Art Gecko Creative Studio

Week #7 — our final summer art camp — wrapped with one big, magical project: whimsical houses with lots of creative phases.

We started by sketching designs, then drawing them to scale before moving into full construction mode with cardboard. There was carving, cutting, and plenty of hot gluing — all after reviewing safety rules for using X‑Acto blades. No injuries on this job site!

Once all four walls were built, we moved on to the roofs, adding unique materials for shingles. Instead of paint, the artists used textured paper to give each house extra charm and personality. For a fun change of pace, they sculpted tiny animals out of modeling clay to live outside their creations. Some added gardens, toothpick chairs, fences, window grids, or shutters — the details were incredible.

To finish things off, everyone built magical trees with branches and textured‑paper leaves… because why shouldn’t the trees be just as whimsical as the houses? And for the final touch, Art Gecko added tiny lights to the trees so their little worlds could glow.

What do you think?
What would your whimsical house look like?
Would you try this project?

Week 5 blasted off into SPACE, and every project was truly out of this world.

Our Older Artists took creativity to new galaxies:
Project #1: They built their own space diorama boxes using lightweight modeling clay to sculpt astronauts, planets, and cosmic details. They textured paper to create additional planets and learned how to add shadows for dimension. These dioramas were stellar — and Art Gecko supplied tiny lights so their galaxies could glow at night.

Project #2: On 12x12 canvases, they painted themselves as astronauts or created their own imaginative version of an astronaut — bold, expressive, and full of cosmic personality.

Project #3: They designed chalk pastel space scenes that were totally outta sight.

We didn’t get photos of Projects #2 and #3 — when you’re busy making amazing art, time flies faster than a rocket.

No mini art camp this week due to no sign‑ups.

Welcome back to a full week of school! We hope your year starts off bright, creative, and full of new adventures. And don’t forget — regular art classes return next week at Art Gecko Studio. We can’t wait to see everyone back in the studio, ready to make magic again.

Have an amazing school year!

Week 4 was bursting with creativity for both our mini artists and our older summer camp crew.

The Mini Artists kicked things off by creating textured paper for their first project — their very own 3D geckos. Colorful, quirky, and zero maintenance… no feeding, no escaping, just pure adorable art.
For Project #2, they used every scrap from their geckos to build abstract collages with mixed materials. They loved the freedom to cut any way they wanted while practicing scissor skills and exploring shapes.

The Older Artists dove into sewing and fiber arts.
Project #1: They drew a face (animal or selfie), transferred it to fabric, painted it, cut it out, learned to sew it on a machine, stuffed it, and created the coolest face pillows.
Project #2: They designed patterns on graph paper, then learned to weave those designs onto plastic canvas grids.
Project #3: Using fabric scraps and mixed materials, they created expressive fabric collages — some stuffed, some sewn by hand or machine. We ran out of time to photograph everything but trust us… they were incredible.

We get asked to do commissions all the time, but this one was extra special. My best friend, Brandy N and her daughter, Jessika S, in North Carolina asked me to paint a pair of overalls for her grandson’s 1st birthday — and of course I said yes. His theme was fishing, so we turned these blank bibs into O’Fishally 1 birthday bibs for the cutest little fisherman around.

What would you want painted on your bibs?

Calling ALL parents — spooky season fun is officially ON 🎃✨

We’re bringing back MOVIE NIGHT, and this one is extra magical. On October 24th from 5–8 PM, kids ages 7–13 can join us for a cozy, creative, Halloween‑themed evening while you enjoy the Downtown Halloween Hunt Pub Crawl.

Here’s what your artists-in-costume (or jammies!) can look forward to:

A classic Halloween movie

A Hot Dog Bar + chips + drinks

A festive Halloween treat

A fun mini art project after the movie

Three hours of supervised creativity + snacks + spooky giggles

Cost is $40 per child, and spots will go fast. Let us handle the fun while you enjoy your night out — it’s a win‑win for everyone.

Regular classes are almost BACK — and we’re counting down the days 🎨✨

Only 12 days until all Art Gecko Studio regular art classes resume the week of August 25th. We hope this little buffer gives parents, kids, and artists the breathing room they need to settle into that school-year rhythm again.

We’ve missed your creativity, your laughter, your energy — truly all of it. The studio hasn’t felt the same without you, and we cannot wait to welcome everyone back into their colorful second home.

Register now at artgeckostudio.org and let’s make this season our most inspired yet.