FAQs

LOCATION:
Class is held in my home in Saratoga Springs: 1736 N Rosemary Dr.  (In the Harvest Hills subdivision.  Students can come in without knocking- I will be expecting them!  The studio is in the basement (go in to the dining room, turn right, and take the door on the next right- there are 3 doors so take the one on the right!), and I will show them how to get there on the first day, after that they can walk right in and come downstairs! 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1736+Rosemary+Drive,+Saratoga+Springs,+UT&aq=3&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.495626,75.058594&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1736+Rosemary+Dr,+Saratoga+Springs,+Utah+84045&z=16

PAYMENT:
Checks can be made to April Staker, or cash is fine.

Food ("my child wasn't done eating their ___")

*There is ABSOLUTELY no food, GUM or drink allowed in the studio or on carpet in my home.  So please take care of that before you come!

PARKING:
*I do live at the back of a culdesac, but we have an annoying island in the center.  So please do not park in the circle during class.  I love my neighbors and I don't want them having issues getting in and out.  If you plan to stay around my home during class please consider using one of the many parks within 1/2 mile of my house!  Or feel free to run to one of the stores nearby.



Can I drop my student off early?
*Please do NOT drop your student off more than 3-5 minutes before class.  I will have no where for them to wait.  I also have had issues with kids breaking things in my home while I am in the studio and no one is watching them upstairs.  This is very frustrating.  Please tell your student to go straight to the studio!  I keep my classes exactly on schedule, so please arrive on time to drop off and pick up!

*Even though I don't want you to arrive too early, please be on time dropping off.  It is really hard for me to give the instructions multiple times, it is really distracting for the students who have heard them and have started working, and it wastes valuable time sometimes causing us to not get finished with that day's lesson.  So please be on time to class!


PARENTS STAYING & WATCHING:
I prefer parents not stay, to be honest.  It actually disrupts class and the kids act very differently.  They are really self conscious and some refuse to even draw when an adult is there just "watching".  So I do discourage it.  I have moms that take class, and that is different, they are participating and the kids don't seem to mind or feel different.  But, watching does change the dynamics quite a bit.  You can stay for a few minutes if you'd like on the first day (or come a few minutes early before the first class), so that you see how things go, but once they get drawing I prefer that no one is just there watching so that the kids will be more open to drawing their pictures, and watching or listening to me instead of keeping an eye on the parents watching them.

Art Elements & Art Fundamentals:
*We make portfolios on the first day of each semester. I will keep their portfolios in the studio during the semester.  We will make a lot of things that need drying time, and some need more than one day to complete.  I will keep all of their work in their portfolio and they will bring it home on the last day of class.  You are more than welcome to come peek at it at any time!  I have learned that when I let them take the pieces home the day they are done they get damaged from not being all the way dry, or kids forget they took them home and think they are lost, etc.  So I have them just keep the portfolios going and store them in the studio to make sure every piece gets home, and arrives in good condition!


*If you don't want your shirt getting messy please wear a cover up shirt or apron.
For the Drawing classes-   We will be really trying to focus during each class.  Once the students get drawing their right brains are going to be trying to get going.  Distractions can cause them to lose control of the right brain, and that can make it so that they aren't able to get back in right brain mode again during that class time.  That makes drawing really frustrating.  So please make sure children have used the restroom before coming, and are on time!  Thank you for helping me help your student get the most out of class time!
 
*Drawing classes are responsible for their own supplies.  Those lists can be found on the blog. They will need them the very first day!  If you had me get them they will be ready for you, but your student will probably want a bag to carry them in each week
 
For Drawing 1, this is going to tax their brains!  They may feel mentally worn out sometimes, and that is actually a great sign!  They have to learn to shut the left brain down, and that is really hard because for most people, the left brain does all the thinking!  It doesn't like to be turned off or set aside.  And it takes a lot of concentration to let your right brain do its job.  So if your student comes home feeling tired, you can secretly know that their brain is doing exactly what we want!  It is the best sign you can look for, even more than what ends up in the drawing pad!  So if they act a little sluggish or tired, that may be the reason!

    The students will all vary a bit in how they accomplish the tasks I give them.  Please do not compare them to each other.  They will not be on the same level, even if they are the same age.  It is very difficult to coax them to draw when they are worried about other people watching or comparing them.  I do my very best to help them avoid being frustrated, and I will find other ways for them to learn the same skill if the original plan is making them feel upset.  There is always another way to learn it!  I also help them find something they did great or are proud of in each lesson.  This will help them boost their confidence and builds their self esteem.  It might be helpful if you ask them what they wrote on the backs of their pages and let them show you what they decided to write about!