Classes developing young creatives

THE new school semester is about to begin, and its second term ushers the return of artist Jen Jones’ Young Artists classes at the Meredith Community Centre.

The program will run throughout most of term two and take place weekly on Thursdays, beginning with the culmination of a project that Jones said she’s very excited to display.

“We’ve been working on a project with corrugated iron panels. The Meredith community gardens has a 20-foot container that I’ll be painting a mural on before putting the kids’ panel art onto it,” she said.

“From there, I think, the term will be based around more constructive painting with them constructing their own canvas works, and looking at perspective and light and dark.”

The Young Artists classes began last year, and grew out of Jones’ desire to provide art lessons at Meredith Community Centre.

When her “ad hoc” adult classes weren’t taking, she decided to shift her teaching towards children.

Jones also runs her own studio, StudioArt6, in Bannockburn, and is a member of Golden Plains arts collective, GP Arts Inc.

With a weekly intake of about 10 kids aged six to 13, Jones said her Young Artists classes have “taken off,” and that she looks forward to seeing the works her students come up with this semester.

“It’s just been beautiful to watch them develop. Seeing their faces as they produce their art is priceless, and I’d love the idea of even presenting them for an exhibition,” she said.

“I like to challenge the kids with different things. I like to teach them different styles like abstract, realism, different techniques, things that will help them to keep growing.

“I don’t like to make things too serious. The kids are there for fun as well as learning art, so I want to make it as enjoyable as I can.”

The program is normally an eight-week term although this one will run for six weeks to allow Jones to trial a kid’s cooking class from the end of term two into the mid-year holidays.

Young Artists term two will run weekly at 4.30pm from Thursday, 12 May until Thursday, 16 June, and enrolment will cost $150.

For more information, contact Jones at 0408 461 559 or email [email protected].