Young Children's ArtIn the Children's Studio
Weekday and Weekend Classes
Our arts program for children of pre-school age, primary school and elementary school age are taught by Lani Carney in the Children’s Studio. Goals of Featherstone’s Young Children’s Art Programs:
To be with them so that we might foster their enjoyment through art
To be sensitive to children and allow them to unfold naturally while with us
To be quiet, wise and gentle as we guide them
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If new to us, kindly come early (15 minutes) to familiarize your child with our wonderful Children’s Studio. Welcome.
Please let us know if your child requires any particular considerations.
Our Children’s Studio is a loving and caring, peaceful place for superb quality art making. Learning is also, fun!
Miss Lani  WINTER/SPRING 2014 Weekday Classes
Kindergarteners Exploring Watercolor Painting
Day:Tuesdays
January 14, 21, 28 February 4, 11, 18, March 4, 11, 18, 25 April 1, 8, 15, 29 May 6, 13, 20, 27 June 3, 10, 17
Time: 3:15-5:15 pm
Watercolor painting is fun and fast offering saturated colors and a variety of expressive gestures to painters of all levels. We will learn a variety of “next octave” techniques as young artists make their own original paintings using this exciting medium
NEW! 3, 4 & 5 year olds Famous for a Day
Day: Wednesdays
March 5, 12, 19, 26 April 2, 9
Time: 9:30 am to 12 pm Fee: $35 each class
We will look at the work of famous artists and discover what we can learn from these great masters. We shall focus on these six artists
1) Henri Matisse His cut outs are like puzzle art making, brightly pieced together!
2) Camille Pissarro His caring for all peoples is reflected in his paintings His brush strokes are like echos, he sought to sound back fairness to children and families--He is loved by us! 3) Claude Monet His field of yellow irises in meadows at his home in Normandy remind us of our Vineyard spring field flowers!
4) Mary Cassat She, at a very early age, was determined to become an artist. Her courage and practices to succeed are mirrors for all children interested in learning well. Art and being SMART go together! 5) Leonardo Da Vinci How this young boy convinced his father to change his mind about the education plans for his son is fascinating and loving.
6) Franz Marc It is the spirit of the animal that he has taught his students to paint! The swiftness and keen movements of the horse is "truly blue" henceforth his BLUE HORSE painting symbolizes the imaginative interface of the animal and student and the motivation of the creature as the young artist senses it to be! Yellow cows, too. Yes - you will have fun painting animals, with care. Welcome to our new art series! We encourage you to join us. This Famous for a Day offering, each week will capture one famous artist's lifework per day - I hope you will feel like you are with new art friends as you paint in our beautiful Children s Art Studio at Featherstone.
7, 8 & 9 year olds Drawn to Horses
Day: Wednesdays
January 15, 22, 29 February 5, 12, 19 March 5, 12, 19, 26 April 2, 9, 16, 30 May 7, 14, 21, 28 June 4, 11, 18
Time: 3:15-5:15 pm
From the Caves of Las Coux to the deserts of Arabia, from Mount Olympus to the hills of Chilmark, horses have captured the imaginations of children and families throughout the world! Inspired by mythology poetry, music and movement, we will paint and sculpt from a variety of materials! We shall also consider the anatomy of the horse and like the French artist Franz Marc, we will appreciate the spirit and energy of all the horses we cherish. His work Blue Horse is Miss Lani’s favorite painting of these majestic animals
7-9 year olds To see big... is to see more: David Hockney, Grandeur of Nature
Day: Thursdays
January 16, 23, 30 February 6, 13, 20 March 6, 13, 20, 27 April 3, 10, 17 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 June 5, 12, 19
Time: 3:15-5:15 pm
David Hockney at seventy-six is painting radiant landscapes of fields and woods of different seasons. Alluring –Children are inspired and drawn in to his art making and startling colors. Thrilled we will capture his roads of light magenta, tree trunks of purple and orange and dip into quantities of greens and yellows. What is the take away from his emphasis on the Farm land: Grandeur of nature … still the mother of us all and of all art! He believes and conveys that representational painting tell us more about reality and perception than photography or of the human eye, which is one reason why his work is thrilling. Not for nothing is his exuberant immersive works of art. His art just does too many interesting things to be resisted, big bright landscapes that go beyond both photos and realism. His work provokes a satisfying expression of early modernistic styles from Post-Impressionism to Fauvism and beyond… Alluring Modern, Hockney at seventy six now lives in England.
5,6 & 7 Year olds Wet & Wild Winter Colors
Day: Fridays
January 17, 24, 31 February 7, 14, 21 March 7, 14, 21, 28 April 4, 11, 18, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 June 6, 13, 20
Time: 3:15-5:15 pm
Children love to mix and blend paints into a fall spectrum of colors. To further enrich their sensory experience of color, young artists will paint with art illustration quality brushes, sea sponges, hands and feet, to make masterpieces in the Children’s Studio’s peaceful and welcoming setting
Sunday
Teens
Time: 4:00 - 6:00 pm
SESSION II: Oil Painting for Teens and Youth January 19 February 2, 16, March 2, 16, 23
This course will engage teens in the challenges of oil painting from life. Youth Artists will begin working from still life, then move on to painting landscapes from photographs of their choice. Color compositions and other fundamentals will be covered. Beginners welcome.
| Children's ArtWeekday and Weekend Classes Saturday Ceramics for children ages 7 to 12 Nancy Blank January 18, 25 February 1, 8, 15, 22 March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 April 5, 12, 19, 26 May 3, 10, 17 A series of pottery experiences, glazing and firing.
Saturday Art AdventuresAll Saturday Pre-school age and Elementary school age Arts Adventures are for ages 3-8 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
NO snack is provided. Please pack your child a healthy, nut-free snack to bring to class. The cost is $45 per child for each adventure class.
Saturday Art Adventure WINTER/SPRING 2014
MARCH 1 My Own Small World
Come create shires, villages, towns and sprawling farmland and barns. We transform ordinary boxes into places that evolve. From gently rolling hills to towering sky scrapers of Boston. Each child will create their own world from our Children’s Studio here at Featherstone’s diverse selection of art supplies.
March 8 Barking, Bounding, Bellowing
We shall create a fine tableau of noble creatures. Inspiration by Edward Hicks’, “Peaceable Kingdom”, and artworks by Calder, Tamaya and Bonheur will be eased into our hearts. Animals in art are what we love to paint and draw and sculpt most of all.
March 15 Hoola Coola Day
This is our annual day to “laugh at the cold” with a luau dance and art party highlighting a morning of FUN! Put away your winter parkas, unpack your summer swim suits and flip flops for it’s limbo time!! This adventure is always popular because it is fun to dream of being warm again. We reach for the SUNSHINE – paint it, create it and enjoy it today. Aloha! Sunglasses, a must!! A beach towel, if you would like. Hawaiian leis are going to swing around our necks… for it ‘tis a HOOLA COOLA DANCE and art party day!!
March 22 A Garden in Winter
While winter winds swirl and snowflakes fall outside, our focus will be on art making that resembles a Donaroma On-Island Greenhouse. We plan to paint plants that grow all over the world-from the tropical to the mountain regions of the West. We can also dream of our Vineyard roses and our own Magic Garden sunflowers, herbs and strawberries that the children and Miss Lani plant in our “heritage-laden” bathtub and window boxes each spring. Ah ha…the warmth of spring is stirring in our heads and hearts.
March 29 Spring Spring Double Fun!
We plan to hold a spring fling! Wreaths, garlands will be woven from flowers. Our children’s garden will be laid out – a sketch, a plan from each artist’s view will be created. Seeds will be planted in peat pots in order that we may observe the beauty of the sprouts and their reach to the sunshine. (Our indoor plantings will be transferred to our garden in early June.) We will create wreaths for animals – woven with ethical food as well – and place these in the environ here for our animals to nibble on; for it is Be Kind to Animals Week. Our wild friends, as they flutter their wings and as they fling their hooves, claws and paws need sustenance at all times of the year. We shall surprise them, now and as they approach our “treats”, they will undoubtedly sense children are near. A walk on our Red Diamond Trail will round out our fun morning… do come… do join our beautiful spirit, here, for the animals need us.
April 5 National Week of the Ocean
We have invited a very special fisherman, affectionately known as the “Pope of Fishing” on our Island! “Coop”, as he is known will share “fishy” stories. We know, for certain, he will say, “Fishing is all about wishing.” I think, additionally, he will read some selected stories about the love of the sea! Like an envelope that insulates, wraps all around us – our Island waters and sandy beaches are fascinating! We protect, honor and are mindful about the appreciation for our ocean waters. Coop says, “No smarty-arties.” Rather, he wishes for all children to be sharp, keen explorers and enthusiasts for the art and “magic of our sea”. Seascapes – and an ocean sky – let us paint to honor the ocean that we hold dear to our hearts. It is our way. It is our home – our Island Home – our sea.
April 12 We Love Books: A Day to Celebrate Joy!
Children’s authors and illustrators week is celebrated in America in mid-winter. We, however, are going to celebrate and recognize some of our favorite books now: Stop that Pickle, In My Heart, Hugs, The Dory Story, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, Common Ground, and our own Children’s Studio book, Animals A-Z (that we published in 2009). These books have brought joy to all young lives. It is interesting, not surprising, that we choose stories that provide an intersection of animals and art! We value the health and abundance of all animal species. We enthusiastically include our love for the hearts of all animals – into the heART of our art making! We will paint a parade of animals holding our book covers, pretending to be reading our favorites… “Who is going to lead our parade?” You guessed! It’s Stop That Pickle!
April 19 Pour, Drip and Spin
A lively class is planned! Painting will REWARD our young artists and young scientists alike…as they will create their own images by mixing, pouring, dripping, spinning and sponging paint in bright and glorious…sometimes hilarious combinations. FUN, FUN, FUN…you bet! The children’s studio is designed with your self expressions in mind. Opportunity is what Miss Lani offers you… and we at Featherstone support your creativity.
May 3 The Eagle and the Wren Adventure
The fable, retold by Jane Goodall, captures a lark, dove vulture and eagle each claiming to have the capacity to fly the highest. An owl suggests a contest… and off the birds soar! It appears the eagle, so majestic, is the winner, but hidden amongst its feathers is a tiny wren, a surprise that appears to change the contest’s outcome. Simple, spry dialogue…Jane Goodall shares this fable from her youth that highlights the importance of individuality as it acknowledges everyone’s needs for a little help now and then. On our canvases we will attempt to honor with our paint brushes and paints the story The Eagle and the Wren and their journey upward in the sky. We have our own Featherstone chapter of Roots ‘n Shoots, a Jane Goodall Institute, worldwide youth organization that Miss Lani co-ordinates here on Island. Small, mighty advocates of a better world – our children would make Ms. Goodall happy if she knew what we were “up to doing” today. Let’s send her our thoughts about our soft, gentle paintings that echo her vision: "Life here on Earth", she teaches us, "we cannot fly very high by ourselves – we all need an Eagle!" People are like feathers of an eagle, she theorizes, and we will enjoy listening to her views today about exactly what she wishes for us to know about her thoughts…Like Miss Lani has told Goodall, “Island children are children we believe in!” Yes, young artists, we believe in your capacity and your kind ways.
May 17 World Turtle Day
This international celebration day is in May. We have learned every year, for six years, how to protect turtles and tortoises and their habitats. Yes, we will design and create our own special pond home for our faux turtles. This year, we again invite the Potter family to share their experiences with raising their dear turtles. The turtles will visit us, as well. For it is a beautiful team that this family presents about CARING for their pets. The care they offer and share with us is reaffirming – the modelling and the practices are special. We believe in sensitivity and the creative touches pets require. We encourage an awareness worldwide of all spirits of animals. Internationally, scientific work by the Charles Darwin Research Stations in the Galapagos Islands will be shared. Remarkable and important – their studies of tortoises astonish children as to the amount of creative force these creatures on the small, barren and rocky Galapagos Islands exude. Miss Lani will offer photographs of her travels there, three years ago. Let us never forget that some things DO NOT need to justify their existence; because they are priceless. Too much in our world is measured by economical value – our National Parks whether in the Galapagos Islands or in Yosemite are fighting for survival; as are Marine Reserves all over the world. May we be mindful…and CARE… care about animals, art and science.
May 31 Monet: Inspired by TWO LOVES ~ Nature and Art
The power of ovservation – Claude Monet was an explorer – he allowed his “eye” to guide his paintbrushes! He loved to play with light and atmospheric features on his dull canvas. Art was the dynamic of sunlight; the changing seasons for him! He expressed his emotions, he said, in front of the beauty of nature. He felt “free” to open up and let his paint brush “give in”, with his eyes acting as his guide to all things beautiful! When Monet planted his gardens in Giverney, Normandy, he chose color chords for his plants as carefully as he chose colors for his canvases. Sounds like all of you – the children, here in our art studio, for you choose so happily and carefully – your colors! Proud for you… let’s paint your eye for BEAUTY.
Past Saturday Art Adventures:
OCTOBER 5 Fall into Art
Taking Inspiration from the energizing reds, vermillion, and yellows of our natural surroundings, we shall embrace the beauty of fall in the art we make. We will work in oils and acrylics
OCTOBER 19 Paris pooches and the artists of France who passionately love them
Superb subjects-from snooty to joyful, to exuberant (Chappy)… dogs have personality and charm threaded through their very souls. For the artist like the dog owner, the relationship with a dog is a treasured part of life. Dogs have attitude! Lets capture their place alongside of humans. With a happy heart and open mind Miss Lani’s watches, observes, waits… “A dogs eyes draws me into its soul… let me capture the emotion I am looking for: the expression that brings a smile sometimes a tear, to a young persons face and to mine”
It is really fun to study dogs when they are relaxed and simply “doing their thing”
OCTOBER 26 Wild About Water
We shall explore water and all its inhabitants through drawing , painting, and sculpting. We will not only create watery scenes and images, but we will use the liquid itself in fun and interesting ways
NOVEMBER 9
Outdoor Art
We will do what we love to do! We will bring nature to our art and art to nature. Young artists will experiment with flowers and leaf printing, making molds of natural objects and creating mix media pieces. Artists will also bring their art outside- making art installations and observational art.
NOVEMBER 23 We love dragons, Fairies and the world of fantasy
Come young artists and explore a world beyond our own. We will engage in creative play as we recreate a magical realm through painting, drawing, paper sculpting and performing arts. Fairy wings, castles and enchanted forests await you.
DECEMBER 7 Innocence of the Spirit
Children will join Allen Whiting who personifies, as do young artists, the gentleness of painting! Responding to the moment with acrylics-the art adventure will highlight a morning of adding many ideas as we paint our Vineyard with innocence and peace tucked into our brushstrokes.
December 14 The Art of Doll Making
Learn how to make a doll from scratch using an assortment of fabrics to form the dolls body and clothes. The dolls will be fully formed with hand painted faces making them keepsakes to be enjoyed for years to come We will conclude with a Tea Party!
JANUARY 18 A Birds Eye View of Art…
Bird “Houses” Bird Nests The animal kingdom is very resourceful. A look at bird nests reveals an art form endlessly interesting. Tiny tailor birds surprise us with their construction skills and art.
The National Academy of Science in Washington D.C. will host an exhibit this fall of Sharon Beals, photographer and acquired pictures of preserved 19-20th century nird nests from art and science collections
For one Saturday Art Adventure class we shall look at seven nests- tree swallow, Golden Mashed, Tananger, Spotted Nightengale, Thrush, Caspian fern, Hoary Redpoll, Swainsons Thrush and a Verdin
Sweet Pieces- Sturdy for being such tender little things will catch our eyes. We shall attempt to reconstruct from photographs and our favorite “Art House” The House Finch is Miss Lani’s favorite. Flashy and colorful!
Inspired by bird’s ability to fly , we will explore wonderful nests, books and hear tales told around the world that celebrate birds. FEBRUARY1 Degas Dancers
Inspired by Degas Impressionist paintings of dancers, we will use chalk, pastels, and sand art to create original artwork. We will encourage young artists to play the part of ballet dancers and be “free” to dress for the occasion! We hope to spend some time with dancers from Miss Lani’s friend Miss Jill’s RISE dancers.
FEBRUARY 15 Sweet Heat Curiosity Boxes
What could be more fun, challenging and rewarding then assembling objects images into a pleasing display to hold memories and treasures. We will use found gathered objects, personal images, paints, glue and a wooden –pear woo- box to create a unique sculptural object. Works by American artists Joseph Cornell will be viewed for inspiration.
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