Fourteen years ago I was offered a job teaching private art lessons at what was then Three Muses School of Fine Arts. I taught there for two years before the owner closed the studio. At the time, there weren’t many people in Austin offering realistic oil painting classes for children, so some of my students at Three Muses asked to continue their training with me at my house. I was still in college full time so I only taught on Saturdays in a tiny back bedroom. I started out with just 10 students and by the end of the first semester I had a waiting list by word-of-mouth alone. When I graduated college, my ex-husband and I transformed our garage into a fully enclosed studio space. It was in this space that I would teach hundreds of young Austin artists for the next 11 years.
This year I decided to move the studio to a more “official” space. One where I can have a business sign and finally list on Yelp and Google so that more of Austin’s families can find me. The new studio is at 607 W St Johns Ave #10, just a block from the Crestview Metro Rail station.
It was very bittersweet saying goodbye to the old studio. Many of my students have trained with me for years, so the studio became like a second home for them. My old studio had a beautiful backyard with a lily pond, chickens and rabbits. Many sweet memories are there. But in order to continue offering my service to Austin families, it was time to move on.
The new space is gorgeous! It doesn’t have a yard or chickens, but it has 10 foot ceilings that vault to 12 feet with a wall of north-facing windows. It’s new construction, so everything is bright and shiny. the students have almost twice the room they did before, and soon I will be getting upgraded easels that I couldn’t have before because my ceilings were too low in my little 1960’s house. And my parrot, Jack, will still be at the studio with us. Fortunately, I won’t have to say goodbye to my old home. I just won’t be teaching there anymore.
As a grand opening celebration, I’ll be running my first ever special! All new students will get their first two months at half price (paid at the time of registration). And, as always, you can request a free trial class to see if you like it. I’m so blessed to have been able to share my passion with so many young artists over the last 14 years. I hope to continue doing it for many more years to come.
If you are a former student of mine, don’t hesitate to come for a visit some time! I love seeing you all and hearing about your adventures.
Much love,
Amanda
