After today we will be closed for a brief period while we spend some time in Haiti. Regularly scheduled after-school art classes will resume on Wednesday May 30th, 2012 and weekend drop-in art workshops resume on Saturday, June 2nd. If you are uncertain of dates, please check our calendar.

Also of note: We are doing our End of Season Art Show on Saturday June 16th, 2012. All past students from the 2011/2012 school year are invited to show off their great work at this special exhibition of art. We ask that each child bring 1-3 of their favourite pieces to Lisa the week of June 10th, so that they can be hung at Smock Café the night before the big show. Thank you and see you real soon!

Saturday May 12th, Art Explorers! Art Workshop: 10:15 a.m. ‘til 11:45 a.m. – Secret Mother’s Day Project. We figure that 90% of the people reading this are Moms, so this project we’re keeping under wraps. You’ll see it on Mother’s Day!!

*Please note: Weekend Drop-in/Drop-offs now alternate between Saturdays and Sundays.

Art Explorers! Workshop (4 yrs +) 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

See you there! We would greatly appreciate it if you could call or email us if you intend to come to one of our drop-ins. It helps with prep when we have an idea of the number of kids participating. Thanks!

Sunday May 6th, Art Explorers! Art Workshop: 10:15 a.m. ‘til 11:45 a.m. – Andy Warhol’s Pop Art. I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to do a ‘Pop Art’ workshop. This is the art I grew up on. I was especially influenced by the movement while studying Graphic Design at George Brown College in the mid ’80s (I am aging myself). This workshop discusses some basic print-making techniques – etching designs in recycled styrofoam containers (trying to make the best of a bad situation – will these please be outlawed someday?) and using lino block ink. My students on Wednesday really enjoyed this project as you can see from the image above!

*Please note: Weekend Drop-in/Drop-offs now alternate between Saturdays and Sundays.

Art Explorers! Workshop (4 yrs +) 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

See you there! We would greatly appreciate it if you could call or email us if you intend to come to one of our drop-ins. It helps with prep when we have an idea of the number of kids participating. Thanks!

Satuday Apr. 28th, Art Explorers! Art Workshop: 10:15 a.m. ‘til 11:45 a.m. – Pastel & Van Gogh’s Flowers. I can’t really call this a ‘Van Gogh’s Sunflowers’ workshop – although that is what we’ll be talking about. Since I don’t have any sunflowers to use as our still life subject, this class will be more of a freestyle flower drawing session — which co-incidentally, I find kids prefer anyway! When given the freedom to create, it is here when their inner unique-ness is truly cultivated. As with the class I taught Wednesday (pictures above), each drawing is as personal and individual as the child is him or/herself!

*Please note: Weekend Drop-in/Drop-offs now alternate between Saturdays and Sundays.

Art Explorers! Workshop (4 yrs +) 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

See you there! We would greatly appreciate it if you could call or email us if you intend to come to one of our drop-ins. It helps with prep when we have an idea of the number of kids participating. Thanks!

Read more about how this exciting journey got started, the art project for the orphanage, and how you might be able to help me.

Sunday Apr. 22nd, Art Explorers! Art Workshop: 10:15 a.m. ‘til 11:45 a.m. – Painted Newspaper Collage. I really love the look of painted paper. At the end of last week’s art class, I had the kids paint a bunch of recycled newspapers. I thought this could be a good springboard for talking about Earth Day and how when we re-use and recycle – we can make or ‘upcycle’ some beautiful creations. So on Sunday we’ll rip up the painted paper, and decoupage our collage! Afterward, we’ll add some finishing touches such as wispy clouds or – like in the case of my after school art class – add cherry blossoms with paint! Aren’t these stunning?

*Please note: Weekend Drop-in/Drop-offs now alternate between Saturdays and Sundays.

Art Explorers! Workshop (4 yrs +) 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

See you there! We would greatly appreciate it if you could call or email us if you intend to come to one of our drop-ins. It helps with prep when we have an idea of the number of kids participating. Thanks!

Saturday Apr. 14th, Art Explorers! Art Workshop: 10:15 a.m. ‘til 11:45 a.m. – Bird Feeders & the Fairy House. About a month ago I pulled an unopened, never-before-assembled dollhouse from my garage. It was donated to Art & Soul by a friend a long time ago, and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Then I got the idea to transform it into a ‘Fairy House’, after seeing an amazing one on a visit to Encinitas, CA (see picture) a couple of years ago. Spring is here, there is no denying it. Magnolia trees are in full bloom along with the cherry blossoms throughout our neighbourhood. Birds are singing beautiful songs and the robins who visit our front lawn are looking rather plump! So it seems timely to begin a bit of work outside amongst the beauty. Weather permitting we will begin construction of our Fairy House outside, if not — will be painting, decorating and building in the art room. We will make bird feeders for the fairy house, as well as feeders for children to take home and stick on a tree branch in their own yard!

*Please note: Weekend Drop-in/Drop-offs now alternate between Saturdays and Sundays.

Art Explorers! Workshop (4 yrs +) 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

See you there! We would greatly appreciate it if you could call or email us if you intend to come to one of our drop-ins. It helps with prep when we have an idea of the number of kids participating. Thanks!

All classes regularly scheduled are cancelled this weekend (April 7th & 8th) due to the Easter long weekend. Please join us when classes resume on the following Saturday April 14th. Thank you and enjoy your weekend!!

Sunday Apr. 1st, Art Explorers! Art Workshop: 10:15 a.m. ‘til 11:45 a.m. – All Things Easter. Love, love, love the colours that come out at Easter time. And for some reason when I think of crafts and Easter, felt comes to mind as the medium of choice… And feathers. I’m not really sure why, either. Thoughts aside – this Sunday’s art workshop will feature making brooches and bookmarks with some Easter flare. Who wouldn’t want to sport a stylish Easter brooch? Or give a bunny or ducky bookmark to someone special? And if there’s time – we’ll dye some eggs too. Got a simple, but stylin’ egg decorating idea up my sleeve. We shall see!

*Please note: Weekend Drop-in/Drop-offs now alternate between Saturdays and Sundays.

Art Explorers! Workshop (4 yrs +) 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

See you there! We would greatly appreciate it if you could call or email us if you intend to come to one of our drop-ins. It helps with prep when we have an idea of the number of kids participating. Thanks!