Dryden Paddock poses with his painting at the Family Art Night in April.

Not everyone may be able to produce an artistic masterpiece, but at the Peach Art Camp, every kid is an artist.

The Peach Art Camp’s mission is to give every child in Chilton County the opportunity to participate in a fine arts camp, which integrates art with education, creativity and self-discovery.

The camp is offered in three one-week sessions to meet the needs of many school-aged children: ages 8-12 may attend June 8-12; ages 13-17 may attend June 15-19; and June 22-26 is reserved for kids ages 8-17 with special needs.

The camp, “The DaVinci Experience,” will be held from 9 a.m. to noon daily and will focus on some of Leonardo DaVinci’s main interests, such as flying, anatomy and portraits.

Camp director Carole Whittington-Bucklew said the campers will begin the week by looking at pieces of art from the Renaissance to “get the creative juices flowing.”

“We’ll sketch or design helicopters and planes, and really go with what the kids are interested in,” Whittington-Bucklew said. “Portraits are another big thing we’ll focus on, and the kids will have a choice of doing a self-portrait or animal portrait.”

The young artists won’t have a hard time finding animals to sketch, since the camp will take place at Whittington-Bucklew’s 22-acre farm in Clanton.

“We’ll focus a lot on nature and using recycled materials for our art projects,” she said. “We have a pond and plenty of animals to use as the inspiration for our art.”

Each session of the camp will result in an art gallery show on Friday, June 12, June 19 and June 26, held at the Chilton/Clanton Public Library from 11-12 p.m.

The community is invited to attend the gallery, which shows off the art produced by the young artists throughout the week.

The kids aren’t required to have any prior experience with art to join the camp, Whittington-Bucklew said.

“Every kid is creative, and this camp will have an encouraging atmosphere,” she said.

Whittington-Bucklew is a substitute teacher for the Chilton County School, and said she can’t help but notice the need for art in a child’s education.

“The elementary students are exposed to art much more than the older students. When students reach middle and high school, there is very little art in the curriculum,” she said. “The camp will mix art and music with math, science and invention. Kids should be exposed to all of these things so they can find where their interests lie.”

The cost of the camp is $80, which covers all art supplies, a T-shirt and an art journal for each participant.

“This isn’t about having the right colors or being able to paint the best picture. It’s about creating and opening your mind to new things,” Whittington-Bucklew said.

To register for the camp or for more information, contact Whittington-Bucklew at (205) 755-9886 or peachartcamp@outlook.com.