Campers drew flight crew members and spacecraft, launched Exploding Color Rockets, added oil pastel 3D planets to their galaxy, experimented with batteries, LED diode lights, and circuits, and built playdough spacecraft with circuits to illuminate LED diode lights.

Campers explored separating and mixing colors, melting #6 plastics, paper making, and balancing art including making mobiles.

Campers designed and created their own felt friend. They learned to sew on buttons and embellishments, as well as stitch and stuff their friends. Campers had fun deciding how to decorate and accessorize a metal carrying case for their felt friend. Some sculpted food from air dry clay. Others used polar fleece to fashion a wardrobe of clothing. Most built furniture such as beds, couches, or tables. One even created potted plants from pipe cleaners.

Campers had fun chatting as they stitched. They learned to thread needles (“where is my hotdog bun?! I need to thread my needles”), tie knots, pin fabric, sew buttons, and use whip and running stitches. They had fun creating identities and homes for their friends. Mr Z and I had fun seeing how camper’s friends reflected their personalities.

Campers enjoyed the annual Tie-dyeing day, during which we also dyed fabric in jars and in ziplock bags to make bed pillowcases later in the week. Once we had dyed the fabric, students used Solar Fast dye to create sun prints along the hem of their pillowcases. Students also created woven trees and sewed felt pouches.

Exhibit of Artwork by the art and sewing students of Hilary Cannon Anderson at the Monroe County Library March 28-April 12, 2026.

“Wings, Stings, and Nature Things” campers designed Nature Mandalas, created Nature Weavings, sculpted Clay Bettles and photographed them “in the wild”, built and painted Birdhouse feeders, made squeaky birds and made Cyanotype wall hangings.

“Fiber Arts Fun” campers had fun tie-dyeing, weaving, silk screen printing, embroidering, and sewing.

November and December are Clay Season in my Teaching Studio. We had so much fun creating pottery projects as a layer of “Magical Clay Dust” accumulated across the entire Teaching Studio. Check out their amazing pottery projects from Pinch pot Snow People to Chalice Goblets, and various animals.

I had so much fun with a few Pre-K campers this summer. Each session we read a book then created a project inspired by the book. This summer we created beautiful butterflies, made bird masks, and built amazing sculptures of places we like using potato starch packing peanuts.

Campers had fun learning a variety of paint techniques. After drying all our explorations in the warm sunshine, campers used their fancy new papers to create Landscape Collages.

Sculpture and 3D Art Camp was messy and the results were AMAZING! Campers learned about:

One-point perspective drawing

Abstract Sculpture

Mexican Alebrije

Aztec Masks

Working with wire and nylon to create sculptures

Papier-mâché

Working with plaster strips

Sharing, complementing, and supporting fellow artists

Caring for materials and Cleaning up messes in the studio

All while making friends and creating amazing projects!

During “Puppertry Camp” campers brought their stories to life using Shadow and Felt Puppets. scenery, and props they created. At the end of camp Friday, family and friends were invited to view their Shadow Puppet videos and Live Puppet Shows. Stories ranged from the scariness of wolves consuming all other characters to the sweetness of friends playing tag.

Campers learned to work together as each took the lead on their puppet show and directed other campers to help them with additional puppet characters. Campers encouraged each other, swapped ideas with each other, applauded for each other, assisted each other, and became friends with each other.

Campers had so much fun during “Mini-verse” Camp! We have learned about:

-Creating a mini-verse with a theme, characters, and location

-Creating a comic with a storyline

-Building physical representations of characters and locations

-Creating Flip Books that flow smoothly

-and more

All while making friends and creating amazing projects!

Campers learned about Embroidery, Cyanotypes, Tie-dyeing, Sharpie and alcohol dyeing, Prestige Hats of the Grasslands of Cameroon, Bandolier bags of indigenous peoples of the Plains, an introduction to using a sewing machine and serger, and more.

All while making friends and creating amazing projects!

In celebration of Youth Art Month, I organized an exhibit of my students’ artwork at the Monroe County Public Library.

March 2 we had an Opening Reception and exhibit of 3D artwork. Students brought family and friends to see their artwork, introduce family to their art class friends, and reconnect with friends from previous art classes. 2D artwork remained hanging throughout the month.

Campers had fun creating art, doing science experiments, developing their observations skills, and putting the pieces together to sovle various mysteries in the Museum.

Hightlists of “Fun and Games with Art” Camp include:

• Activities using art post cards

• Preparing art for our Parody Art Museum

• Creating Puzzle Tiles

• Designing and creating board or card games

Highlights from “Wearable Arts” Summer Camp include: Tie-dyeing shirts and learning to embroider and sew buttons, creating felt Creatures and Pocket Pouches to carry them, and using the sewing machine to sew a tote bag.

I love the waves of first crocus then waves of different varieties of daffodils. And I love sharing photos of these lovely spring blooms.