What Sets Us Apart

Walk into our studio and you’ll be met with a mural of the creative process. It is visually represented as the road artists travel along while creating, and quite frankly, it applies to what humans experience when working on or through just about anything. Seriously, we’ve been told “That mural is a philosophy on life!” But what do we mean by creative process?

Let’s start by unpacking the difference between product-based art and process-based art. Product-based art is a project with a finished result replicating a set of instructions to get to there. It tends to have a right or wrong way to work. We often refer to this as “cookie cutter art” or art for the masses. And while there can be some good, skillset learning in there, as well as instant gratification of a piece completed in a shorter amount of time, it’s just not us. On the other end of the spectrum lies process-based art where the end product is not focus, and the goal is the experience people have while they're creating. Solely process-based art isn’t us either.

We are at the intersection of process and product, allowing a whole lot of creative expression while teaching the fundamentals of visual art. The creative process is not linear nor is it always easy. There is not one way of working, and we value everyone’s ideas and process. It’s why the mural is depicted as a bumpy road, full of twists and turns and surprises. And it’s part one of what sets us apart. It’s the way in which we deliver information and pull from students their capabilities while challenging them to think critically.

Part two of what sets us apart is the amount of materials we encourage our students to use from the get go. We don’t think a child should master a particular medium before transitioning to another one; we are lifelong learners and mastery is something we continue to aspire to every step of the way. How will a child know if he/she loves watercolor if only allowed to use charcoal? Many children have never experienced the feel of clay in their hands or been given the opportunity to use professional artists paints.

99% of our class lessons are college-level appropriated to the different class age groups. We encourage students to express themselves freely through visual art (process-based) while helping them to develop their fine art work through the use of a variety of mediums and techniques (product-based).  We teach the foundations of drawing and painting, foster an appreciation of art and artists, and allow for finding one’s artists voice and personal style.

We don’t make create cookie-cutter art nor do we copy paintings from books.  We teach students how to see the world around them and apply their learning to their work.  Classes by age rather than skill level so that each person is able to reach his or her full potential. In addition to classes, we offer parties for all ages and any occasion (both in the studio or at your location), camps when school is on break, workshops for kids and adults, and community events.

If you’d like to put the road to the creative process in your life, you can purchase your eBook here.