The first thing my kids want to do when they get home from school is get a snack and veg-out in front of the television.  (Admittedly, some days, that exactly what happens.)  But my favorite thing to do with them after school is paint.  

Paint is inviting.  It's sensory.  It's open-ended.  Plus, they don't fight while they're doing it.  AND, sometimes they actually tell me about their day while they paint! 

I put together a collection of some of my favorite art invitations for after school.  These are invitations that are require very little prep on your part.  Some of these may seem "too young" for your big kids, but never underestimate the older kids' desire to finger paint.  (And how GOOD it is for them!)

Come explore ART in an environment that encourages DISCOVERY, self-directed learning, and connections with others.   Our Art PlayGroups and Art FUNdamentals classes are designed for our youngest artist...ages 8 months through Pre-K.  We meet weekly in our studio for an hour of wildly colorful play.

Art Playgroups is a parent-child class for our littlest artists.  During our time together, we explore all sorts of different art materials, make some beautiful-wild art, work on fine motor skills, and let the children EXPLORE in ways that you can't do at home.  This Mommy & Me class is an experience.  Come in old clothes.

Art FUNdamentals are full of novelty and movement.  For our 3's, 4's and 5's...we fill our time with storytelling, story "writing", imagination, and art exploration.  There is very little "sit still" in these classes!  We use a wide range of materials...watercolor, oil pastels, tempera paint, collage materials, and a number of more "unexpected" art materials. Inspiration for artwork comes from children's stories, famous art, and popular children themes.  

What if you miss a class?  We've got you covered.  If you miss a class for ANY reason, we've got a make-up time for you.

Register for classes online.  Monthly tuition is due at the time of registration.  

We planned them out with pencil on the canvas. I drew most of the outlines for him (bad art teacher!) but he drew the “S” for Superman. Then he painted them with as much patience as I’ve ever seen him have for a project. 

His strokes were slow-ish. He took care to stay within the lines. He thought about where to put the two different colors on Superman. 

All in all, this took us about an hour. It’s the longest we’ve ever committed to a single project. Maybe, just maybe, some day he’ll love to be consumed by art like his momma. 

This morning he's going to walk down the front steps, wave his hand, and start out on the great adventure . . . It is and adventure that might take him across continents, across oceans . . . It's an adventure that will probably include wars and tragedy and sorrow . . . To live his life in the world he will have to live in, will require faith and love and courage.

So, World, I wish you would sort of look after him . . . Take him by the hand and teach him things he will have to know.

But do it gently, if you can.

He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, that all men are not true.
But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero . . . that for every crooked politician there is a great and dedicated leader . . . Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend.
Steer him away from envy, if you can . . . and teach him the secret of quiet laughter.

In school, World, teach him it is far more honorable to fail that to cheat . . . Teach him to have faith in his own idea, even if everyone says they are wrong . . . Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with tough people.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the bandwagon . . . Teach him to listen to all men--but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take just the good that siphons through.

Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he's sad . . . Teach him there is no shame in tears . . . Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success.

Treat him gently, World, if you can, but don't coddle him . . . Because only the test of fire makes fine steel . . . Let him have the courage to be impatient . . . Let him have the patience to be brave.
Let him be no other man's man . . . Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself.

Because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.

This is quite and order, World, but see what you can do . . . He's such a nice little fellow, my son!

By Dan Valentine

The bench block is important for making sure that you have a underlying surface that isn't going to "give" when you hammer on it.  In absence of a stamping block, try hammering your washer on smooth concrete.  We got our bench blocks from Hobby Lobby for around $11.00.

The double-sided tape is optional but it really helped to stabilize the washer on the block; the process was tricky enough without having to worry about the washer sliding around on the block.

Step three: Hammer away.  You have to hold the post really-really-really firmly on the washer.  And then make sure it doesn't move.  And, you have to hit the stamp post squarely and with a decent amount of force.  In a perfect world, it only takes ONE strike.   Ha!

Step four: Once you have your letters punched, use a sharpie marker to color in the grooves.  Wipe the excess marker off so that ONLY the deep grooves of the letters are colored-in.  

A friend mentioned in passing that Allison Jensen, a Liberty stay-at-home-mom, should teach art lessons.  As an former corporate trainer, current preschool teacher, childcare provider, lifetime artist, and natural risk-taker that idea seemed perfectly reasonable.  

As a test, Allison sent an email to friends offering up some art classes over Liberty Spring Break. Classes were taught in the dining room and living room of the Jensen home.  Which meant the house had to be cleaned of family clutter BEFORE class and then cleaned of art clutter AFTER class.

The classes were well-received; so when the school year was over, she expanded the line-up and offered classes throughout the summer.   The LLC, website, and blog followed shortly.

Tired of cleaning the family clutter, Allison built out her previously, half-finished basement into an art studio with it's own entrance.  Miss Allison's Art, LLC held it's first classes in the new [clean] studio on September 9th. 

After testing out a number of different scheduling systems and class formats, Miss Allison's Art settled on the current layout of grade level classes with monthly media focuses.

Miss Allison's Art gained another teacher [and Allison finally had the other half of her brain]. Sara Woolfolk joined the teaching team.

Miss Allison's Art announced that there would be an EXPANSION to 249 W Mill St in Liberty.

The Orange Easel brand was born.  Many inquire how the name came to be.  Allison and Sara gathered a group of super creative friends over on Friday night, covered the papers with butcher paper, provided sharpies and wine.  The rest is history.

Miss Allison's Art, LLC dba Orange Easel took possession of the leased property on Mill St and began an 4-week whirlwind transformation of the space.  It included a shopping trip to the West Bottoms antique stores, late nights doing construction projects, and lots of orange glossy paint. 

Orange Easel launched its website with registration for the fall line-up---completely on the faith that construction would be done in time. 

Allison was [mostly] confident she would be able to find the perfect teaching staff for a schedule of classes that was THREE times the number of classes previously offered in the basement.  

The very last class was held at Miss Allison's Art basement studio.  At 4:00pm, the trucks, vans, and cars were loaded with supplies and equipment and driven one mile down the road to the new Orange Easel.

Our brand new Orange Easel space made is debut at a lively, casual Open House.   It smelled like new paint and everything sparkled.  (It will never be that shiny again and that's exciting).

On August 4, Orange Easel held it's first class.

WITNESS our story as it unfolds.  This is still just the beginning...

The adult sets up the "game" (Look!  My marker is a firetruck!) and then demonstrates the mark and sound that is made.  The child will probably choose to imitate both your sound and your action.  Once the child begins to lose interest, demonstrate another type of mark.  If the child makes a mark that is different, imitate his/her mark and sound.  This game is fun to play in a GROUP of preschoolers, too!

Some Sounds To Try:

I hope you give this a try at home or in your classroom!  Let me know how it goes!

WHEN: Wednesday August 20th 5:30pm-6:30pm or 7:00pm-8:00pm
WHERE: Orange Easel (249 W Mill St Ste 107, Liberty MO 64068)
WHO: Artists age 4 and up.  (3 and under may attend if accompanied by a parent)

COST: $25 per artist (includes color lesson, splat painting experience, and pizza afterwards)

Space is limited to 20 artists at each party.