This month the RGVAS Summer Camp will be drawing attention to movies with special focus on musicals, animation, black and white comedies, and westerns. During their time in my studio we will be working on a painting with a western theme. When I think of westerns, I picture open desert with scattered cactus. Last night my daughter and I worked on an example for the students. I used some Liquitex gloss heavy gel when painting the sunset and Galeria heavy structure gel to help separate the textures of the background and foreground. Once dry the oranges and yellows had a very smooth shine and the cactus and the ground had a thick matte finish. The majority of the painting was made with a palette knife and a small brush was used to add some shrubbery to the foreground.
Along with painting; children who attend the summer camp will participate in dance, music and some theater. At the end of the camp students get to take home their completed paintings to be framed and enjoyed by all. The younger children attending camp will be working on a similar composition using collage techniques with construction paper and markers.
