"I really enjoy the communal and friendly spirit of ACA,” says Luba Grenader, now entering her second semester this spring as one of ACA’s amazing art teachers. “Between the students, teachers and staff, there is a great sense of creative aspiration and appreciation of art and the artists who make it.”
Grenader, an accomplished artist as well as a seasoned teacher, is once again teaching “Afterschool Artists Club” for children in grades 3 – 5 as well as two hue-enhancing classes this spring: “Color Study” for adults and “Homeschool Class: Color Blast!” for children ages 5 – 8.
In “Color Study,” which Grenader characterizes as her “long-time favorite class,” she will help students to deepen their understanding and exploration of color through a variety of paints, watercolors, and/or pastels. “I feel that understanding how color works and an ability to mix a variety of colors is essential for any painter working in any color medium,” says Grenader. “Resolving this color mystery through knowing the basics but most importantly, through experience, allows one to relax and enjoy painting much more.”
In “Homeschool Class: Color Blast!,” students will experiment with endless combinations of colors using just a few paints – painting their memories, imagined worlds, and more. And in “Afterschool Artists Club,” students will spend their Tuesday afternoons drawing, painting, sculpting, and exploring – all the while learning about color, line, and texture.
Grenader notes: “I believe in teaching kids how to draw, paint and create but also in the importance of expressing their imagination and ideas through art… In the end, it’s great to see the kids being engrossed in the creative process and leaving the class with their own original work of art, and smiles and paint on their faces!”
Grenader, whose journey to become a fine artist began with her love of fashion design and illustration, firmly believes in the transformative power of the arts – something ACA has long held as one of its core values. “Being an artist is not just something you do in your studio and then leave behind closed doors,” she says. “It is something that defines you and your way of life because it is how you perceive the world, both inner and outer and it’s about a constant interaction with colors, forms, structures, ideas, concerns – everything really – that triggers your thinking, imagination, compassion and you just have to share it on canvas, in clay or in any other way.”
Her advice for her future students as well as aspiring artists? “Keep making art, continue to experiment, learn, explore and inspire your teachers! There is quite a variety of exciting classes in the spring catalog. This community is lucky to have ACA in their neighborhood.”
Join Grenader for one of these creative arts courses this spring – we can’t wait to see what you create. To find out more about any of the classes mentioned above and/or to register, visit www.acarts.org.