“New Art Explorers” This new beginner-friendly bilingual (English and Spanish as needed) course offered by Nicaraguan instructor Eduardo Arias Cruz introduces young artists with little or no prior art experience to the joy of creative expression. Through art exercises and accessible techniques, students will experiment in mixed media through drawing, painting, and crafting while developing cognitive skills, fine motor coordination, and creative confidence. Together, we’ll explore the world around us using pencils, paper, and paint transforming imagination into art, one project at a time. 

Week 1 Topic: Basic Art Principles and Drawing Objective: Learn core techniques, become familiar with tools through observation and color exercises Materials Used: Graphite pencil, eraser

Week 2–3 Topic: Nature Elements Objective: Practice painting trees, clouds, water, and mountains. Materials Used: Graphite pencil, brushes, acrylic paper, acrylic paint, eraser

Week 4 Topic: Acrylic Landscape Objective: Apply learned elements to create a full landscape from reference or imagination. Materials Used: Graphite pencil, brushes, acrylic canvas board, acrylic paint, eraser

Week 5–6 Cut, Fold, Paste, and Paint Topic: Animal Mask and Animal painting and 3D Castle and Castle painting Objective: Choose an animal mask template and construct a mask, castle, and painting of each theme. Materials Used: Pencil, scissors, glue, colored poster board paper, hole puncher, elastic thread, graphite pencil, brushes, acrylic paper, acrylic paint, eraser