Grass Heads at the Farmers Market!

This upcoming Wednesday, July 24th, our second art exhibit will take place at Vista's Main Street Farmers Market. Not only do spectators get to see our member's AMAZING artwork, but they can also sit down at our craft table and make a grass head with us!

 

Mr. Grassy, soaking up the sun in the Art Shop window...

 

We made several of these last week at the Club and it was a BIG hit. So come and join us this Wednesday from 4:00 - 8:00 and take one of these guys home with you for free!

 

To find out more about the Main Street Farmer's Market, click HERE

 

Drawing & Perspective Lessons using Mark Kissler's Draw Squad method

Every week I teach a drawing lesson using Mark Kissler's Draw Squad Book. This book is a step-by-step guide for teaching kids how to draw in 3-D. Growing up, I remember watching Mark's show, The Secret City, on KPBS where I learned a lot of drawing skills and fun doodles that I still enjoy drawing today.

 

 

This book is not only full of over one hundred drawing lessons but it also has ton's of fun ideas to keep kids motivated. Each kid that comes to my class gets his own file folder to keep his or her drawings inside that way we can look back and see how the drawings have progressed over time. In addition, members get a sticker for each drawing lesson.

 

James already has five stickers on his folder! Behind is one of my favorite Draw Squad drawing lessons, "Hairy Scary in the Mountain". In this lesson we used the techniques of shading, overlapping and foreshortening.

 

 

Also this week in the Art Shop:

 

We are painting a chair for the Art Beat on Main's Street's Chairs for Charity event!

 

These chairs will be auctioned off on August 3rd at Vista's Smokin BBQ Cook-off to benefit local charities. To find out more, check out the Art Beat's blog by clicking HERE



 







Kids say "Thank You" to the Chamber of Commerce Charity Golf Tournament Participants

The kids say "thank you" to the Chamber of Commerce for choosing the Boys & Girls Club of Vista as the beneficiary of this year's Charity Golf Tournament and its participants. Our members made thank you cards with a personal message inside each one.

 

 

The Golf Tournament will take place this Monday, at the Shadowridge Country Club. It's not too late to join! To find out more click HERE

 

 

Also this week in the Art Shop:

 

 

We made our own Bubble Wands!

 

 

By reshaping wire and wrapping it with string, we soon transformed the Art Shop into a soapy room of bubbly fun!







Author of the Horn King Series, Brae Wyckoff, visits the Club!

This week we were honored by the visit of Brae Wyckoff, author of The Orb of Truth - the first book of the Horn King Series. Brae, a Boys and Girls Club of Encinitas alumni, shared his inspiring story with the club members and reminded them that they can do anything and be anyone they set out to be as long that they follow their dreams and persevere.

 

Brae, with an entourage of new fans

 

At the end of Brae's visit, I was lucky enough to receive a signed copy of The Orb of Truth - voted #1 Epic Fantasy. I just read the prologue and I'm already hooked!

 

To find out more about author Brae Wyckoff and The Horn King Series, click HERE

 

Also, this week in the Art Shop:

 

We made our own KALEIDOSCOPES!!! And yes, they actually worked!

First, the kids decorated the outside of the cardboard tubes with markers. Next we placed mirrors on the inside, added a smaller tube with some beads inside, some clear discs, etc... and PRESTO a working kaleidoscope was fabricated! The end result was very rewarding.

 



 

FREE Face Painting at Tonight's FREE Movie in the Park

The Boys and Girls Club will be offering free beautiful and sparkly neon face painting at tonight's free movie at Brengle Terrace Park!

 

To find out more about the City of Vista's free outdoor summer movie series click HERE

 

 

 

Also, this week in the Art Shop:

 

Water Color Rainbow Fish!!!

I printed a simple fish design that the kids would first trace with crayon - the wax from the crayon keeps the water from running out of the lines. Next we turned up the radio and painted the morning to sounds of creativity.

 



 



Feild Trip at Charity Wings!

Last week we were warmly welcomed by Charity Wings for artistic workshop in which the Club members got to create their own "About Me" booklets embellished with paint, stickers, glitter and their own photo on the cover. It was an arts and crafts dream come true.

The kids indulging in the table full of creativity-inducing goodies.

 

The Charity Wings team and Boys & Girls Club delegates posing for a group photo with their finished booklets and duct-tape wallets - an extra surprise craft that Elena, Charity Wings founder, threw in at the end of the workshop.

 

Find out more about how awesome Charity Wings is by clicking HERE

 

 

Our field trip was finished by a lovely picnic at Discovery Lake just down the road from the Art Center. We ran, played fed the ducks and we were even greeted by a mommy duck and her babies! It was all in all a good day.

 

 

Join us on Saturday July 20th for the City of Vista's FREE Movie in the Park Event! The movie "Brave" will be showing at dusk and patrons can arrive as early as 6:30 to picnic, play, and get their faces painted for FREE by the Boys & Girls Club. Find our table next to the concession stands!





 



Vista Skate Park Coalition visits the Club!

Build-a-Skate Workshop

 

Lyssa & Jack Flaherty of the Vista Skatepark Coalition get the kid's creative juices flowing here at club with their second installment of their build-a-skate workshop. During the first session the kids got to paint the underside of the skateboards and during last week's second phase of the workshop they got to get crafty with grip tape designs.

 

Lyssa & Jack Flaherty pictured here with our happy summer campers.

Jack and Lyssa were awarded the 2013 Have a Heart for Kids Award by the Boys & Girls Club of Vista for their outstanding dedication to serving the community and their ongoing volunteer work and donations to the Club.

 

Every workshop includes skateboarding practice and one-on-one lessons in the Club's gym! 

 Stay tuned for their next build-a-skate workshop coming up this month!

 

Learn more about the Vista Skate Park Coalition by clicking here

 

Miss Teen Vista, a Boys & Girls Club of Vista Alumni, lending her crown to one of our members.

Miss Teen Vista, Maggie Saffarian, visits the Club as a volunteer with the Vista Skate Park Coalition. Maggie is a Boys & Girls Club of Vista Alumni and success story! She is an honor student and is spending her year as Teen Queen of Vista volunteering at countless events throughout the community.

 

Also last week...

 

We made Hawaiian leis out of paper flowers

 

and we decorated our own felt banners!