profits and neighborhood creatives to bring you camps for kids and teens in music, yoga, theater, installation art, fibers, and more!
 

Summer Camp 2012 registration opens February 13.

 Register for classes online at 
www.oilandcotton.com 

Summer Camps Continue at Oil and Cotton

This week our campers have traveled way out west! Above are longhorn sculptures in progress. Visit our website to register for up coming camps! Read a lovely commentary on our camps in FrontRow.

Dawing Art Camp at Oil and Cotton

We had a great group of students join us for our drawing camp this week. Students learned two different approaches, working from life and from a photograph. Focus was placed on seeing value and volume.

Watercolor Camp at Oil and Cotton

This week was full of amazing one day art camps for kids. Wednesday was dedicated to the the art of WATERCOLOR. Students learned techniques such as applying a flat wash of color, a graded wash, wet on wet, charging colors into other colors, and more.

Song Writing Camp

We had an amazing song writing camp! Kids of all ages formed bands, wrote and recorded songs, made band merchandise (CD covers, T-shirts) and performed their original songs...all in ONE WEEK!

The camp was taught by four talented Oak Cliff musicians, our very own Kayli House Cusick, David Karsten Daniels, Floramay Holliday Racz, and Mikal Beth Hughey.

We are certain that The Popsicle Girls, The Fire Works, Wreckage, and D.I.E. will be topping the music charts this summer!

Mother's Day!

We had a group of six sweet little boys join us for our Mother's Day craft this Friday.  Each created a rainbow bouquet of paper flowers for their moms and grandmothers. Our $10 FRIDAY crafts are usually scheduled around holidays. Look for more information on our website or blog. Sign up for our mailing list for regular updates.

Happy Mother's Day!

Celebrate your MOM! Thoughtful gifts and class gift certificates are available at Oil and Cotton. Join us this week and make a gift from the heart for your mom, grandmother, sister, or loving other. Friday from 3:30-4:30 ($10) learn to make a paper flower bouquet from tissue paper and vintage book pages. This class is open to all ages. Preregistration is recommended.

Make a Paper Chandelier this Friday evening from 6-9pm ($50). Learn the traditional art of the pajaki, a paper chandelier. Use various materials such as tree branches, feathers, decorative papers, twine and shells to construct this sweet interpretation of an old fashioned craft. Register here.

This Weekend: Paint Your Pet Portraits

Join us this Saturday, April 30th from 11-2pm for our second Paint Your Pet Portrait Class. Adults and mature children (age 8+) learn step by step how to look, draw, and paint on canvas a portrait of their best friend. Bring photos of your pet (8" x 10" crop is best) and a sack lunch. Please register online here. Beginners are VERY WELCOME!

Spring Break Camp - Painting a Clover Field and Rainbow Dioramas

Our Spring Break Camp week was full of wonderful students, leaning and sharing. Look for our summer camps to be posted soon. Visit our website for updated information about workshops and classes.

Kayli taught students how to paint a landscape of clover fields. Students experimented with different types of brushes, brush strokes, blending, modeling and color mixing. Class ended with a group critique.

Our younger students made an Emerald City Diorama. The children used a variety of recycled materials like corks, yarns, and papers to construct and imaginary land of rainbows and glitter.

Dream Catchers and Quilt Blocks

Hula hoops were transformed into dream catchers. Students wrapped hoops with various papers and yarns. Knots were tied and webs were woven. After our afternoon break, we painted pine cones collected by friends and family. Feathers were attached to allow the good dreams to climb into our sleepy heads.

Kids enacting bad dreams warded off by their dream catchers...

Good dreams...

Students explored the tradition of quilt blocks and color value. Tumbling block and star collages were constructed with fabrics.

Charcoal rubbings were transferred to textured paper from their quilt block collages.

Spring Break Camp - Rainbows, Balloons, and Books

Today was day one of our spring break camps. Students painted, made hot air balloon sculptures and flag books. Here are just a few photographs from our color filled class.

Drawing the hot air balloons made earlier in class...

Flag books were made with wood boards donated by a local architect. The boards were decorated with Japanese paper tapes.

Hot air balloon sculptures made with paper and recycled cereal boxes.