Great experience taking the adult Watercolor 101 class in San Rafael. I decided to take this class…read moreas it has been decades since I did anything remotely fine art related. I thought watercolor would be an easy place to start, but it's actually probably one of the hardest painting mediums (though the easy clean-up does make up for it!). This class taught me the foundation watercolor painting techniques I was looking for to get me started in art again. Hana Buechel was a skilled and engaging instructor. She is friendly, very approachable and encouraging. She is also an exceptional artist. She really helped re-ignite my interest in painting and going to spend the summer putting what she taught me into practice. Hoping to take another class in the fall. Thanks Hana!

My 14 year old daughter loves the teen art class. She looks forward to going every week.read more

Full disclosure: I'm a teacher at MVPS! I previously lived in the city and was a student, member,…read morethen teacher at Clay by the Bay. But, we moved up to Marin and I wanted to be teaching much closer to home. MVPS is such a cute studio! It's warm and inviting, the people are friendly and there to both enjoy themselves and improve their pottery making skills. If you're in the area and looking for a place to learn and find some time when you can absorb yourself into some art and ignore the world for a few hours here and there, definitely come check it out.

This place is a very tight, sweet ship. I went to a class and was floored by how pristine and tidy…read morethe studio was. The teachers were kind and the studio tech was absolutely brilliant, so diligent and precise and walked me through this issue I was having. She was very professional and had a level of expertise that was so fascinating to hear about, i knew nothing about clay or ceramics and i walked out of this studio with a breadth of knowledge thanks to the lovely folks working at your studio. Michaela is a doll!I'm bringing my daughter next time to ring in the new year and to have her learn this world.

I came into this class not knowing a single thing about digital art and came out knowing soooo…read moremuch! jen and josh are super helpful and flexible when it comes to classes. they are helping me put together my portfolio for the marin school of the arts and their help is making me confident that I will get in! thank you guys. I defiantly recommend the art reactor

My daughter and her friend had a joint birthday party with their preschool class at Art Barn. We…read moreleft so happy with how the event turned out. The team catered the event around our desired team and were so helpful insetting up, supporting the children, keeping to time, and pivoting quickly when needed. The multifaceted space caters to artists, climbers, pretend and role play and the staff were wonderful in getting the group ready for the main art project. We highly recommend Art Barn for an upcoming birthday, event, etc.

We had our four-year-old's birthday party at Art Barn last month, and it was awesome! I initially…read morehesitated at the cost, but it ended up being totally worth it--it was by far the most relaxing and stress-free birthday party I've thrown since becoming a mom. The kids had a blast making an art project to take home, and they loved running around the amazing outdoor play space, which has a climbing wall, a house to paint, a mud kitchen, and even a fairy garden. The best part? I didn't have to plan anything except the invitations. The Art Barn staff handled all the activities and kept the kids entertained, which meant the parents actually got to relax and enjoy themselves, too. Highly recommend Art Barn! My daughter also loves their art classes, so if you're looking for a fun, easy, and creative experience for your kiddos, this is the spot.

Love this art class. My daughter has gone after school for the last few years. Lisa provides a…read morewonderful environment where the kids learn about various artists, techniques and enjoy creating their own masterpieces.

Awesome! My daughter loves Masterworks and Lisa, and so do we. She's amazing with all age groups…read moreand holds their interest for an astounding amount of time. The after school class is an hour and :45. We've been going for several years now and it's been great to watch our child's talents blossom. Also taken some of the Summertime, longer-day courses and always had a ton of fun. Lisa manages to balance focused time with some moving around and a bit of snack. Somehow manages to take care of a huge range of talents and temperaments and some high maintenance parents to boot. Never had a problem with starting on time and she always try's to help us with make-up classes if we're the ones that reschedule. Truly a godsend to a busy parent. We and a few school friends always grab the next class as soon as it's available so we don't get booked out. I'd give more stars if I could.

Good classes in hand building. 360/6 weeks. Assume you will need longer as clay drying time and…read morefiring twice in the kiln (bisque firing & subsequent glaze firing) at a very nominal additional fee. They also have a non-class monthly fee (I think it's $270). Please confirm prices and hours on their website.

Beautiful pottery. I love my three fish plates; I keep candles on them when I'm not serving on…read morethem. My dear friend gave me a gorgeous asparagus plate. Lorna, the artist, is a sweetheart and her work is just gorgeous. I will pass them down to my children, that's how beautiful her pieces are.

Diana Belenky is the Bee's Knees. There, I said it…read more If there's one thing Diana knows how to do, it's to teach. I have had a great many teachers who know how to draw and paint--even the legendary Henry Yan--but very few who know how to teach it. With a great sense of humor, a veritable wealth of information, and a heaping dose of patience, Diana excels at sharing her knowledge and demonstrating its application effectively. If ever you were uncertain of how to, say, capture a specific kind of fold in your gesture drawing, then you need not look further than Diana for just how to do it.

Diana is a DREAM of a teacher. I am an adult beginner and new to drawing and painting, and wanted…read moreto get the foundations down. Diana is SO knowledgeable and organized. She took me from drawing in flat, 2-D to a beautiful 3-D drawing in pencil, in only 3-4 lessons. She is so thoughtful, organized and flexible - she sequenced and adjusted her curriculum to my needs and adjusted to my style of learning seamlessly. In addition, she interweaves art history into her lessons so you understand what she is teaching in context. And she is so nurturing and encouraging! I've gone through a few teachers and she is one of the very best. I recommend Diana for anyone looking to improve their skills.

Unsolicited Proselytizing and Dishonesty…read more I had been taking my son of eight here on and off for a few months. It's not too far from my work, reasonably priced and the atmosphere is generally creative. My little one is crazy about remote control cars and enjoys the company of other children who share his interest for legos and building things out of wood all of which 'The Planet' provides. I would say that for the most part staff is very attentive and I agree with their general philosophy which teaches kids values by respecting their independence as individuals. What I don't agree with however is day care providers pushing their brand of Christianity on my kid. My partner and I teach our kid to respect all religions and beliefs but we also expect a daycare environment to be upfront about their religious philosophy, especially if they plan on sharing that ideology with the children in their care. As a gay parent I am very conscious of finding an open minded environment for my child. My son's passion lies in building things, especially out of wood. Tom, is the wood-shop instructor, and my experience with him has not been pleasant. It became obvious that he was the one taking my son aside and indoctrinating him. When I confronted him and requested that he not proselytize to my son he lied and denied any wrong doing at first and then as I presented the facts, and quoted what my child had been saying, he became defensive, almost lost his temper, and said something along the lines of "Kids have the free will to believe what they want!" before dismissing me rudely. Needless to say my child is never going back. Now at this point I should say that no where in the daycare's philosophy statement (which you can read on-line) does it say anything about the organization being religious let alone holding conservative Christian beliefs. Also the staff at the Planet are all related (Dave Kersting, the brother of Tom, is the owner/head) so there is not much recourse in terms of redressing a problem employee.

I read the first review of The Planet with great dismay. I would like to contribute our experience,…read morewhich has been 100% positive. My 2 sons both went to The Planet to do wood-working for years before moving on to sports as they got older (other activities are also available, but they both loved to use the tools and make things). The vibe is relaxed and the kids are encouraged to follow their interests. They can play, inside or out, or work in the woodshop or beading room. My younger son went here once a week for 2 full school years, and Tom was the first grown-up outside our family he felt comfortable with and spoke with--he was otherwise very, very shy and quiet. One time when I arrived to pick him up, I heard him chatting away. I couldn't believe my ears. Needless to say, this was a safe, comfortable environment for my son and has a place in my heart. I do not know whether the brothers who started the Planet are Christians (I would have said they were not religious, whatever religion they are) and after reading Jon's review, I asked my kids whether they talked about God/Jesus etc. while at the Planet. Neither had any idea what I was talking about. So, I can say that over at least 4 years, there was no mention of religion to my children while there. So our experience was very different than Jon's. I recommend The Planet as a wonderful alternative to structured after-school activities.

Second location of a great little art studio for children's art classes. Located right downtown in…read moreCorte Madera (corner of Corte Madera Ave and Tamalpias). Lessons run weekdays usually and they have summer camps.

From the owner: ARTifact Studio provides art classes for kids age 2.5-12 years old (Toddler, Preschool,…read moreKindergarten, Grade School) in San Francisco and Marin County. ARTifact also teaches summer camps, creative workshops, and special events for children. A typical ARTifact class includes a lesson in art history, an exploration of mixed materials (painting, drawing, crafts, etc), time for creative expression, and an investigation of an idea the kids themselves have wanted to try, but don't dare do at home. Sign-up directly on the website or contact us for more information.

Walked into Mystic because it was across from where I was picking up lunch. The woman inside was…read morevery kind and helpful. She showed me how the store was broken up; paints, books, journals, yarn and etc. We even had a nice conversation about pens and journaling. They have a great selection of art supplies. I'd love to take my niece and nephew here. Great shop and everything seemed reasonably priced.

Mystic is a colorful, welcoming shop. It offers a good selection of art supplies--watercolors,…read moreoils, gouache, clay--and caters to both adults and kids. The store is clean, well-organized, and prices are a bit more than you'd pay at a large big box art store in the city, but here you are supporting a local business. They also offer art classes for adults and youth that are listed outside the store, and on their website. They have fun extras like games, craft and embroidery kits, and cute character items like Pusheen and Miffy. A fun visit for creative locals.