Hello, Masters!

Hello, Masters! makes it easier for everyone to enjoy and learn about great artworks from world-class museums. We bring the museum experience to you!

This program introduces seven artists, presenting diversity in gender, time periods, and styles of artistic expression, to support people with different abilities. For example, finger painting is offered for those with limited fine motor skills, while stenciling, stamping, and taping methods are provided for individuals who may feel less confident in creating original artwork. Participants will have the opportunity to view masterpieces and gain the confidence to create their own artworks just like the Masters.

Vincent van Gogh

Finger Painting with Vincent van Gogh

Materials:

Artist foam board with information about Vincent van Gogh
Canvases or paper
Finger paints
Paper plates (for holding paint)
Wet tissues or wipes (for cleaning fingers)

Instructions:

Introduce Vincent van Gogh

Use the provided foam board to explain who Vincent van Gogh was.
Talk about his famous painting style, especially how he used bold colors and expressive brushstrokes.

Explain Finger Painting Technique

Show how to use fingers instead of brushes to paint.
Encourage campers to freely express their feelings and creativity using their fingers.

Help with Drawing Ideas (if needed):
If campers are unsure about what to paint, suggest fun prompts such as:
A. What’s your favorite thing to do during summer?
Example: "Going to the beach!"
→ Suggest drawing the ocean, sand, palm trees, or beach balls.
B. What’s your favorite dessert?
Example: "I love ice cream!"

→ Suggest drawing ice cream cones, donuts, lollipops, or cupcakes.

Sample Artwork

Artwork by special abilities children at Special Camp, 2025, San Juan Capistrano, CA

Andy Warhol

🎨 Stencil Painting on Your DIY Drawstring Backpack
Let’s decorate your backpack using stencils!

🧰 Materials Needed:

Plain drawstring backpack
Stencils (letters, shapes, or fun designs)
Fabric paint
Foam brush or sponge
Masking tape or painter’s tape
Scrap cardboard or paper (to put inside the bag)
Plastic disposable apron to protect your clothes
Paper towels or wipes (for easy clean-up)

📝 Instructions:

Set Up Your Space
Lay backpack flat on a table. Put a piece of cardboard inside the backpack so the paint doesn’t soak through to the other side.
Choose Stencil
Pick a stencil camper like—a star, letter, heart, or any shape!
Tape the Stencil
Use masking tape to secure the stencil to the spot where campers want their design. Make sure it doesn’t move.
Paint Time!
Squeeze the fabric paint that each camper chooses onto a paper plate. Dip a foam brush or paintbrush into the fabric paint. Mix colors for fun effects! Add glitter paint for extra sparkle!
IMPORTANT 🎨 Dab the paint gently over the stencil holes—up and down, not side to side. This keeps the paint from leaking under the stencil.
Peel Carefully
Gently peel off the stencil. Be careful not to smudge!
Dry It Out
Let your backpack dry flat for 4 hours. Don’t fold or wear it until it’s totally dry.
Attach the Aftercare label
Attach the aftercare label to the backpack when you hand out the backpack to campers.

🧼 After Painting – Wait Before Washing

Let the paint dry completely (usually 24–72 hours).

👕 Washing Tips:

Turn the item inside out before washing.
Use cold water on a gentle cycle.
Avoid bleach or harsh detergents.
Avoid heat drying—air-dry

🧺 First Wash – Wash Separately!
For the first wash, it’s a good idea to wash the painted item by itself—just in case any leftover paint rinses out.

Sample Artwork

In Progress

Completed

Artwork by special abilities children at Special Camp, 2025, San Juan Capistrano, CA

Special Camp_Andy Warhol_in Progress.jpeg

Henri Matisse

🎨 Self-Portrait with Matisse-Inspired Colors 🎨

Objective:
Create a colorful self-portrait using large grip crayons—just like Henri Matisse, who loved using bright colors and his imagination in art!

Materials:

Artist foam board with information about Henri Matisse
Paper
Large grip crayons

Instructions:

Introduce Henri Matisse:

Use the foam board to tell campers about Henri Matisse.
Share how he became famous for his colorful and bold painting style.
Explain how Matisse used color to show feelings and imagination—not just to look realistic.

Encourage Imagination:

Invite campers to think like Matisse: "You can use any colors you want!"
Remind them there are no rules for color—faces don’t have to be peach, hair doesn’t have to be brown.
The goal is to show how you feel, not just how you look.

Help with Drawing Ideas (if needed):

If a camper is unsure where to start, ask fun questions like:
A. “What’s your favorite color?”

-> If they say "Blue," say: “That’s awesome—why not draw your hair in blue?”

B. “What color feels like happiness to you?”

-> If they say "Yellow," suggest: “Let’s try coloring your face in yellow!”

Sample Artworks

DIY Large Crayons

Before baking the chopped crayons

After baking the chopped crayons

Wassily Kandinsky

🎨 Stamping with Shapes: Paint Like Kandinsky!

🎯 Objective:

Create a colorful painting using shape stamps and different colors—just like Kandinsky, who used shapes, lines, and colors to express music and feelings, not real things!

🧰 Materials:

White canvas
Shape stamps
Paints
Optional: Black marker for outlining shapes

📝 Instructions:

🎵 Ask: What is your favorite song? What colors do you feel when you hear or sing that song? What shapes do you see in your mind?

2. Stamp Shapes

Use various shape stamps and colors to create the painting.
Let the shapes overlap or float.
Don’t worry about making things perfect!

3. Add Lines and Details and use markers

Add curvy lines, zigzags, dots, or spirals.
Try lines that are thick, thin, straight, or bouncy.
Think about how the music or your mood makes you want to move your hand!

4. Outline (Optional)

When you're done coloring, you can use a black marker to outline some of your shapes to make them POP—just like Kandinsky did in some of his work.

🧠 Tips & Encouragement:

There is no right or wrong—you’re drawing feelings, not real things.
Be free, be bold, and most of all—have fun with colors and shapes!

Artworks by special abilities campers at Special Camp, 2025, San Juan Capistrano, CA

Yayoi Kusama

🎨 Dot Painting Like Yayoi Kusama!

Objective: Create a colorful dot painting inspired by Yayoi Kusama—an artist who uses dots to show her feelings and imagination!

🧰 Materials:

White canvas or pre- printed canvas
Dot markers

🖌️ Instructions:

Talk About Kusama
- Show a few pictures of Yayoi Kusama’s dot art
- Explain that she loves to fill her art with polka dots to show feelings and ideas.
Plan Your Painting
Decide what you want to cover with dots!
👉 Ideas: a big pumpkin, a giant flower, a rainbow, favorite fruits or just a fun design made of shapes!
Draw an Outline (Optional)
Use a pencil to draw your shape on the paper (like a big pumpkin or flower).
You can skip this step if you just want an abstract dot painting.
Start Dotting!
Use dot markers to make dots all over your shape.
🎯 Try using different sizes of dots—some big, some small!
🎨 Try patterns like rainbow rows, circles of dots, or dots inside dots.
Fill the Background
Add dots all over the background too, just like Kusama does—fill the whole space

🧡 Tips:

Remind campers: "There’s no wrong way to make art like Kusama—just have fun with your dots!"

Sample Artworks

Artwork by special abilities campers at Special Camp, 2025, San Juan Capistrano, CA

Piet Mondrian

🎨 Mondrian Tape Art – Kid-Friendly Painting Project

Objective:
Create an abstract painting inspired by Piet Mondrian using masking tape, bold lines, and primary colors.

🧰 Materials Needed:

White canvas
Masking tape
Paint, crayons, markers
Paintbrushes

🖌️ Instructions:

Learn About Mondrian
Look at examples of Piet Mondrian’s artwork. Notice how he used straight black lines and the colors red, blue, and yellow.
Create Lines with Tape
Use masking tape to make vertical and horizontal lines. Encourage campers to imagine any scenery they like. They can think of scenery such as lakes in the mountains or trails with trees.
The lines should form squares and rectangles—like a grid.
Press the Tape Firmly
Make sure the tape sticks well so the paint doesn’t bleed underneath.
Paint with Colors (optional)
Fill in some of the shapes with colors. Leave some shapes white for balance.

✅ Tips:

Try not to fill in every box—Mondrian left many areas white!

Sample Artwork

Traditional Korean Fan

🎨 How to Draw on a Traditional Korean Fan

🧰 Materials:

Blank paper fan
Pencils
Markers or crayons
Black pen or brush (optional)
Pictures of flowers, bamboo, or birds for ideas

🖌️ Instructions:

1. Think of Design

Look at pictures of flowers, bamboo, or butterflies.

What would you like to draw? Choose something that shows strength, kindness, or beauty!

Or, campers can draw any subject that makes them happy.

👉 Ideas: Beach, mountain, rainbow, favorite flowers or words (such as happiness, joy, or fun)

2. Lightly Sketch with Pencil

Use a pencil to draw your design gently on the fan.

Keep it simple and don't press too hard.

3. Outline (Optional)

If you want your drawing to stand out, you can trace the edges with a black pen or brush.

4. Let It Dry (if using paint or ink)

Be careful not to fold the fan while it's drying.

Sample Artworks

Artworks by Special abilities campers at Special Camp, 2025, San Juan Capistrano, CA