Mixed Media Classes

We offer Preschool Art classes, or Preschool Art + Pottery Classes which are a combination of both Art and Pottery!  Both of these types of classes are drop off, 6 week sessions.  If you prefer to enjoy a class with your preschooler, we offer drop in “Escort Your Preschooler” Clay Play classes in our Pottery Studio Tuesdays at 11:30am.

Preschool age kids delight in following their natural curiosity as they discover and learn through art! At this age, virtually anything can be taught through or enhanced by art! – Nature, science, numbers, letters, colors, shapes, mixing, sorting, stacking, pinching, pulling, squeezing, rhyming, singing… you name it!

Our drop off classes are a blast for your newly independent artist as they explore lots of different art materials, tools and processes through open-ended projects and child-led experiences. A perfect blend of sensory process-based art age-appropriate instructed techniques, your child’s confidence & joy will soar!  If you were a fly on the wall during this class you might possibly see us using our paintbrushes as microphones, wearing embroidery hoops as crowns, creating art inspired by our favorite books, making up rhymes and ditties, and generally just being silly! And brace yourself at pick up time for the high pitched squeals of happy kids who can’t wait to show you what they created!

For preschool age kids who are not yet completely independent in the bathroom, or are otherwise not ready to be in a drop off class, see our “Escort Your Artist” classes where they can are accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

We’re excited to partner with Melissa McCall from Moving Little Minds, to introduce our new Literacy + Art Preschool class!  Melissa is dedicated to building a strong literacy foundation in young children by educating parents and teachers about the importance of early literacy instruction and working directly with children to build early literacy skills.  Melissa currently teaches literacy classes to children ages 2-5 at a local preschool, as well as works as an educational consultant.  She has her BA in Elementary Education and MA in Special Education. 

Building a strong literacy foundation is invaluable, and studies have shown that building strong oral language, vocabulary, and alphabetic knowledge in children ages 0-5 are strong predictors of academic achievement in elementary school.  Visual art (the “universal language”) has great potential to engage students and provide connections to be able to teach and integrate literacy concepts and principles.  

In our Literacy + Art class, we will engage students with foundational literacy concepts, and integrate an art lesson that will help build and reinforce the new literacy skills that the children are learning.   Our goals with this class are to improve children’s confidence and reading foundation skills  –  from learning letter recognition and sounds, to practicing vocabulary and comprehension skills, all while using visual expression to create a beautiful work of art!  At pick up, parents will receive a written overview of the learning principles and concepts covered in class that day to help them continue to engage their child and extend the learning at home! 

This class blends fine art techniques with your child’s own creative expression. We strive to expose students to aspects of art history, current art makers, and the elements of art (line, space, color, balance, etc.), while letting them run a little wild with their own imagination.

We hear lots of kids this age saying “But I don’t know howwwww!!!!!!”. We enjoy creating a space for your child to slow down, be in the moment, and be comfortable trying something new. This class is a great social experience and opportunity to share ideas, brainstorm as a class, and make big decisions about their personal art!

We paint, we draw, we tinker & build.  We use fine art materials like liquid watercolors, richly pigmented chalk & oil pastels, tempera + acrylic paints, and unique surfaces, tools and heavyweight papers.  You won’t find a crayon or googly eye in the studio! We take creative risks, and sometimes deconstruct, troubleshoot then try a different approach.  Our talented & experienced instructors deliver a balanced mix of both instructional age-appropriate projects and open-ended, process-based creative prompts that leave the subject matter up to the individual artist!

Students in this class will learn to create a variety of sculptures, including free-standing 3D sculptures and relief sculptures (a raised design on a flat surface), using foundational sculpting techniques such as modeling, molding, shaping, & assembling.  We strive to apply STEAM-based learning principals (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) to guide students in their critical and creative thinking and problem/solving.

Kids love to work on a large scale, and what better opportunity to go big than a Sculpture class!  The methods & possibilities are endless – from papier mache to modeling clay and assemblages, to creating sculptures from unique found objects & upcycled materials!

This class is for kids who love both art AND pottery! During a 6 week session, there will be the perfect blend of of Mixed Media art (painting, drawing, sculpture, collage, & more!) and pottery handbuilding.

In Pottery, kids will learn the basics hand building (the pottery wheel is not included in this class format – see pottery only classes for more options that include the wheel). Finished, glazed & fired pottery pieces will be available for pick up after the end of the session.

These ‘tweens are excited and ready for more complex techniques & materials and we have the joy of challenging them as they grow in the creative process. They are encouraged to trust their instincts, value their individuality, and think critically about their art choices.

Continuing with mixed media art projects, we embark on more advanced techniques in drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, and sculpture. The dynamic in this class is much more of a collaborative art studio – with students sharing ideas and instructors demonstrating techniques for each individual artist to apply.

This 90 minute studio class provides our early teen students with an in-depth opportunity to explore innovative art techniques, advanced fine art skills, trendy creative projects, and simply get their hands messy!

This process-oriented class emphasizes making independent choices, expressing themselves through their creativity, and progressively building upon their art-making knowledge and skills. We explore a variety of mediums with a constantly rotating menu of fun projects on tap, ranging from illustration, painting, printmaking, fiber arts, sculpture, & upcycle, to home decor + fashion trends! These classes are usually intimate and laid back – our team of instructors are skilled at getting to know individual students to strike the best balance between challenging & fun, helping to work through frustrations & self-criticism.

Students will grow in their understanding of techniques, art vocabulary, composition, proportion, scale, perspective, color theory, light & form. Oh! And they’ll make some cool stuff too!

Can’t attend a class during the week?  No problem!  We offer periodic Saturday “drop in” classes (advance enrollment is required to secure your spot!).  This class blends fine art techniques with your child’s own creative expression. We strive to expose students to aspects of art history, current art makers, and the elements of art (line, space, color, balance, etc.), while letting them run a little wild with their own imagination.

We hear lots of kids this age saying “But I don’t know howwwww!!!!!!”. We enjoy creating a space for your child to slow down, be in the moment, and be comfortable trying something new. This class is a great social experience and opportunity to share ideas, brainstorm as a class, and make big decisions about their personal art!

We paint, we draw, we tinker & build.  We use fine art materials like liquid watercolors, richly pigmented chalk & oil pastels, tempera + acrylic paints, and unique surfaces, tools and heavyweight papers.  You won’t find a crayon or googly eye in the studio! We take creative risks, and sometimes deconstruct, troubleshoot then try a different approach.  Our talented & experienced instructors deliver a balanced mix of both instructional age-appropriate projects and open-ended, process-based creative prompts that leave the subject matter up to the individual artist!