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Photo courtesy of Mini Picassos.
Learning something new, especially when gray skies and the never-ending news cycle has your head spinning, can serve as a way to relax, boost your creativity and improve your overall mood. Metro Detroit art studios and art-supply retailers are providing the tools and instructors in a virtual format so individuals and families can draw, paint and sculpt in the comfort of their homes.
Painting a landscape, drawing a still life or sculpting a bowl not only serves as entertainment, but it also provides an outlet for anyone who is starting to feel a bit of Michigan winter-inspired cabin fever. Watching art classes via Zoom or a similar platform serves as a welcome distraction from the everyday and gives you a skill that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.
At Mini Picassos, owner Katy Wereley has created a variety of online courses that are aimed at students as well as adults. Her goal, she said, is to offer instruction as well as inspiration for young artists who are eager to learn but also want to maintain social distance as appropriate. These classes also are great for kids who want to try a new kind of art and are looking for help to get started.
For example, there’s the Virtual Paint Club for students in grades 3 through 8. The class takes place after school so students can do virtual learning or in-person instruction and then come to class afterward at home. Together, the group will do a step-by-step painting, Wereley said, through a group class done on the Zoom platform.
In that class, students receive a canvas that is already sketched out and supplies. For example, students and parents can come by the Harper Woods studio to pick up a package that includes paints, brushes and canvases; there will be enough materials to get through all four weeks of the class, Wereley noted.
Here are some other virtual art classes available at studios around Metro Detroit.
Creative Arts Studio
Want to still enjoy the art of sculpture while learning at home? Check out the videos and Facebook page for Creative Arts Studio, a Royal Oak-based business. You can pick up one of its Pottery Art Kits to Go and then create your masterpiece with their help. The resulting art is fired and finished at the studio for you to enjoy for years to come.
ProjectArt Live Online
For the past five years, this unique project has worked with the Detroit Public Libraries to provide after-school art classes. Right now, it has added an online component to help students continue to learn to express themselves through art, such as its virtual class on drawing knights using a Sharpie and watercolors.
Scrappy Chic
This Livonia scrapbooking store is going virtual locally and with national partners to help its customers continue to be creative. They are doing Facebook Live events with other stores so you can see a variety of projects as they are being created as well as new online classes from its store, such as the Happy Heart Day Card class. This Valentine’s Day inspired project is a great starting point for anyone interested in scrapbooking.
Anton Art Center
If you’re looking for ideas as what to create for your next project, the Anton Art Center in Mount Clemens has lots of content to check out. It has put its exhibits online through a special gallery as well as a video series that takes you through some of the greatest artists’ works and suggestions on how to use these works as your inspiration. It also is doing SatARTdays, a Facebook-based video series that highlights art and inspiration at home.
