Outside the Lines

What is it they say about art imitating life? Well if your kids are looking to get out there and live a bit, you’ll want to sign them up for art classes at 4Cats Arts Studios this year. 

4Cats Arts Studios is a new art studio for kids in Hintonburg, a mere hop, skip and a jump away from some of our favourite shops including Wabi-Sabi, the Extraordinary Baby Shoppe and Heavens to Betsy (a mecca for gifts and lovely curiosities). There’s also a new sister store for Oresta Organic Skin Apothecary.

4Cats owner and curator Emaly Green has a real passion for what she does, and it shows. Armed with degrees in fine arts as well as education, it was the combo of art + teaching + children that drew her (pun intended) to open her own 4Cats franchise here in Ottawa.

Although the studio opened its doors on August 14, the official grand reopening is September 11. Families are invited to drop by between 11:30 am and 3:30 pm for some free activities including small sculpture making, screen printing, and paint splattering (so very Jackson Pollack).

The license to splatter paint might be the best part of 4Cats, and there’s a special room just for this purpose (unlike at our houses). In fact, it’s one of their most popular birthday packages for kids age 3 to 16. Guests work co-operatively on a 6’ x 3’ canvas for the birthday boy or girl as well as a smaller piece to bring home. The birthday family can also have the canvas stretched for $70 plus HST. (Now that’s a conversation piece!)

The fall session begins September 13. Check the schedule to see what’s being offered. All classes are ‘Artist of the Month’ theme unless otherwise indicated. This month it’s Tom Thompson and Andy Warhol. Classes combine art history storytelling with instruction and all the materials are included so kids go home with several projects including paintings on canvas, sculptures, silkscreen projects and books about the artist.

The courses range widely for children as young as two years of age. Ages three and older can be dropped off for their class and don’t require adult supervision. (Hello, time to shop or grab a latte at Cyclelogik next door!)

Apparently, whether kids use a paintbrush, pastels, or clay, the benefits of art are infinite. The medium doesn’t matter. When we do something artistic, we use more of our brains, get better at thinking outside the box, and learn how to be innovative in many different areas, including math. And we like that.

But we really like it because it’s fun to wear smocks and colour outside the lines!

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