Teaching a fiber lesson to five, six and seven year old boys and girls in art camp is a miracle happening in motion.  Children at this young age, especially five generally don't want to be given a sharp needle.  I'm thankful for plastic.  If teaching a class of 25 students, do not attempt threading even a plastic needle. That is, unless you enjoy wondering where your hair has gone after the lesson is over.

A viable solution is sticky foam.  It's a little more like fabric than paper because it doesn't tear, and it bends.  It's soft.  In this lesson, I used felt as a base to stick the sticky foam onto.  Learn from me: do not use felt! Cutting felt with scissors is really hard for a young artist. Instead of having students cut felt I would pre-cut the felt.  I wanted them to have a fabric base because it was a fiber lesson.  (note: some scissors do not cut paper even. Truth)!

The foam is a truly lovely material for scissors, it cuts well, there is no glue, it's a wonderfully colorful, totally inorganic material and sometimes we have to go with non-green and colorful to be creatively successful.   Sticky foam is a little expense and worth the full head of hair after class.  

This lesson is a modified lesson of felt sewn stuffed animals.  I like this  activity as a pre-sewing lesson so children can learn to cut shapes, organize them, add details, and plan before sticking shapes down. 

I had to encourage students to use a variety of colors.   I chalk this up to inertia.  It means having to move out of the seat to acquire another color and I'm just saying that even a five year old suffers from something I often berate myself for in my wisdom years: not wanting to get out of my seat!

With samples of other pre-cut shapes of different colors in hand I could show a protesting student that using color is actually enjoyable and has results that are fun and pleasing to the eye when combined with other colors.  This did nothing to get students to move from their seats, as I provided the color for them where they sat.  I will stop beating myself up when I don't want to get out of my seat or out of bed.  I will remember that when I can make myself do so, there will be more color in my world.  That will help me to move on.  Hopefully students will be motivated to get  up and do things for themselves too - that is another lesson.

I hope this post helps you as a teacher, parent, friend.  

Happy creative practice!

In Nature Art Camp, Julia created over a dozen miniature forts in the forest floor through out the Blue Mountain School grounds.  Julia's forts included small details like tiny camp fires: a circle made  of tiny stones with small sticks stacked teepee style in the center.  Little sleeping areas were detailed with cots made of sticks and leaves and leaf blankets.  Some of the forts had canopies with leaf roofs and posts to hold them up. 

She worked quietly on her own all through the week long camp.   When she completed a fort she documented the work by taking photographs.  She selected the works she wanted to display on the last day of camp. Her indoor display of photographs and art included a small portable fort she built.  Outside the classroom she utilized a small area of ground surrounded by trees to create several small forts for others to view.

Since writing this article I learned that Julia's grandfather, who she was staying with for the week, is a very prolific artist himself.  Charlie Brouwer lives in Floyd, Va. and is most likely a huge influence on his grandchild.  Julia told me that before camp she and her grandmother and father sat down and looked at the work of Andy Goldsworthy.