Arboretum Summer Nature Camp 2014: Week 4 : "Zoology, The Great Animal Adventure!"

To kick off our week of animal-inspired art, we paid our brood of chickens a visit in the Arboretum's edible garden. I introduced campers to charcoal and assured them the messier their hands got as they worked, the better! No complaints. Just beautiful artwork!

Our lovely turkey, with his black and white speckled feathers was the perfect subject for charcoal drawings!

Since we can't walk more than 5 feet without seeing a peacock or two...or ten, how could we not expand our subject-matter to sketch these gorgeous birds as well?!

AMAZING ANIMAL HABITAT DIORAMAS!

Before getting started I explained to campers how we can create dimension in our work by distinguishing between the foreground, middle-ground and background in a composition. This vocabulary lesson, along with accordion folded card stock, transformed two-dimensional drawings and paper cuttings into sculptural works of art inspired by our favorite species and their native environments!

African lion.

Killer Whale.

Seal.

Dolphin.

Giraffe.

Cougar.

Red Pandas.

Painting bird houses for our favorite feathered friends!

FUNKY FISH PRINTS!!!

Jenna's morning science class got a very special and slightly stinky treat on Wednesday. Campers explored a very unique print-making technique using paint and frozen fish! We just LOVE any chance to combine science and art!

Book-making with Victorian-era animal and insect illustrations and animal print papers. Scientific guidebooks, kooky collages, narratives and more!

ENDANGERED + THREATENED SPECIES NATIVE TO CALIFORNIA!!!

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS POSTERS.

Campers chose from over 30 different species images I provided, all of which are either categorized as endangered or threatened due to environmental issues. We discussed the meaning of "native species", extinction, the importance of BIODIVERSITY, preservation and how WE can help ensure the future of these creatures and their habitats!