drawing with color

"Colors are the children of light." So said Johannes Itten, a Swiss painter and Bauhaus teacher.

Here's a glimpse of some color fun that happened in a recent youth art camp I taught at the TEIA on Peaks Island.

We started with color terms, creating a color wheel, and drawing a palette of 10 favorite colors.

Below: Owen's choice of colors with very original names. Color naming and branding can be very associative and personal. I like "ish."

I also gave everyone a color journal. Just for fun, and for keeping notes and sketches and anything that might strike an artist's fancy about color.

The location, right by the shore, can't be beat.

Shade is good on a summer day, and the setting provided ample inspiration. Some drew the nearby trees. Fan-Tai drew the rocks and old pilings.

On the second day, we had a color scavenger hunt: find 6 colors and draw them. We sorted the drawings by color when we were done.

Red is my favorite, from bicycles to signage, flowers to kayaks.

Orange you glad?

Then we drew a still life, drawing on the porch with gentle sea breezes.

Here is Calee's bold pastel:

Her sister Teagan did two drawings with different color schemes, cool and warm:

Virginia, a most awesome art intern, tried warm pastels on warm paper, perfect for a sunny day.

The youngest camper, Caroline, was eager to draw everything. She drew fire, and it matches her headband! Her passion colors her world.

She was happy to be a model the next day, when we drew each other. Caroline brought colorful scarves and fancy shoes for posing.

Here's my quick sketch of Virginia, who is bound to be famous on the stage someday. Very soon.

And my sketch of Teagan:

 We mounted an impromptu show of the drawings.

 I was impressed by the engagement and positive attitude of this class. Many thanks to Chris Harper Fahey and the TEIA, for allowing us to create our worlds of color on paper!