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Playful Cottage close-up
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What is Playful Cottage?
Kathleen Sheehan, Director of the Playful Cottage Art Center, has found a way to combine her passions, with her career. She combines her love for children, art & illustration, and nature, in her THEME DRAWING CLASSES.
An example, is this past summer, when she taught a Drawing for Amateur Naturalist Class on "Why Save Spring Mountain?" In this class, students learned to draw some of the unique fauna on the Mountain, and why it is being preserved as open space.
A typical Nature drawing class would start out with a discussion of the featured creature -- for example, in the Spring Mountain class, the Pileated Woodpecker. Students learned why the cutting of dead trees is problematic for woodpeckers, and how our shrinking forests make it difficult for this reclusive species. Students also discus the behavior and diet of the animal of the day.
" If I know any anecdotal stories I share them as well. With the pileated wood pecker, it is such an excitng sight, they are the size of a crow, colorful, and have a very loud laugh-like call, they make me think of Woody Woodpecker. My daughter Molly, and I chased one around for about an hour last summer, along the banks of the Perkiomen, where we live. We felt very fortunate to see this spectacular bird. I know my students can sense my enthusiasm about nature.
I always have books with color photos and paintings of the animal available for the students to refer to, and which I have read prior to class, for the discussion."
After, the students are led step by step through the process of drawing with lots of individual attention. " I try to combine praise and support, while still challenging the student."
"I have developed and employ a variety of unique methods for building confidence in drawing. One method is to have the students draw in reverse -- drawing with an eraser pencil the first lines so the shapes can be brushed away easily, if not satisfied with them, till we have the shapes we are happy with, then we can draw them in with pencil. I also use tracing paper to place over the students work to show them how to draw something that is particularly difficult -- so I can show them without actually drawing on their paper."
Kathleen talks about her work
"I am a Quaker as well as an artist and have found a meaningful way to serve my community. I run small affordable classes that enhance creativity and confidence in the student while teaching environmental responsibility and a specific skill -- drawing, which can be an activity that is useful through out one's life. It does not require talent to learn to draw. Of course the talented students will create the most exciting work if they pursue their interest in art."
Another unique aspect, is parents and children can sign up for the same class. It is the same process to learn how to draw whether you are 9 or 69. "I like mixed generational experiences and I feel everyone gains from the diversity."
"I use humor and praise to foster a sense of self esteem, and create an atmosphere condusive to expression, with these teaching methods. The joy I experience in my students is reflected back to them. I truly believe happiness comes from a healthy self image, & as teachers, that should be our guiding light."
In addition to teaching, Kathleen is an active and award winning artist. She paints and draws for pleasure, as well as providing art for local organizations such as the Philadelphia Folk Song Society. Kathleen is active in the Fellowship of Quaker Artists and chairs their art show at Allentown College.
Current Offerings
Playful Cottaage curently runs classes at
Spring Mount Mennonite Church,
Skippack Trinity United Church of Christ,
Riverbend Environmental Education center, in Conshohocken.
She can be reached at playfulart@aol.com or 610-287-7220
Need more information?
http://members.aol.com/playfulart/
http://hometown.aol.com/drawingnature/art.html
http://hometown.aol.com/playfulcottage/ArtClass.html
http://hometown.aol.com/playfulart/portraits.html
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