Young artists are creating their own masterpieces this week at Episcopal Church of the Epiphany in preparation for an exhibition and auction Sunday.

Thirty-two student art-ists, ages 7 to 12, are attending the second annual art camp, which began Tuesday and will end Friday. The original art will be on exhibit Sunday and then held at auction, with the proceeds going toward Solomon House, an outreach mission of the church.

The auction will be from noon to 1 p.m. in the parish hall.

Sydney Blanchard is one of 32 art students creating work to be auctioned off Sunday for Solomon House. INNESS ASHER / THE DAILY IBERIAN Advertisement

“Every morning when they come in we tell them to turn to their neighbor, whoever is next to them, and say they’re an artist,” said Margaret Simon, coordinator of the camp.

Every day is a new experience in creativity for the students, who leave not knowing what to expect when they return.

“Yesterday we made clay sculptures and painted them today,” said student artist Sydney Blanchard. “We mixed shaving cream and acrylic paint and swirled them around and made paintings. Every day we do something different. It’s like a surprise.”

“The artists show up with stuff and we use it all that day,” said Mary Elise Vige, who worked nearby blending several primary hues together to create her own version of cornflower blue.

Artists gather in the parish hall and outdoors in the courtyard beneath the pavilion. Two artists teach the campers different techniques and styles of art each day. Three forms of art were under way Tuesday.

The previous day’s sculptures made using sculpey clay were baked and hardened and painted outdoors. Painting using leaves and other natural objects took place in the parish hall, where the aroma of warmed wax crayons filled the air.

The scent was thanks to the students experimenting with encaustic monotype, a technique in which melted wax is used to create impressionistic images on sheets of paper.

Campers will have the opportunity to explore a variety of art techniques and styles throughout the week, such as Tuesday’s encaustic monotype print-making and nature impressions.

“Paul Schexnayder did print-making with a variety of mediums,” Simon said. “This week we’re going to do wood sculpture, and we’re going to do painting, acrylic on canvas.”

Margot Baker, known for her collage work, will be showing the students that technique.

Tuition for the camp was $100 per student. Musson-Patout sponsored T-shirts, while private sponsors provided art supplies and scholarships for some student artists.