A popular South End summer camp destination is launching a new offering for kids and teens interested in art and nature.
Full Moon Rising Farm’s first Raven Art Workshop begins on Monday, and there are still spots open for prospective artists who would like to give it a try.
The workshops will be taught by local artist Ruby Jones. Jones, a South Whidbey High School graduate, studied art at Western Washington University in Bellingham and graduated in 2019. An artist since childhood, Jones works predominantly in large scale mixed media sculptures, though she has also worked in paint, prints and other media.
The Raven Art Workshops are geared toward kids ages 11 through 14. Participating students will collect materials from nature, as do ravens, and use them in their art work. Jones said she has some specific projects in mind, such as a hanging piece made of beach findings, clay figurines, a body casting and a “wonder book” of sketches and field notes, though she will leave wiggle room for creative exploration.
“The main idea behind these camps, beyond getting their hands dirty and getting these kids thinking about 3-D art, is to get these kids to connect more deeply with the landscape,” she said.
Anne Petersen, the owner of Full Moon Rising Farm, has been running summer camps on the property since 1998. The farm includes a garden for family members and campers and a number of animals, including goats, ducks, rabbits and chickens for the kids to interact with.
The camps offered at the farm differ in theme, with some focusing on arts or music, others teaching outdoor skills and even one centered on yoga and meditation. Petersen said most of her camps are designed for younger kids, and she wanted to provide an opportunity for older kids and young teens to learn about and create art.
Jones said she remembered growing up in a small community and wishing she’d had more opportunities to take art classes.
She led two camps at the farm earlier this summer — a two-day mini camp called “Solstice Fire,” in which kids contributed to a large, collaborative sculpture of wood, burlap and organic flammable materials, then burned it and roasted marshmallows; and a weeklong “Beachcombers” camp where participants walked to Double Bluff Beach every day to find materials to use in art projects back at the farm.
The first of three Raven Art Workshop sessions will run next week. Sessions will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 18-21, July 25-28 and Aug. 15-18 at Full Moon Rising Farm, located at 1668 Dow Road in Freeland. As of press time, all sessions still have spots available.
Interested kids and teens need not have a background in art to participate, Jones said — just a desire and willingness to learn.
Parents can register their kids at fullmoonrisingfarm.com.
Campers make plaster casting art. (Photo provided)
