Hey, Stained Artists!

People have been working with the craft of stained glass for more than a thousand years. More than any other application—and almost exclusively—stained glass is found in the beautiful windows of churches, cathedrals, and other places of worship. We’ve all seen this unique art form and who hasn’t been held a little bit spellbound by the fascinating work of stained glass?

Creating a work of art through the stained glass medium is quite the process. Check out the steps to making a panel of stained glass. 

The Stained Glass Cartoon
To start out, you’ll want to draw out your design on paper. In the stained glass business, this paper template is referred to as a ‘Cartoon’. This is helpful in designating the outline of the lead around each cut of glass as well as mapping out the colors and details when the time comes for painting.

Cutting Glass
Assuming you’re working with pre-stained glass, pick out the right piece for the desired color and texture. Use the cartoon under the glass to cut the glass to the proper shape and size.

Dabbing on the Details
Mark your outlines on the glass before you start adding any details. You can use a technique called Matting to shade the glass with your paint using a wide brush. Dabbing at the paint to create texture is a technique called Stippling. You can also create fine detail by carefully scraping the paint with a needle.

Kiln o’ Clock
Now comes the time for the paint to be hardened and fixed. This happens in a kiln where the extraordinary degrees can be safely reached.

Lead the Way
Now it’s finally time to lay your individual glass pieces in their proper spots according to your cartoon. The lead is cut and shaped appropriately and then joined on the front and back of your panel using a soldering iron. Your artwork is now crafted into a single solid panel.

The Finishing Touches
A glazing cement gets applied and scrubbed into any gaps between the glass and the lead. Then you a chalk mixture called ‘whiting’ is spread over your panel to help the cement harden. The excess whiting is eventually brushed off and cleaned up.

If you’d like to learn the process then I recommend you look into a summer camp that offers it as an activity to boost your familiarity with the art form. If you already have a camp in mind, call them up to ask about their program. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Filmmakers!

With so many video apps and computer programs available in the modern day, moviemaking can be a casual love or, for those who hear the calling of the camera, it can become a deep passion! One way or another, it’s a great way to visually record moments in time and to express yourself as an artist. Since the dawn of video capture cameras, people have been mesmerized by the marvel of moving pictures—movies.                   

Whether you’re shooting a 60-second D-I-Y stop/motion animation video or a full length feature film, making a video requires a lot of work and a lot of effort. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with the basics of film. Here are just a few fundamental points to consider while making your video.

Lighting
Framing up a good shot is important so your viewer’s have something they actually want to look at. While good cinematography is a whole other department, if a shot isn’t lit well, it won’t be very attractive to the eye. Shots can still be dark, but must be sufficiently lit.

Sound
While the occasional shot that’s too dark or out-of-focus can be forgivable, viewers are much less lenient on poor sound quality. Crystal clear sound will always bring a level of professionalism to your video.

Editing
You can’t present a video without editing it! These days, it’s much easier to edit film using the proper computer program. Master one of these programs and you can create a video you’d expect to see on the big screen!

If you’re passionate about Moviemaking, then I recommend you look into a summer camp that offers it as an activity to boost your familiarity with the art form. If you already have a camp in mind, call them up to ask about their program. And, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

We all get great enjoyment out of a hard day’s work here at Everything Summer Camp but, just like all you, we want to have our fun in the sun as well. I’ve been asking people all around the workplace to see what kind of summer camp activities people would be most interested in returning to or trying out for the first time! Making the rounds in our Graphics Department recently to talk to Deb who’s been our sewing expert for the last decade!

Check out her camp activity picks:

Pottery
It was just last May that Deb got the chance to take a one-time class in Pottery. She enjoyed her time learning to make a plate and a couple bowls. She is now eager to try her hand again. “I will definitely be going back to try more,” she told me. “I’d like to try a 6 week course.”

Archery
Next, Deb said she would set her sights on Archery. She went to a Women’s Retreat in Rhinelander a few years back where she got to try her hand with a bow and arrow. She didn’t do too bad either. In fact, she hit a bullseye! At this Retreat, she also got to take boatrides, go horseback riding, and enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides—all of which she would love to do again.  

Climbing Wall
Deb’s Women’s Retreat also gave her the opportunity to climb a tall Climbing Wall, but she opted out. Another opportunity found her at Action City in Eau Claire when she took her son and his friend when they were 6 years old. She chickened out yet again, but would return with her son another seven years on and she was brave enough to do it. She said once she was climbing the wall, it wasn’t even that frightening. She’d do it again!

What have you had the opportunity to do at summer camp? Do you share any of Deb’s interests? Let us know in the comments and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Folks. Happy camping! 

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

A few years back in January of 2019 is when I started this category on the Blog of Pioneers and Record Setters of summer camp activities. The first person I posted about was Brady Ellison, the world’s leading archer. Since Archery and Riflery are considered to go hand in hand, you could say Paul Phillips is the Brady Ellison of Riflery.

Having established 25 years of awesome success in competitive marksmanship, Paul Phillips was already a formidable force:

Over the course of his career, he has acquired 47 national records, 14 national championships, three U.S. Team gold medals, and one individual gold medal at the world championships, three "King of 2-Mile" championships, an International Distinguished Shooting Medal, and a Congressional Medal for Lifetime Achievements in Shooting.

What he and his team of 13 members did just a couple years back, however, is an incredible feat in all history of rifle shooting! His Riflery team made an astounding rifle shot of four miles—an immediate world record that won’t likely be broken any time soon! But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

Discover your Riflery skills and maybe you’ll find that your abilities exceed those who first inspired you! Look into the activities your camp offers or get out for a Riflery class near you and test out your skills to see how much you enjoy it. Have fun out there and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John

Hey, Camp Folks!

Rocketry aficionados are all in to plan, construct, and launch model rockets sky-high as it delivers an explosively good time, watching your work blast off into the deep blue! But it’s not all countdowns and exciting thrills! Rocketry requires focus, creativity, and sharp problem-solving skills.

Rocketry covers a variety of disciplines, including math and physics, and helps students to reach STEM educational objectives (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at middle school and high school level. Let’s dive into a few major ways people exercise their brains with Rocketry.

Provides Hands-on Learning
You can’t go wrong with experiential learning. In fact, many people (myself included) learn best from DOING it themselves. Rocketry is certainly a hands-on kind of activity that has you actually draw out plans and build a functional model rocket.

Encourages Creativity
More often than not, we think of fine arts like Music, Dance, Visual Art, and Writing when we think of activities that call for creativity. Building model rockets, however, calls for just as much creativity as all the aforementioned “artistic” activities. Building something is an incredibly creative task. And then you paint it afterward too!

Develops Problem Solving Skills
Practicing Rocketry will regularly challenge your mind and help you find new ways to view and solve problems. Sometimes, there’s only one solution. Other times there are many. You’ll likely feel unsure throughout the construction and run into a problem or two. But simply taking a moment and assessing your situation will lead you to a solution. The more you do it, the better you’ll get!

Of course, Rocketry can be found as an available program at many summer camps across the country. Look into the activities your camp offers or find a Rocketry class near you to test out your skills and see how much you enjoy it. Have fun out there and, as always, thanks for reading!

- John