Welcome to ActonArt
We are a drawing school offering drawing and fine art instruction for children, teens and adults, ages 5 and up. Our curriculum-based programs include guided, semi-guided and fully independent methods of instruction designed to develop both conceptual understanding and core skills and techniques. Classes are generally structured according to age ranges, with some flexibility for students with special needs or extraordinary abilities.
Our weekly classes include beginner, intermediate and advanced levels suited to different age students. We also have a number of classes created specifically for teens who are interested in developing advanced drawing skills and preparing portfolios for colleges and art schools.
This—our NEW WEB SITE—contains a great deal of information and is a good place to learn about ActonArt. And it's mobile phone and tablet compatible! Please call us at 978-266-1600 if you have questions.
Jan
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Check out our Featured Student Artists page to see some of the remarkable artwork students have produced. What's really impressive is seeing the transition they've made from young students to sophisticated artists.
Winter trimester classes are now closed
Four weeks after each trimester begins we close classes to new students. At that point it's generally too hard for students to join a class and catch up to the rest of the class. Our Spring trimester will open for new students to register on Saturday, March 10th. If you would like to receive a reminder to check our web site just before Spring registration opens you can add your name to our Registration Reminder Email List. Click the link if you'd like to add your name. You can remove your name at any time by submitting the same form again and clicking the "unsubscribe" checkbox. You can always find the form later by looking under "register" in the menus at the top of any of our web pages.
Polymer Clay Sculpting —February 2012 Winter Vacation Workshop
This coming Winter vacation we plan to present a unique and fun workshop for students interested in 3 dimensional art. Chris Parent, our newest drawing instructor is a superb sculptor who works in polymer clay (also known as brand names such as Sculpey or Fimo). Chris will present a three day workshop on Tuesday through Thursday, February 21 through 23, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Students will learn techniques for creating small-scale, finely detailed sculptures of just about anything. Students must be 11 years old (minimum) or older to participate.
Register today! This program filled and closed during the Christmas holiday break!
$120 per student, all materials provided.
A parent's quote of note
"There are plenty of classes and programs out there for kids. Among them all, ActonArt stands out. Nothing is dummied down. The instructors treat the students with respect while nurturing their drawing skills. Tracy truly cares about the well-being of my sons. She is in every respect, what I value in a great teacher. "
Noelle K. 12/2010
Interested in Private Instruction?
WE OFFER PRIVATE CLASSES when students wish to learn specific techniques or concepts. Private classes are often too expensive for general drawing instruction, but they can work for students who want to learn specific skills. We have a couple of weeknight hours available when private classes can be arranged. Let us know if you'd like more information. Call 978-266-1600 or email info@actonart.com
Join our email list to receive pre-registration reminders
JOIN OUR Registration Reminder email list! You'll receive four messages per year just prior to registration periods for fall, winter and spring trimesters, plus the summer session of classes and programs. That's it. No spam, no more. You can remove your name from the list at any time with a couple of clicks. ActonArt does not, and will not, sell or share our student/family names or email addresses. Read our privacy statement for more information.
ActonArt is on Facebook
We now have a Facebook page for ActonArt. If you have a Facebook account please consider becoming a Fan of Actonart. It's a great way to ask questions, post comments and feedback, make suggestions and see lots of new art being produced daily in the studio. We hope to develop multiple galleries of student work and we'd love to have a large audience to view it.
Follow @jgoodnough2
and Twitter too!
You might want to "follow" us on Twitter since we post our weather related closings on Twitter first! If weather is an issue when you need to drive to the studio follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.
Manga students rise to the challenge
AS AN ART FORM, Manga hasn't always gotten a fair evaluation. This is partly due to old-school art snobbery and partly from the somewhat seedy reputation it received due to the "adult" nature of some genres of Manga. Despite these issues Manga is a fantastic way to engage kids in drawing and art as well as encouraging them to write and develop their creative voice.
Manga can be split into a number of genres that are appealing to elementary age, pre-teen and teenage kids. Among these are Chibi which refers to cartoon-like characters and anthropomorphized creatures very popular with younger kids in the six to twelve year range. Shoju/Shonen style appeals to pre-and teenage kids by gender with Shoujo attracting girls and Shonen grabbing the boys. This Manga web page contains more information.
Our teaching approach with Manga has always been to present age appropriate subject matter and basic drawing concepts with manga characters being the primary focus. Our projects include lines & edges, tone, light & shadow, texture, negative/positive space, perspective, proportion, color and naturally, bodies and faces. The exception here is that Manga characters typically have highly stylized faces but their bodies are drawn with a high degree of realism. If your child is a "manga-kid" this might be the kind of drawing class they've been waiting for.