AREFS taide ja kulttuuri ry
AREFS art and culture association



  • Savon Radan ryhmä organizes activities along the historical Savo line






art camp eco - painting on papar machee International Art Camp 2016
"eco and art"

In summer 2016 AREFS is co-organizer of two youth art camps in Vehmaskylä.
The subject of the first camp is the ecological environment.
Through art activities children will get (more) attention for nature and environment.
Every child has an own history and it is their base on which they discover the world. Their past is something which is already covered by layers of experiences, just as the history of a civilization. An art process goes in on the meaning of the different layers, not by telling about it, but through the way of making the art. The process is a kind of archeological digging to roots one cannot imagine.

Nature is the source of life and has unknown and hidden values for all living creatures. The eco art camp invites youth (age 10-17) in Vehmaskylä (Mikkeli) to get attention for an unusual practice of nature elements.
Through different art activities youth will be challenged to see new and unexpected possibilities of the surrounding nature. Natural material and design are the raw materials in the art process. In individual and cooperative art activities these materials are used to express and construct a personal relation with nature.
Working language is English

making paper-mache

As part of the experiences it is a challenge to make an own underlayer for a painting. To prepare a good underground the group used layer of news paper, fabric, cleaning paper and silk paper. To fix them together they used wall paper glue.

painting on paper-mache

The first layer on the paper-mache is preparing the final painting in which the landscape around the camp is an inspiration.

painting on paper-mache

It is difficult for children to continue on a work that has already painted, but the ideas are coming through the paint and the way they are moving their brush and mixing their colors.
It is nice to work outside, but when it starts raining the work continues inside.

results of the painting sessions

results of the painting sessions

results of the painting sessions

The works show how color and paint are transformed to an own view on the landscape. Every child brings its own reference with him and from that point the exploration of the environment starts. The challenge of the demanding material makes it possible children discover a world they did not see before and they even imagine before. That is the moment on which the art offers its magic.

nature installation

Usual children collect all kind of material, objects and stuff they like and maybe can use sometime, somewhere or for some purpose. Based on nature art works of professional artists, children have created arrangements with nature material. Just as in the past these 'signs' can be found allover the routes humans where entering new areas.

painting banners

painting banners 

final results banners

During the art and eco camp children painted an own banner on which a tree has to be as high as the fabric. The first layer with diluted paint, and the second layer (after drying) with less diluted paint. The acrylic paint guarantees that the paint is not soluble in the next layer.

 

More information about Children-Countryside.

The first youth art camp in 2014
The second youth art camp in 2015
Art camp 2016

The art activities in this camp are supported by:

logo arts council finland logo secret forest logo arefs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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No reproduction by any means or in any language without prior permission of the author.