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  Ali LaRock -Artist
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The Art of Mythology &Fantasy

6/30/2015

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This class was inspired from Greek Mythology and the Percy Jackson books. Students created various works of art based on their favorite gods, goddesses, creatures, and magical items. Here is a glimpse of what happened during this wonderful week! Also check out the student art gallery for more images.
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We also worked on creating book boxes (inspired from Pandora's box), and began work on drawing out the designs for the swords which were made out of foam board.
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Older students were able to cut out their own swords. All students put theirs together themselves and transformed the foam board with tape and spray paint.
Students consulted the Oracle to see which god or goddess would claim them. She wasn't always right but it was good to consult anyways. She also offered one prophecy during the week:                      One cabin shall triumph and another shall fall. There is a half-blood here that will rise above all.
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The half-bloods, or demi-gods, spent the first couple days drawing, painting and collaging on wood, and making mythology inspired buttons and artist trading cards. 
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Everyone seemed proud of their creations and were eager to use them in our games of Capture the Flag.
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We managed to squeeze in some  "chariot races" on Friday in which part of the prophecy was fulfilled: Hades cabin cleary triumphed and Hypnos cabin certainly fell-quite literally. But they are known for falling asleep at any time.
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And finally we ended with some exciting games of capture the flag. Surprisingly Hypnos cabin woke up and one of it's half-bloods seemed to triumph above others in terms of moving fast as lightening. He may have been in the wrong cabin. Maybe Zeus will claim him next year. The prophecy was fulfilled.
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On Day 4 students finished up their swords and many began working on a shield that could be worn on their other arm. 
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We finished up the week by creating camp half-blood necklaces and braclets, wrapping up the projects, and many put extra touches on swords and shields or created their own weapons or projects out of the materials we used all week. Hephaestus would've been proud!
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Harry Potter Camp Final Day

6/24/2015

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The House Cup, Potions, and Leaving Feast

RavenClaw House Wins  The House Cup for the first time in years!!!   Congrats everyone!            
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Students competed for the house cup throughout the week earning points for answering trivia correctly, and good deeds. Any wrong doing or rule breaking lost them house points. The final day a student was taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Each house competed to find her and the magical items needed to do so and destroy the Basilisk. (Basilisk and student pictured on right)
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Snape shows up to teach remedial potions. Surprisingly the class didn't turn out to be the regular bumbling fools he usually teaches. Students experimented and came up with some interesting results. The dungeon was a little bright and sunny for Snape's liking but all turned out fine in the end.
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This Year's Leaving Feast Takes the Cake (dur dur dur)

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Please check out the Harry Potter student art gallery here to see the wonderful creations students transfigured during the week.
Fantastic dessert after another magically appeared on Friday. The house elves really outdid themselves this year. From bertie botts beans to specially themed sweets and homemade butterbeer we all enjoyed a delicious feast to end a great week. Thank you to everyone who brought these fun treats. (There was so much sorry I couldn't feature them all on the blog)
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Thanks for another great year at the School of Creativity and Wizardry! I will see you next year in the shrieking shack! Bring the wolfsbane potion just in case.
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Harry Potter Camp Days 3&4

6/18/2015

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Quills, Quidditch, Spell Books, and Creatures

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Students learned the magical art of bookmaking as they created their own textbooks and spell books both in soft and handmade hardcover. There were lots of fun materials to choose from and it was excited to see how everyone transfigured their's uniquely! Quills were made and everyone received an inkwell and ink to practice with and have.
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Once again Gilderoy Lockhart made an appearance and was available for a book signing for his newest book: Magical Me. Students lined up, some because they are fans and others just to have a laugh.
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Thursday was a beautiful day for some outdoor Quidditch. Slytherdor took on Huffleclaw and won all three matches. The snitches were easily caught and students seemed to enjoy being outside the castle. 
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Since the storyline of this year's camp follows book 2, Chamber of Secrets, we also celebrated Valentine's Day on Thursday. Just like in the book it was Lockhart and a singing troll who sang to students and handed out valentines. 
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Many students asked where they could find these things to buy more:               Sculpey Clay-Hobby Lobby and Jo'Anns' Fabric. Ink Wells-Hobby Lobby or recycle any small glass bottle. Ink for inkwells-hobby lobby. Quill tips (also called lettering or pen nibs) can be purchased at Blick Art Materials online (actually you can find ink and clay there as well)
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We also had a charms lessons in which students reviewed and learned many spells and charms. This came in handy for the dueling club that happened Thursday in the dungeon headed up by Gilderoy Lockhart and his "assistant" Professor Snape (who really ran the dueling club).
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Thursday was also Care of Magical Creatures. The houses earned points for their knowledge of the many characteristics of the wonderful creatures in the wizarding world. They were then able to scuplt creatures or any magical being or object of their choice with sculpey clay. Check out the student art gallery here. Creativity is Magic!
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Harry Potter Camp Day 2

6/17/2015

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Mandrakes, Lockhart, Howlers and Filtch...

Today was a busy day! Students were able to attend both Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.            We studied madrakes and everyone worked on created and potting their own. Madrakes were made out of sculpey clay which a a type of polymer clay that can be baked hard in a regular oven and then painted or left as is.    Check out the student art gallery here for a full viewing of these fun creations!                 
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Watch this video of a student made Howler being opened.
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In D.A.D.A. we were visited by the best-selling author and five time winner of the Witch's Weekly best smile award, Gilderoy Lockhart. He gave a rather uh interesting lesson and quiz. See video below. (sorry it's sideways for now....)
By using the components that go in record-able greeting cards students were able to make their own howlers with actual talking messages that played when the howler was opened. I ordered these parts from Sound Expressions. It was fun to listen to everyone record!
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Today was also the Gryfinndor ghost Nearly Headless Nick's 500 anniversary of when he died. Ghost's in the Harry Potter world celebrate this occasion with a deathday party. We were lucky? enough to attend his party and participate in the headless hunt. 
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After walking back up from the deathday party (it was on the lower level of the castle) we noticed something strange. A sign and unconscious Mrs. Norris. Filch, the school custodian was beside himself as she is his beloved pet. She was petrified. The culprit has yet to be caught. We can only hope more attacks don't happen.
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Harry Potter Camp Day One

6/15/2015

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Sorting Students, Making Wands, and Magic....

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Day one of the Art of Harry Potter Camp began well with all 60 students being sorted into the houses they felt fit them best.                   After the welcome feast and some book 2 related trivia students were able to start crafting their own wands. Wands were created with chopsticks, wooden spools and turnings, and polymer clay. Many are wands are still in progress but students were off to a great start. It is so exciting to see the variety of ideas and creative solutions everyone comes up with!

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Week One Sleepy Hollow '15

6/11/2015

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Even though it's a lot of hard work I feel so lucky during the weeks of June to be able to offer students the new techniques, tools, and inspiration to create freely. Through Sleepy Hollow this week I offered classes like art explosion, animals, animals, animals, painting studio, cartooning, and creative clay and claymation. The image above is a still from a student claymation. These videos will be posted to to the student art gallery on my website next week when they are finished. I am also adding student artwork from the other classes as we go. So please check it out! Click here to view.

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    Ali LaRock is a teaching artist living in Bismarck, North Dakota.  

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If you would like updates on classes, events, and new works available please follow my Facebook and Twitter accounts or email me and I will happily add you to the notification list.                                         Thanks for visiting my site!- Ali

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