This ongoing art class is for students who love animals!  In each lesson, we’ll create a drawing or painting of a different animal, so your child could easily jump any time between lessons.  (No prior drawing or painting experience needed because I'll lead each child step-by-step through each lesson and include some options along the way, too.)  

In each lesson, we’ll chat about the animal & look at its photo as we get settled in at the beginning of class.  I’ll even show them a drawing or painting of my own if I’ve created one about that specific animal before.  I love to create an atmosphere where students feel comfortable & encouraged to participate in our discussions throughout our class, especially when we are introducing the specific animal and when we are brainstorming about all the options to consider in their artwork.  We’ll just practice our best manners to take turns talking & be attentive listeners when I’m giving instructions & demonstrating each step.  

Sometimes our lesson will be completed in one class session.  However, sometimes we will need 2 class sessions to finish because of the details of a particular animal, or if we are painting an animal, we will draw the animal in one lesson and paint it in the next.  Other than when we need 2 class sessions to complete a whole lesson, your child will NOT need prior knowledge from earlier lessons in our class.  So if your child is interested in joining our class, please just message me first so I can let you know which week begins a brand new lesson.  (We'll usually focus on 2 or 3 different animals each month.)  

Students will show us their drawings or paintings several times during and at the end of our class so we can celebrate and encourage each other's progress and success.  This also helps me watch for opportunities to give more guidance or tips throughout the lesson.  

Most of our classes will be drawing lessons but sometimes we will use paints to add color when the texture of the animal is better suited for brushwork & paint instead of dry drawing tools.  I’ll keep you posted in our classroom page each week about the supplies we will be using in the upcoming lesson so that you have plenty of time to gather them before class.  (We’ll have a supply list that includes very common drawing tools that we’ll use on a regular basis.  It will also include a few special dry drawing tools as well as some painting supplies that we’ll use in some of our lessons.  Be sure to check our classroom page each week for supply instructions for the upcoming lesson.)

Just to give you an idea of the types of animals we cover over several seasons, here's some topics from our past plus what's coming up next:
Fall 2022: Animals of the Rainforest plus a few lessons about North American Wildlife
Winter 2023:  Arctic Animals 
Spring 2023:  Backyard Animals
Late Spring through Early Summer 2023:  Ocean Animals
Fall 2023:  Safari Animals
Winter 2024: Arctic Animals

In the first weeks of our Winter 2024 section, we'll study these Arctic Animals:
Week 1 (Jan 3, 2024):  Snowy Owl 
Week 2 (Jan 10, 2024):  No Class this week (Teacher will be Out of Town)
Week 3 (Jan 17, 2024):  Beluga Whale (Part 1)
Week 4 (Jan 24, 2024): Beluga Whale (Part 2)
Week 5 (Jan 31, 2024):  Snowshoe Hare 
Week 6 (Feb 7, 2024):  Puffin (Part 1)
Week 7 (Feb 14, 2024):  Puffin (Part 2)

Please Note:  We will use drawing & painting supplies throughout this semester, and I will make a note on our classroom page about the supplies your child will need a couple of days in advance of our lesson.