Art Camp

Over the years HAWS has increasingly incorporated specialty camps into our schedule. One of the first specialty camps we started with is Art Camp.

For a week kids between the ages of 10 and 14 years attend our Art Camp. In the morning they do the things that our other camps do -- walk dogs, play with cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other animals, do some volunteer work, and play some games. In the afternoon they create artwork.

Kristin Gjerdset, an associate professor of art at Wisconsin Lutheran College, spends several hours each day that week with the kids helping them capture animals in their artwork. Art is about really looking at things and intrepreting what you see. HAWS hopes that Art Camp helps kids see animals in a new way -- as creations that deserve to be respected and protected as creatures of beauty.

I'd say we achivieved that this year. Additionally -- we have a lot of very talented young artists in our community. Take a look at some of the pieces and I think you'll agree.

Saratoga School Artists

Kids are very creative and love to draw. A few Monday's ago I asked my after-school Saratoga School students to draw their favorite animals. Here are a few of their creations:

Ashley loves dogs....
















...and obviously has a good sense of humor!







I love that Tracy didn't forget about our non-feathered friends!






















And I love giraffes just like Abbi!

Animals and Art

Many years ago when I lived in a apartment with my two dogs I became friendly with the neighbor across the hall. We had a lot in common -- my bachelor's degree was in fine arts, and Kristin was an artist who also taught at the Wisconsin Lutheran College. I loved animals and Kristin had a zoo, made up of mostly birds. If I remember correctly at the time Kristin had a cage full of finches, two love-birds, two Amazon Parrots, a conure, a guinea pig and a variety of other animals which I no longer remember.

I moved out of that apartment when I bought my house eight and a half years ago, and Kristin purchased a house shortly thereafter. I now have 3 dogs. Kristin still has many of the same animals, with the addition of a dog, a rabbit and two cats. All these years we've kept in touch.

Today Kristin visited HAWS with students from her Wisconsin Lutheran College classes to paint HAWS animals. One of our rabbit volunteers had our rabbits and our guinea pig set up in our Activity Room in exercise pens. Most of the students opted to paint those animals, while others chose to sit in our kennel and paint the dogs.

This is a great opportunity -- the students get the experience of trying to paint a moving subject, and HAWS has an opportunity to educate young adults on what we do here.

The photo at the top is one of the students, Kirsten Huffman working, and to the right is a close-up of the watercolor she was working on.

Below is the water-color that art professor Kristin Gjerdset completed in just a few short minutes. Kristin is an amazing artist - with her subject matter focusing on nature and animals. Check out her website to see more of her work.