In this weekly ongoing class we'll have lots of fun chatting about birds while we create artwork about birds in a realistic style.  

Most of our lessons focus on a specific type of bird, however, sometimes we also study how to draw bird baths, tree limbs, nests & eggs, and other things in their natural habitat.  (When studying backyard birds, we usually include lessons about drawing birdhouses & feeders, too.)  We'll also work on a variety of natural body positions for birds throughout our lessons.  


We create both drawings and paintings in this class.  When our final result is a drawing, we usually take only one class to create it.  However, when our goal is a painting, we split the lesson into 2 parts.  In the 1st part, we draw the bird while chatting about some interesting facts about the bird.  Then the following week, we bring our drawing back to class to paint. So although some of our lessons build on the previous lesson, we usually cover about 2 birds each month which makes it easy to jump into our class between birds.  (Just send me a message when you get ready to join us and I'll let you know the best spot to jump in.)


When painting, sometimes we'll work with watercolors and other times we'll use acrylic paints.  Check our classroom page each week to know a couple of days in advance which supplies we will be using so you have time to gather those before your child signs into our class. 


Occasionally, our lessons take a few minutes longer than expected (depending on the pace of the students) but will general last about an hour and 10-20 minutes.  

No prior drawing or painting experience needed because I'll lead each child step-by-step through each project and still include options along the way, too.  Even though students enjoy talking about their birding experiences, it is not necessary to have seen any specific birds to be successful with these art lessons.  


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.  This is why it is also important for students to leave their cameras on during the class so that I can see their work and give them feedback often throughout our lesson. 


We've enjoyed our studies of a variety of birds in this ongoing class.  During the 2021-2022 school year, we included a lot of backyard song birds & some birds of prey plus a few others that were requested by the students.  

Summer 2022:  Waterfowl

Fall 2022: Rainforest Birds including the Macaw, Toucan, Goudian Finch and Green-headed Tanager.   

Winter 2023: Birds of the North & South Pole (Arctic & Antarctica)  including the Snowy Owl, Atlantic Puffin, Tundra Swan, and King Eider 

Spring 2023: Backyard Birds. 

Summer 2023: Seabirds & Shorebirds.

Fall 2023:  Rainforest Birds
Week 1, Oct 4:  Galah Rose-Breasted Cockatoo Part 1 (Drawing Lesson on Watercolor Paper)
Week 2, Oct 11:  Galah Rose-Breasted Cockatoo Part 2 (Add Watercolor to Last Week's Drawing)
Week 3, Oct 18:  No Class (Out of Town on Anniversary Trip)
Week 4, Oct 25:  Green-Headed Tanager Part 1 (Drawing Lesson on Acrylic Paper or Canvas)
Week 5, Nov 1:  Green-Headed Tanager Part 2 (Add Acrylic Paints to Last Week's Drawing) 

Winter 2024:  Arctic Birds

Spring 2024:  Backyard Birds

Summer Schedule 2024:  Shorebirds & Waders
Week 1, June 12:  Flamingo Part 1
Week 2, June 18:  Flamingo Part 2
Week 3, June 25:  Roseate Spoonbill 
Week of July 3 (Skip for 4th of July Holiday Celebrations)
Week 4, July 10:  Snowy Egret Part 1
Week 5, July 17:  Snowy Egret Part 2
Week 6, July 24:  (Surprise Bird)
Week 7, July 31 (Skip)
Week 8, Aug 7:  (Surprise Bird)
Week 9, Aug 14:  (Surprise Bird)
Week 10, Aug 21:  (Surprise Bird)

Fall 2024 Session Will Most Likely Begin Sept 11th