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Kyle

5/10/2022

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I am on a “Covid hiatus” right now, but I hope to start classes again before too long. I miss my students and the creative energy that abounds when we're together in the Blue Church Art classroom. They create wonderful artworks, and we have lots of fun in the process. ​

I’ve taught hundreds of students over my 17+ years of teaching, watching many of them grow up. It is a pleasure to see how their artwork matures as the years go by. When a student who has been coming to class for many years graduates from high school, I am happy for them, for passing this important milestone. But graduation means they won’t come to my classes again. I miss them when they’re gone.
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It’s a delight to hear from a former student (or a parent) who writes to tell me about an artistic achievement. One of my favorite students, Kyle, is an example. He started coming to my classes in 2009 when he was in 2nd grade. Kyle was a great student. I delighted in the artworks he created. One early class project was to draw and paint a cake. Kyle asked if he could draw a wedding cake for his parents’ anniversary gift. What a great idea! He drew the cake, with his parents in the foreground. I found a pre-cut mat to frame his masterpiece. Lucky parents, to receive such a precious gift (and to have a son like Kyle!)
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colored pencil toucan by Kyle
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the family cat, Bailey (2020)
Kyle came for classes all through elementary and middle school, but after 7 years with me, he had to give up Blue Church Art when he entered high school. He had too many other activities! I was pleased that he enrolled in art classes at school. He wrote to me and sent photos of the projects he was working on. 

Kyle drew and painted all kinds of things, but he especially liked drawing animals. During his senior year in high school he sent photos of his drawings of western landscapes and wildlife, rendered in colored pencil. The drawings were inspired by a 2019 family trip to Alaska, to visit an aunt. I love these drawings.
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mountain goat
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Moose in winter
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Porcupine Caribou
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Caribou in autumn
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Dall sheep
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Wolf pack by river
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Grizzly Bear family in Spring
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SLHS graduation, 2020

​Before he graduated from high school, Kyle and his dad dropped in at the Blue Church one afternoon to visit. Kyle was now taller than his father! He still had the sweet, kindly expression on his face that I remembered. Kyle is a very nice person, and his sensitivity can be seen in his lovely artworks. 
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Now Kyle is enrolled in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Penn State’s main campus in State College. I am thrilled that he continues to send me photos of his work! It’s so interesting to see what he’s doing, and the intricate designs he creates for his projects are impressive. Kyle uses Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator applications to draw wildlife for these projects- new artistic skills.
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In October, during his first semester in the program, he sent me images of a design for a saltwater marsh walk. He illustrated the concept with beautiful digital drawings of the marsh and of the creatures who would inhabit it. Beautiful. 
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For another project, Kyle digitally illustrated the plan for a city “meadow garden" of native plants.
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He has created detailed black & white drawings for his landscape projects, many done by hand.
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Kyle sent me this lovely colored pencil drawing of a squirrel that he created last December. It shows that he hasn't lost his talent for drawing with colored pencil:)
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This past April I received another email from Kyle that contained images of his latest project, an intricate design with the title "Using Wildlife Corridors to Facilitate the Movement of Large Mammals in the Spring Creek Watershed.” He told me that his favorite graphic of the project is the perspective of the wildlife bridge. It took him 8 hours to complete the drawing! That’s dedication.
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wildlife bridge perspective
Kyle is pursuing a career that makes great use of his artistic talent. I am so proud of him, and so pleased that he continues to delight me with his amazing, wonderful creations.
❤️
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Elephant Festival

3/27/2020

2 Comments

 
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The Elephant Festival is celebrated in Jaipur City in the northern state of Rajasthan, in India. It is held on the day of the Hindu Holi Festival (the festival of spring), usually in the month of March. The Elephant Festival begins with a beautiful parade of bedecked elephants, camels, horses, and folk dancers. The owners proudly decorate their elephants in vibrant colors, jhools (saddle cloths), and heavy jewelry. Female elephants wear anklets with bells on them, which tinkle as they walk! The elephants are also outfitted in ear danglers and colorful embroidered scarves to embellish their ears and necks. The Mahouts, (the elephants’ caretakers), decorate the foreheads of the animals with head plates and they hang gold and silver bracelets and rings on their tusks. Other events that take place during the festival include an elephant polo match and a tug of war contest, where the strongest elephant is chosen to compete against a group of ten people.
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Blue Church Art had its own Elephant Festival in March! Students drew and painted colorful elephants in a variety of media.
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Gia R.
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Eli M.
Younger students created colorful elephants using crayon, watercolor, and colored pencil.
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Gabrielle M.
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Ava R.
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Holden C.
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Ryan S.
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Katie D.
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Arabelle K.
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Edward G.
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Colton C.
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Anna G.
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Cecilia D.
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Paige B.
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Allie R.
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Alaine K.
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Lindsey G.
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Keegan L.
Older students created their elephant masterpieces using Japanese Masa paper. Students drew their elephants on the Masa paper, then went over their lines with black sharpie, filling in any areas of black with the sharpie too. The next step was to wet the paper thoroughly, then crumple it, straighten it out, crumple it again, then flatten the paper out and paint onto it while it's still wet. The crinkled Masa paper created an interesting textured background. After letting the paper dry thoroughly, students could apply gouache in bright colors, and silver and gold, to finish these beautiful elephants. 
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Ava R.
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Madelynn Z.
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Sofia N.
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Cole B.
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Grant H.
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Sophia W.
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Haley H.
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Laney L.
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Vivian S.
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Blaise C.
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Leidon C.
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Zoey H.
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Jenna K.
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Allison K.
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Natalie H.
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Riley B.
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Avery M.
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Lydia S.
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Linda H.
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Serena L.
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Tondy H.
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Corinne H.
One student used a combination of gouache and collage to create her wonderful elephant:
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Kaitlyn S.
I've invited some non-elephant Masa paper paintings to our Elephant Festival! Four dazzling peacocks, a beautiful sunflower, a wolf howling at the moon, and a happy sun/moon combination:
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Gianna S.
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Sophia K.
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Loraine K.
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Heidi R.
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Jenna W.
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Madison C.
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Lauren S.
Last but not least...three little birds. Which reminds me of my favorite song. A song that is especially comforting during this strange timeout from life as we know it.
"Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley:
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Rise up this mornin'
Smiled with the risin' sun
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true
Saying', (this is my message to you)
Singing' don't worry 'bout a thing
'Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Singing' don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing
'Cause every little thing gonna be alright...
LISTEN to "Three Little Birds"
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-b5IAt1FiA

To all my precious students...
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Please stay safe and healthy during this bad dream we are living!

I miss being with you. Happy memories of the beauty and joy that you've created in the Blue Church Art classes is helping me cope with the crazy, scary current situation. I thank you for this.
❤️ BIG  HUGS ❤️
Ms. Helene
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Alivia K.
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Hannah H.
2 Comments

Valentine 2020

2/14/2020

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Corinne H.
It's Valentine's Day again, and the students at Blue Church Art are celebrating this LOVE-ly holiday by creating works of art that are sprinkled with hearts!
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Jenna W.
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Snowmen:
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Lucy L.
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Brandon L.
Bicycles with heart-filled handlebar baskets:
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Lindsey G.
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Eli M.
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Edward G.
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Allie R.
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Alaine K.
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Arabelle K.
And two bikes with emoji-filled handlebar baskets:
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Colton S.
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Keegan L.
More snowmen:
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Ava R.
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Ryan S.
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Cecilia D.
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Holden C.
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Anna G.
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Gabrielle M.
A Valentine tree:
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Baron L.
Candy in heart shaped boxes!
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Sadie L.
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Jami T.
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Alicia H.
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Alexa D.
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Sofia D.
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Emmy L.
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Emilia W.
One very lucky mom was given this sweet collage card on Valentine's Day!
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Avery M.
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Lions & Tigers & Bears!

1/30/2020

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Vanessa T.
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Ava K.
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Travis G.
We're starting off the winter 2020 session of Blue Church Art classes by drawing and painting LIONS, TIGERS, and BEARS...
OH MY!
Lions.......
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Brandon L.
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Lucy L.
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Ryan S.
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Anna G.
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Gia R.
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Gabrielle M.
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Ava R.
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Haley H.
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Gracie C.
and tigers...
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Emmy L.
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Timmy S.
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Cecilia D.
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Hailey H.
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Allie R.
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Alexa D.
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Sofia D.
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Alicia H.
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Jami T.
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Maeve G.
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Vanessa T.
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Riley B.
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Alivia K.
There were rare WHITE tigers in the art room, too!
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Vivian S.
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Sam B.
and lots of bears: black bears, polar bears, koalas, and pandas...
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Cole B.
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Delaney L.
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Lauren S.
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Madelynn Z.
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Serena L.
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Madeline H.
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Keegan L.
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Eli M.
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Arabelle K.
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Alaine K.
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Colton S.
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Lindsey G.
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Katie D.
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Paige B.
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Gianna S.
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Ava Z.
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Heidi R.
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Jenna W.
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Sophia K.
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Sofia N.
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Sophia W.
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Abby M.
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Grant H.
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Corinne H.
The red panda (also called the lesser panda) was once classified as a member of the bear family- but more recent genetic research now has them in their own family, called ailuridae. Like the giant black and white pandas, red pandas mostly eat bamboo. This cute little fellow is licking his lips after a delicious bamboo meal!
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Travis G.
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Christmas Star

12/24/2019

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A homeschool group called Providence Hybrid Academy holds classes a few days a week at the Blue Church. I've gotten to know some of the very nice kids in their program, and I offered to teach a special Christmas art class for them. These delightful drawings were created using colored pencils: shepherds tending their sheep, and Wise Men bearing gifts. In the background of each masterpiece, heavenly beams from the Christmas Star shine down on the birthplace of Jesus.
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Thanksgiving 2019

11/28/2019

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Sophia W.
The Mayflower was an English ship that carried English Pilgrims from Plymouth, England to the New World in 1620. There were 102 passengers, with a crew of about 30. These pilgrims established the first permanent New England colony. 
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Emma W.
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Grant H.
Many Mayflower ships sailed out of the art classes this month!
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Harper C.
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Quinn C.
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Alexa D.
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Sofia D.
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Sadie L.
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Timmy S.
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Jami T.
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Hailey H.
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Emilia W.
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Alicia H.
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Baron L.
According to what traditionally is known as The First Thanksgiving- the 1621 feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag at Plymouth Colony- the guests ate waterfowl, venison, ham, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash- but no turkey!
The colonists hunted wild turkeys during the autumn of 1621 and since turkey is a uniquely North American bird, it gained traction as the Thanksgiving meal of choice for Americans after President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863.
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Linda H.
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Erin M.
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Madison C.
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Corinne H.
PreK through grade 3 students created these beautiful turkeys:
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Cora S.
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Hazel S.
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Paige B.
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Allie R.
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Dasha A.
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Mila A.
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Keegan L.
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Lindsey G.
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Arabelle K.
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Alaine K.
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Mila M.
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Tavia M.
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Jacob W.
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Cecilia D.
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Ryan S.
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Anna G.
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Gia R.
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Evelyn H.
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Audrey H.
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Ava R.
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Gabrielle M.
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Lauren S.
A popular Thanksgiving decoration is the cornucopia, a horn-shaped basket filled with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and flowers. It is a symbol of an abundant harvest, for which the Pilgrims gave thanks during the first Thanksgiving. 
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Patricia S.
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Beautiful Bugs

10/25/2019

1 Comment

 
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Diane P.

​There are more than 1 million species of insects in the world. They are the most diverse group of organisms on earth, and insects are some of the most beautiful creatures on the planet! The students at Blue Church Art celebrate the colorful insect world with their drawings and paintings of Beautiful Bugs.
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Kinley K.
These colorful "rainbow" grasshoppers are common throughout the Great Plains and southward to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas:
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Kaitlyn S.
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Grace Y.
click on any image to enlarge it
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Linda H.
These little green grasshoppers look more like the ones we see around here: 
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Grant H.
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Alivia K.
A cute grasshopper closeup:
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Blaise C.
This amazing closeup was made using colored pencil and pastel:
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Travis G.
These mesquite bugs get their name from the mesquite trees that they feed on:
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Riley B.
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Reese K.
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Sophia K.
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Tondy H.
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Erin M.
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Sophia W.
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Cole B.
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Serena L.
These drawings show why mesquites are called "leaf footed" bugs
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Hadley G.
The praying mantis gets its name from the way its front legs are bent in a "praying" position. Here are two lovely mantises in silhouette against the setting sun:
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Makenna P.
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Lauren S.
Two praying mantises who look like they're dancing...
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Ava K.
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Vivian S.
Three unique "fantasy" bugs created with colored pencil:
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Laney L.
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Ethan S.
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Patrick B.
"Shield" bugs: 
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Ella M.
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Sam B.
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Tondy H.
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Jenna W.
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Elena J.
...and a beautiful insect called a "Picasso" bug!
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Jenna K.
Everyone's favorite- the ladybug!
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Patricia S.
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Abby M.
Another favorite- a firefly, a.k.a. lightening bug:
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Addison B.
The Spotted Lanternfly has invaded our part of Pennsylvania big time. It causes serious damage to trees and is just a general nuisance, swarming in huge numbers. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful bug, and one of the Blue Church Art students created a very nice drawing of this most unfavorite bug:
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Madison C.
Another unfavorite bug, the cockroach! A not-so-beautiful bug.This one is hanging out in someone's kitchen:
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Jill M.
Not sure what type these bugs are, but they are gorgeous!:
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Maeve G.
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Gianna S.
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Rissa S.
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Avery M.
"Wasp" moths have translucent wings:
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Ashlee K.
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Ava Z.
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Emma W.
A lovely grey and pink "Hubbard" moth:
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Loraine K.
A delicate damselfly:
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Vanessa T.
...and two bright blue winged insects:
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Heidi R.
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Jamie K.
The Greenbottle Blue Tarantula:
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Gracie C.
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Evan J.




​Last but not least, a colorful caterpillar that will turn into one of the most beautiful insects of all- a butterfly!
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Madelynn Z.
1 Comment

Beautiful Bugs II

10/25/2019

0 Comments

 
Pre-K through grade 3 students created these beautiful bugs using crayon and watercolor:
click on any image to enlarge it
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Arabelle K.
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Keegan L.
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Mila A.
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Lindsey G.
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Allie R.
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Alaine K.
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Hazel S.
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Cora S.
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Dasha A.
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Paige B.
​These beautiful bugs were made using colored pencil
​on blue paper:
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Alicia H.
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Mila M.
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Tavia M.
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Jami T.
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Gia R.
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Ava R.
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Gabrielle M.
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Evelyn H.
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Audrey H.
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Harper C.
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Quinn C.
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Timmy S.
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Baron L.
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Jacob W.
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Emilia W.
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Anna G.
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Hailey H.
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Alexa D.
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Ryan S.
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Taj Mahal

9/27/2019

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The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful buildings in the world. It stands on the Yamuna River in Agra, India. The word Taj Mahal means “Crown of the Palace.”
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portrait of Mumtaz Mahal by Linda H.
The emperor Shah Jahan had the Taj Mahal built as a tomb for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She died in 1631 while giving birth to their 14th child. Construction began in 1632 and the Taj Mahal was finally completed in 1643. It was constructed of white marble, and it is decorated with at least 30 types of gemstones. Over 1,000 elephants were used to haul the construction materials!
Each year between 3 and 4 million people travel from all over the world to see the Taj Mahal. Blue Church Art students in the kindergarten through grade 3 classes created beautiful drawings of this famous building:
click on any image to enlarge it
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Hailey H.
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Timmy S.
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Alexa D.
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Alicia H.
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Harper C.
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Quinn C.
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Tavia M.
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Jami T.
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Baron L.
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Ava R.
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Gabrielle M.
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Audrey H.
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Evelyn H.
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Gia R.
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Mila M.
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Ryan S.
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Jacob W.
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Emilia W.
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Anna G.
0 Comments

Fabulous Fruit!

4/26/2019

0 Comments

 
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Patricia S.
Blue Church Art students have created some delicious fruit artworks in the last three sessions. 
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Watermelons...
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Sophia K.
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Gianna S.
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Gracie C.
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Jenna W.
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Alivia K.
oranges and lemons...
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Sophia K.
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Travis G.
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Lauren S.
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Jenna W.
...and an orange with a kiwi!
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Ashlee K.
Some perfect pears:
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Sam B.
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Ava C.
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Vanessa T.
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Callie L.
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Jill M.
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Gale G.
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Lori B.
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Cole B.
Fruit collage: a pear and half of a grapefruit...
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Riley B.
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Laney L.
Apples and bananas!
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Dot L.
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Blaise C.
Scrumptious strawberries!
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Madison C.
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Corinne H.
...beautiful blueberries
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Linda H.
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Rissa S.
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Vivian S.
A peach of a peach, and some tasty pineapples:
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Sophia B.
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Cindy J.
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Emma W.
...a pomegranite! Lots of seeds to draw and paint:)
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Reese K.
A basket of grapes...
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Kinley K.
...and a lovely bowl of fruit:
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Leah H.
And an avocado spinning a HULA HOOP!:)
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Emily C.
Grade K-3 students created these beautiful fruit bowls:
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Evelyn H.
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Jamie K.
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Addy B.
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Mila A.
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Gia R.
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Dasha A.
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Ryan S.
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Ava R.
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Anna G.
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Gabrielle M.
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Addison G.
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Soveida M.
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Quinn C.
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Baron L.
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Alexa D.
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Amelia K.
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Kayla B.
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Timmy S.
Blue Church Art's spring session of classes is over- now it's time for a long summer break. At the end of her last spring session class a student made this delightful drawing of the two of us:) 
Have a good summer!
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Soveida M.
SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER!
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