Kids ranging in age from 8-17 had the opportunity to make color wheels on Thursday during a Summer Art Camp sponsored by the Chilton County Arts Council.

“The purpose of these classes is to be fun, but also educational,” artist Sue Anne Hoyt said.

“Some of these children have been involved in art classes, but for some of them, this is their first experience using paint and learning about different colors.”

Painter and collage artist Scarlett Teel welcomed 14 students to the class on Thursday afternoon and explained the first project of the day.

“We are going to make a color wheel,” Teel said. “Each one of you is going to get a paper plate, and we are going to paint the colors on the plate for the color wheel.”

Hoyt said an important part of teaching art to children is teaching them how to mix and create colors.

“We wanted them to be able to learn how to work with colors,” Hoyt said.

The Summer Art Camp is a series of art classes, taught by four of Chilton County’s active artists.

The classes, scheduled for Thursday afternoons in June and July, are specifically tailored to the needs and abilities of the students who enroll.

Teel, Hoyt, Carolyn Cumbie and Diana Hiott teach the classes which are held from 2-4 p.m.

Kids who participate in the camp are required to bring a watercolor set, a set of brushes, colored pencils, paper towels, scissors, an old paint shirt, a 19-by-21-drawing pad for pencil, marker or paint, and a container to hold the items.

As 9-year-old Lilly Griffin sat down at the table to start her color wheel she conversed with her friend Charlee Kirkland, 8, about what kind of paintbrushes she should use.

Both girls said they love to paint, but differed on what items they enjoy painting.

“I like to color and paint pictures of me and my friends,” Griffin said.

Kirkland said she enjoyed painting and drawing horses.

“I have always loved painting horses,” Kirkland said. “I find that really fun.”

Hiott walked around the class showing several different forms of art including a shawl made from yarn asking the students to identify if the colors were “warm” or “cool.”

Hiott explained that “warm” colors are often orange, red, yellow, which tend to make individuals think of sunlight and heat.

“Warm colors are often cozy, and make you feel warm,” Hiott said.

“Cool” colors can be blue, green and light purple and have the ability to soothe.

Hiott pointed to a table of two boys wearing red and orange T-shirts and compared them to a table of guys wearing blue and green T-shirts.

“Not all art is something you have to hang on the walls,” Hiott said. “You can have art of many different kinds. We also have different representations in this room of cool and warm colors.”

The final class in the Summer Art Camp will be July 17 when students will be applying art as a surface design to a 3-dimensional project.

The multi-media, collage project is designed to teach the building of a shape and the impact of surface color on the shape.

The class will be taught by Hiott, Teel and Hoyt.

To enroll, download the registration form from ChiltonCountyArtsCouncil.com or call (205) 217-3027.

There is a $15 charge per student for each class session.