Thomas's Summer Art Class

Thomas has had BAD experiences with the various part-time art teachers that have worked at his school in the past two or three years. None have "gotten" him and none have supported his artistic interests. He used to love to create things and then, about a year or so ago, he announced (after an especially brutal comment by one moronic teacher) that he couldn't "do art" and would never attempt again. Meanwhile, I got to know one kiddie art class teacher at the FIA through one of my art classes and suspected that she and Thomas would make a good team. I suggested that Thomas take one of her classes and, though wary, he was willing. He just finished his second course with her. Not only did he love it (and has already announced his intention to take another course with her this Fall) but he actually likes what he made. Yea! Sometimes there are happy (enough) endings.

The theme for the course was "food in art." They looked at how food has been protrayed as the subject of the art, but also at how art styles have changed during history. Here is his attempt to paint a "hunt" on a cave wall.

Here is the iconic fruit bowl still life. Anita, the art teacher, insists that Thomas has excellent potential as a painter.
Here the kids explored the 20th century "pop art" movement. This is actually pretty cool. The kids had to carve a stamp of their image in a rubber mat (only one child shaved off the tip of her finger). This was tough because they had to think in reverse, carving out the solids, not the lines. Then they had to stamp bits of paper, making sure to not over-ink the pad or over-press the stamp. I think Thomas's really works. Given that the kids could pick whatever food image they wanted (one did an ice cream cone and another a burger), I am curious as to why Thomas picked pancakes. But, whatever the reason, they look surprisingly delicious.
Finally, this is a little number he whipped together today, the last day of class (sniff!). Anita brought cupcakes to class for everyone (of course--where in this city ISN'T someone bringing cupcakes or donuts to class or work?) and so they painted those. Most kids did a single cupcake, smack in the middle of the picture. Here Thomas has one upright and another smashed upside down. Not sure what motivated that particular artistic decision but, again, it works for me. Simon eyed it enviously, pressing Thomas to consider giving it to him as a late birthday present. So far, Thomas isn't going for that.
The theme for Fall's art class is art around the world. I'm curious what Thomas will do with that.