Student Artist of the Month: Grace Roberts

Grace Roberts is one of my youngest painting students at the Arthouse and very talented and interested in the arts. She came into the arthouse with eagerness to learn as much as she could about art, artists and specific art styles.
This is Grace's second Georgia O'Keeffe study... she almost finished this in an hour! Grace is a very fast and creative painter. She went step by step placing the flower in it's format and composition.
Then she added color washes over each area, giving the flower value and color.
This painting is very mono-chromatic, so she learned about mixing complementary colors and how if you add red to green you can get a shade of green, and if you mix the right amount and add a tint you can create a gray with a slight hue.
She's using acrylic paints which is nice for younger students because they are nontoxic and they also dry very fast.
Grace is ten years old, and I'm so excited for her as an artist and young person. She already has so much talent, and what she could do with that is beyond my imagination! So many possibilities...


Grace finished this painting in about 3 hours (two classes) and is now working on a piece inspired by Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe.

"Monet Lily Pad" painting from my 10 year old student

Student Artist of the Month: Gwen Greenaway

Arthouse has been open for business and teaching classes since last summer June 2010. Gwen Greenaway was one of our first students. I could see the talent and desire instantly. She has worked her way through charcoal drawing, pastels to acrylic painting on small canvas and most recently Gwen finished this large flower painting on board. I am so proud of her and think her talent and ambitions will take her many places.

I remember when Gwen was a new student eager to learn asking questions every chance she got. Sometimes apologizing for interrupting me or bugging me too much. Of course she wasn't and I was thrilled to have a student interested and enthusiastic to learn as much as she could!



In this painting class Gwen was surprised with herself when she managed to put so--much paint on the canvas in less than two hours. I believe this was her artistic break through moment. She bloomed as an artist as her flower bloomed on her painting.



Did I mention that Gwen is only twelve, and is donating this painting to raise money for her school (Legacy Christian School 1399 Greenfield Ave., Noblesville, IN 46060).

She is now taking her fourth class here at the Arthouse and recently learned how to stretch canvas and build her very own composition.


Well needless to mention her generosity and dedication to her art and her faith. This is why Arthouse has chose Gwen Greenaway as our Artist of the Month. Thank you Gwen and family for your passion for the arts!

Study of Frida Kahlo

This is one of Arthouse's students working on a portrait of Frida Kahlo.
-Despite a life that was plagued by both physical and emotional pain, Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is one of the most celebrated artists of the 20th Century. The amazing woman is one of my favorite feminist icons.









Typically, Frida’s talent was not fully recognized by the world until after her death. Despite this, she is now recognized world wide as one of the most innovative and influential artists of her time.

At the arthouse we strive to help keep the awareness of influential artists by using their work for inspiration and tools in teaching. This particular student is focusing on portrait study in Acrylic.