In this weekly ongoing class we'll have lots of fun chatting about our bird watching experiences while we create artwork about birds.   Since we cover a new bird in each lesson, your child could jump in at any time between birds.  Just message me to see which class dates we are beginning new lessons.   

We'll use a realistic style for most of our lessons, but occasionally, we'll have some fun using our imagination (based on realistic bird parts) to create a drawing or painting of a bird that does not really exist.  Most of our lessons will focus on a specific type of bird, however, in some of our lessons we also study how to draw birdhouses & feeders, bird baths, tree limbs, nests & eggs, and other things in their natural habitat.   We'll also work on a variety of natural body positions for birds throughout our lessons. 

We cover a wide variety of birds in this class.  Here's a peek at some of our topics from the recent past plus what's coming up next! 
2021-2022 school year: Backyard Song Birds & some Birds of Prey 
SUMMER 2022:  Waterfowl 
FALL 2022:   Birds of the Rainforest 
WINTER 2023:  Birds of the North & South Pole (Arctic & Antarctica)
SPRING 2023:  Backyard Birds 
SUMMER 2023: Seabirds & Shorebirds/Waders 

FALL 2023:  Birds of the Rainforest
(Week 1)  Sept 6:  Cassowary (Drawing Lesson)
(Week 2)  Sept 13:  Galah Rose-Breasted Cockatoo Part 1 (Drawing Lesson on Watercolor Paper)
(Week 3)  Sept 20:  Galah Rose-Breasted Cockatoo Part 2 (Adding Watercolor to Last Week's Drawing)
(Week 4)  Sept 27:  Green-Headed Tanager Part 1 (Drawing Lesson on Acrylic Paper or Canvas)
(Week 5)  Oct 4:  Green-Headed Tanager Part 2 (Adding Acrylic Paints to Last Weeks Drawing)
(Class will not meet October 18, 2023, but will continue meeting weekly the following Wednesday.)

(Classes will be cancelled from this schedule if we have had no learners sign up at least 24 hours in advance of our class but will remain in this order of topics & materials.)

We will use drawing materials, watercolor paints, oil pastels, and acrylic paints in these lessons.    Look for a note on our classroom page a couple of days in advance of each lesson for which supplies we need for the upcoming class.  Then have the supplies gathered & ready before your child signs into our class each week. 

I'm very excited that Outschool is now allowing us to extend a lesson into the next class meeting!  So our painting lessons will be divided into 2 parts with our drawing steps in the first part and our painting steps in the 2nd part the following week.  This will help our class end on schedule more often instead of needing extra time after class to finish each week.  It will also help us feel comfortable spending time in the details of the drawing, too, and allow me to lead lessons on some of the birds that I've had to skip in the past because they would need more time than one class session.  

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 our lessons and at the end of our classes 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 as needed.