Pieces of Mind

Tara runs her art lessons through Pieces of Mind on Brookside Rd in Allentown, PA https://www.piecesofmind.org/

Tara’s approach to art instruction is quite unique. Her lessons are student driven with menoring and skill building. This means she focuses on what the student is interested in creating to keep their interest. While paying attention to their dexterity, ability to follow instructions and creating dialog to better understand the students needs. All the while building a safe environment for students to be themselves. The students are encouraged to ask questions, challenge ideas/concepts, have open conversations and explore new materials. The entire time they are building a team environment where no one feels alone in their journey.

Tara’s lessons are broken into to specific age groups based in based on dexterity, school age, and attention span.

When teaching ages 7 - 9 Tara begins building trust, inclusion, team environment, peer bonding, independent thought, and most of all their artistic voices are being seen and heard. During lessons students are guided step-by-step creating the same images. Once that instruction is complete the students are encouraged to make their own changes and to add color the images. This time also allows one on one instruction to help develop the image to their interest and skill level. All the time being given instruction to build stronger images and develop their own innate style.

Instruction for the older students is a bit different as they are encouraged to be more independent. They are also broken down into two distinct age groups grades 5 - 8 and high school. This is because these age groups have different needs and their school environment is vastly different. This breakdown in age groups allows for more peer to peer interaction and since of team encouragement. They continue to create images that they are interested in while being mentored, exploring different artistic mediums and challenged to create stronger images. While these lessons are more independent they still encourage peer bonding, building trust, inclusion, a team environment and again, most of all artistic voices being seen and heard.

Recently, Tara has added lessons for adults. These lessons are focused on a stress-free adults only art environment where you can explore artistic outlets from creating your own images while receiving instruction to exploring grown-up coloring books with fun pens and pencils to exploring new artistic mediums with the added bonus of hopefully building new friendships.

Tara’s art classes are kept small to allow for one-on-one instruction and for every student to be seen and not lost in the shuffle. She is aware that this type of class structure is not for everyone yet, hopes that you will drop-in and give it a try… you never know what you can learn about yourself.

Bring you own supplies or we have them for you to explore and play with watercolor, markers, pencil, colored pencil, variety or pens, acrylics, and other mixed media needs.