S Furner Fine Art : Art Elves at Kenwood High

December is the month to pull out the paint, brushes, glitter, glue and IMAGINATION. And the Art Elves were full of IMAGINATION coupled with ENTHUSIASM decorating their hanging wooden ORNAMENTS.

This year’s group of artists has grown in size and number, so we did our best to scrunch around the tables, paint and try to not “decorate” the elf sitting next to you!

The last day of school prior to the Christmas holiday is always the “show stopper” of an artful month. This year was no exception. Emma joined Tata Ashley’s (Mrs. Brown’s) class to decorate gingerbread houses.

Daniel’s employer, Trader Joes donated six huge chalet gingerbread houses. Before the students arrived we did an amazing job of gluing the houses together with royal icing. Then HOPED they wouldn’t collapse. The students could make individual gingerbread houses out of graham crackers and work as a group on the BIG gingerbread house.

Teacher’s helper, Mrs. Furner managed to whip up seven pounds of royal icing with a hand held mixer….that mixer was smoking by the time it had done the job. We used it all, plus more! Candy by the bagsful was donated along with MARSHMALLOWS and fluffy COTTON CANDY.

Hours later, stuffed with candy (an artist has to "TEST" one's supplies), fingers to smiles sticky, and completed Gingerbread Houses, large and small we knew we had been FANTASTIC ELVES! The Art Elves received some pretty fun “surprise” packages for being such good students all year long.

A fun memento of their school year was a framed photograph of the entire class. But there was more; printed T-shirts and colorful bags filled with treats, including a McDonald’s gift card.

All of the fun concluded with the wrapping of their gifts to family members and an auction. The auction was the best: large gingerbread houses, poinsettia plants, purses, trinkets, MORE candy…the kids were great waiting their turn for choosing from the stash of prizes.