Calendar / Special Events
Please check the Twitters on the first page for the most recent updates on special sessions.
ART LESSONS
Art lessons began in September. The studio is NOT OPEN for walk ins during the week- if you wish to discuss the art lessons CALL 995-1955 and if we're not available, we will call you back shortly. We do NOT interrupt art lessons for any reason.
Sessions are taught by Cathie, the studio owner, who is a professional artist. (eagle, above.) She has illustrated for national magazines and has several degrees in Education (including Elementary Education.) Below is a video showing how she makes drawing easy to understand. Keep in mind these concepts are shown VERY RAPIDLY whereas in class it would take much longer. But see if you learned anything in THREE MINUTES! (The other videos which are advertised below Cathie's are not hers/not endorsed.)
Get ready to learn the basics of drawing in pencil, colored pencil, and markers with watercolor during the first half of the year! Acrylics, pointillism, scratch art, and more are the second half. Artists bring their own supplies and only pay $6 per hour plus tax! Below, acrylic tropics by Emily and Cayley.
Important- we know that is a phenomenal deal for art lessons- but it is not for everyone. For the enjoyment of both staff and other participants, children must be self motivated, have a love of art, and enthusiastic about their involvement in learning art skills. (It is THEIR choice to attend, not something only the parent wants!) Although Cathie provides encouragement, unfortunately children who frustrate easily, give up, or who need extensive coaching are not suitable for the program- the lessons move at a steady pace. Artists must be able to follow directions, work independently, and come prepared. (If an artist comes without their supplies, they will not participate and no refund will be given. Staff does NOT allow artists to borrow from other artists and the studio does not supply materials.)
Participants must also be considerate of other individuals and adhere to the studio policies. This includes: dress in family friendly attire (no see through, low cut, filthy, extremely ripped clothing, etc) and have good personal hygiene. Cathie reserves the right to remove anyone from the lessons who does not meet the participant criteria.
All sessions are pre-registration, pre-paid, and no credit or refunds for no-shows. (Credit is issued if the studio is CLOSED due to inclement weather such as a hurricane. Local thunderstorms / severe weather are not studio-closing events.) We do also take calls before the session to see if there are any vacancies as we know plans can change- you then pay when your child arrives.
Please note- for the relaxation of the artists and due to space limitations, siblings/parents who are not participating as artists DO NOT remain at the studio during the sessions. Parents MUST drop off and pick up their children promptly. (Repeated tardiness will unfortunately call for removal from the sessions.) Parents must bring their children inside and leave them DIRECTLY WITH THE STAFF. Pickups: Parents WAIT OUTSIDE THE STUDIO UNTIL CLASS IS OVER- then please come inside for the de-briefing. Cathie will cover the basic points of the lesson with you, and parents can see all the artists' work. (They are very proud.) Please note- studio staff takes the safety of the children very seriously- Only authorized individuals are allowed to pick up the children and it must be pre-arranged.
Sessions last one hour but we usually run several minutes over that time. Please note- CHEWING GUM, food and drink are not allowed during the art sessions. Cell phone calls are not allowed to the students during the sessions- parents can call the main number at the studio.
Please note- if there is a prerequisite- it is enforced, but if you miss a session I, don't despair- we always review the previous session content. There are no refunds once a student is enrolled, so if you miss a session, don't just stop coming. We'll be glad to assist the student in getting "caught up." However, if missing sessions occurs frequently, the student will not be able to enroll in new future sessions as reserving the seat prevents others who really want to attend from doing so. Someone from the waiting list (if it exists for that session) will get the seat.
From previous experience, most lessons focus on slightly more advanced concepts than the typical 6-8 year old can handle. Their work closely resembles a Picasso style, hence "Picasso" sessions are for younger kids. The Picasso courses for ages 6-8 are similar to the older artists' courses but with age appropriate instruction. The courses are usually two sessions (I,II) and held once or twice a month. The art lessons are geared for older children so there is only one Picasso group and sessions are very limited. They will only be offered Sept-Nov. Otherwise, ALL SESSIONS ARE FOR AGES 9 UP.There are only 4-8 artists per session. (Picasso sessions have 4) Individuals enroll for the entire series of a topic (I, II, III, IV, V) which is 3-5 weeks. To hold that time slot for future topics/sessions, you may enroll for up to two months at a time. We've arranged the schedule so each group follows the same logical progression. (Landscapes, followed by Furry Critters, etc) If the entire group needs more time on a concept, it is not rushed. The next session will cover the concept again- FREE.
We currently have art lessons on Tuesday, 2:30-3:30 and a Picasso session on Mondays, 3:30pm.
Landscapes & Vegetation I- If you've watched Winnie The Pooh, you've seen a very, VERY fun style of illustration. Cathie shows you the basics of vegetation such as trees, shrubs, rocks, boulders, and cliffs. You need to be able to do this before tackling realistic vegetation. For ages 9 through adult. PENCIL. No pre-requisites. Materials: Bring #2 pencil, big eraser, sketch paper (NOT COMPUTER PAPER!)
Landscapes & Vegetation II Using the skills from Landscapes I (required) artists bring in a DIFFERENT image with trees/shrubs/cliffs,etc of their choice and create their landscape. COLORED PENCIL. Materials: Sketch paper, colored pencils (recommend Berol Prismacolor) Colors must include a bright green, medium green, dark green, olive green, light brown, dark brown, reddish brown, gray, black, white, yellow, orange, red, light blue, medium blue. Purples and pinks are optional but good for fall colors. Crayola colored pencils can also be used, but they are grainier and don't blend as well. These colors will be used for the Critters and other II courses so it's a good investment to get the Berol Prismacolor (Michaels, Hobby Lobby.) Requires several sessions- first session leaves, second session tree trunks/rocks, etc.
Landscapes & Vegetation III- Using the skills from Landscapes I (required) artists bring in a DIFFERENT image with trees/shrubs/cliffs,etc of their choice and create their landscape. WATERCOLOR AND MARKERS. Materials: Cold press watercolor paper, watercolors (inexpensive such as Crayola- you do do NOT have to buy tube watercolors unless the image you are doing has unique colors), 3 brushes (large wash brush, medium round brush, small detail brush. Recommend JoAnn Fabrics Loew-Cornell brushes, they are only $3.49 apiece and excellent!) and fine tipped PERMANENT markers. (Office Depot and craft stores.) Also bring in 15 sheets of paper towels.
Bushes, Trees, and Bees I Picassos-Ages 6-8 ONLY. The younger edition of the Landscapes course but each lesson covers fewer topics at a time. Session I is the trees and bushes. (And bees!) Materials: Pencil, big eraser, sketch paper, non-staining colored markers. 4 STUDENTS PER SESSION.
Bushes, Trees, and Bees II Picassos-Ages 6-8 ONLY. Level I required. The younger edition of the Landscapes course. Session II covers grass, rocks, and reviews trees and bushes briefly. Kids learn how to put them together for a scene. Materials: Pencil, big eraser, sketch paper, non-staining colored markers. 4 STUDENTS PER SESSION.
Furry Critters I- Topic: Bring a large, detailed photo/magazine/book which shows excellent detail of a furry animal which you'd like to draw. It should be a BUST and not the entire body as the emphasis is on the sections of fur and the direction the fur is going. PENCIL. Materials: Bring #2 pencil, eraser, sketch paper (NOT COMPUTER PAPER!)
Furry Critters II- Topic: Using the skills from Furry Critters I (required) artists bring in a DIFFERENT large, detailed photo/magazine/book which shows excellent detail of a furry animal BUST. COLORED PENCIL. Materials: Sketch paper, colored pencils (recommend Berol Prismacolor) Colors must include the eye color- a light and a dark of your choice, gold, rust, brown, black, white, gray, orange. Optional- red and hot yellow, depending on what you're drawing. Crayola colored pencils can also be used, but they are grainier and don't blend as well. These colors will be used for other II courses so it's a good investment to get the Berol Prismacolor (Michaels, Hobby Lobby.)
Furry Critters III- Topic: Using the skills from Furry Critters I (required) artists bring in a DIFFERENT large, detailed photo/magazine/book which shows excellent detail of a furry animal BUST. WATERCOLOR AND MARKERS. Materials: Cold press watercolor paper, watercolors (inexpensive such as Crayola- you do do NOT have to buy tube watercolors unless the image you are doing has unique colors), 3 brushes (large wash brush, medium round brush, small detail brush. Recommend JoAnn Fabrics Loew-Cornell brushes, they are only $3.49 apiece and excellent!) and fine tipped PERMANENT markers. (Office Depot and craft stores.) Also bring in 15 sheets of paper towels.
Furry Fun I Picassos-Ages 6-8 ONLY. The younger edition of the Furry Critters course. Students can bring in a stuffed dog or cat if they have one. Otherwise, we've got one to draw! Materials: Pencil, big eraser, sketch paper, non-staining colored markers. 4 STUDENTS PER SESSION.
Furry Fun II Picassos-Ages 6-8 ONLY. Level I required.The younger edition of the Furry Critters course. Students will draw one of our large ceramic squirrels! Materials: Pencil, big eraser, sketch paper, non-staining colored markers. 4 STUDENTS PER SESSION.
Tropics I- Topic: Bring a large, detailed photo/magazine/book which shows excellent detail of a tropical scene which you'd like to draw. At a minimum, it must include a palm tree and a beach. If you can find one with waves, even better! The focus in on the landscape- if there are people in the scene, they will be not be drawn due to time constraints. Enjoy a reminder of the tropics in October! PENCIL. Materials: Bring #2 pencil, eraser, sketch paper (NOT COMPUTER PAPER!)
Tropics II- Topic: Bring a DIFFERENT large, detailed photo/magazine/book which shows excellent detail of a tropical scene which you'd like to draw. At a minimum, it must include a palm tree and a beach. If you can find one with waves, even better! The focus in on the landscape- if there are people in the scene, they will be not be drawn due to time constraints. Tropical landscapes involve a myriad of colors, so you'll be getting more to add to your collection with this course! COLORED PENCIL. Materials: Sketch paper, colored pencils (recommend Berol Prismacolor) Colors must include three shades of green, gold, brown, black, white, gray, sand/tan, rust, orange, red, hot yellow, two or three shades of blue. Crayola colored pencils can also be used, but they are grainier and don't blend as well. These colors will be used for other II courses so it's a good investment to get the Berol Prismacolor (Michaels, Hobby Lobby.)
Tropics III- Topic: Bring a DIFFERENT large, detailed photo/magazine/book which shows excellent detail of a tropical scene which you'd like to draw. At a minimum, it must include a palm tree and a beach. If you can find one with waves, even better! The focus in on the landscape- if there are people in the scene, they will be not be drawn due to time constraints. Tropical landscapes involve a myriad of colors, so you'll be getting more to add to your collection with this course! WATERCOLOR AND MARKERS. Materials: Cold press watercolor paper, watercolors (inexpensive such as Crayola- you do do NOT have to buy tube watercolors unless the image you are doing has unique colors), 3 brushes (large wash brush, medium round brush, small detail brush. Recommend JoAnn Fabrics Loew-Cornell brushes, they are only $3.49 apiece and excellent!) and fine tipped PERMANENT markers. (Office Depot and craft stores.) Also bring in 15 sheets of paper towels.
Terrific Tropics I Picassos-Ages 6-8 ONLY. The younger edition of the Tropics course. Students will draw palm trees and beaches. Hmmm...probably a shark fin will appear out in the water too, knowing this age... Materials: Pencil, big eraser, sketch paper, non-staining colored markers. 4 STUDENTS PER SESSION.
Terrific Tropics II Picassos-Ages 6-8 ONLY. The younger edition of the Tropics course. Level I required. Students will again draw palm trees and beaches but sand dunes, boats, and sea oats will also be added. Materials: Pencil, big eraser, sketch paper, non-staining colored markers. 4 STUDENTS PER SESSION.
Dash It! Only for artists who have sucessfully completed ANY of the previous II courses. Artists choose either a landscape or a furry animal, and learn how dashing and slashing creates a fun contrast used frequently in magazine illustrations. Dash It! jumps right in at the watercolor and marker level. Students bring the images to draw. Recommendations: for furry animals, the dashes will require a dark gray marker or darker brown than the watercolor (which should include all those from the furry critter course.) For landscapes, a light green watercolor will be dashed with a darker green and light blue. The recommended markers are green, dark green, dark brown or brown, gray, yellow, orange, red. Obviously, if you are drawing a brown dog, you most likely won't need a red marker unless you do a collar. Bring the usual paper towels.
Doing Dashing! Picassos-Ages 6-8 ONLY. The younger edition of the Dash It! course. Students draw either a landscape or animal and learn how dashing and slashing can add a great contrast and style to their work. LOTS of fun! Materials: Pencil, big eraser, sketch paper, non-staining colored markers. 4 STUDENTS PER SESSION.
Artists Choice! COST: FREE. Students ages 9 up from the previous courses who have completed a complete series (I,II,III) bring in the image of their choice and work in the medium of their choice (pencil, colored pencil, marker/watercolor. These pieces can be the ones used in the Holiday Party/Studio Art Show on December 2nd. (Time for those bragging rights!) Take advantage of working in the studio and getting tips from Cathie!