Giveaway: heART Studio March Holiday Art Class (x3)

March holidays are coming! And the kids are bugging me to let them join the holiday art programme at Heart Studio. As some of you may know, we’re fans of this great art place that truly teaches from the heart. From the time EV attended their holiday and term classes, she has never stopped enjoying the lessons there, and she has never stopped talking about the wonderful teachers she met, like Teacher Syafiq and Teacher Jay. Do read about our experiences here.

So anyway, we are very excited to take part in the March holiday programme again, because they do have some pretty good canvas painting themes that kids can work on. Besides that, children will learn how to paint their favourite characters using different art techniques. They will also get to blend colours and understand colour values, contrasting and complimentary colours. 

Giveaway!!!

And heART Studio is really generous to offer THREE winners aged 5 years and above the opportunity to win and attend one of the following classes, each worth $75.

Yokai Watch - 1 winner

Monday, 14 March 2016

1.15pm - 4pm

Spider’s Web – 1 winner

Wednesday 16 March 2016

1.15pm - 4pm

Bing Bong – 1 winner

Wednesday 16 March 2016

4.45pm - 7.15pm

Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below (there’s one Rafflecopter for each class). Most are optional but they do give you more chances to win. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway Terms and Conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- The child has to be at least 5 years and above, based on the month and year of birth.

- No repeat winners are allowed. Only one winner per household is allowed.

- The winner(s) will be notified by email, through the email address provided.

- The winner(s) must confirm by reply email or phone call, within three days. Otherwise, a new winner will be picked.

- No changing of date or time is allowed.

- No existing customers allowed

.- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only. 

- This giveaway starts on 2 March and ends on 8 March (inclusive) at midnight.

- The winner(s) will be chosen from a random draw of entries received in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.

- The winner(s) will be announced on this post by 9 March.

- Toddly Mummy's responsibility will end once the winner's details are passed to the sponsor.

- The organisers accept no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason.

- Entrants into the giveaway shall be deemed to have accepted these Terms and Conditions.

- Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice, at the organisers' sole discretion.

- This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.

- Participants are providing information to Toddly Mummy and the sponsor(s) of this giveaway and not to Facebook.

Disclaimer:  We received two holiday art classes from Heart Studio for the purpose of this giveaway. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own, unless otherwise indicated.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Giveaway: heART Studio September Holiday Art Class

Alright.. the holidays are coming again. What oh what to do with the kids? Granted, it’s a short one-week holiday, but hey, I believe that kids should still take the opportunity to do what they like, to relax and have fun. Don’t you? It’s a time for mummies and daddies to take a breather from work too.

One of the things I like to sign EV and AA up as part of their holiday programme is the art classes that Heart Studio organises. These are short 2.5-hour art classes that allow kids to finish a complete masterpiece. There are a variety of themes to choose from, and I’m excited to know that one of the themes this holiday is ‘Look, I Found A Dinosaur!’. AA loves dinosaurs, and I just know that he will enjoy this immensely. As for EV, I think she’ll like the multi-colours of the Mondrian Animals. As usual, the kids have been sharing with me about how they miss the teachers at Heart Studio, especially Teacher Syafiq. They had such fun attending the holiday programme in June, so I’m pretty sure they will look forward to their art classes this time too.

If you want to find out more about our past experiences at Heart Studio, do check out our reviews here.

Giveaway!!!

Here’s a chance for ONE winner aged 5 years and above to win the following holiday art class at Heart Studio, worth $75.

Photo: Heart Studio

Mondrian Animals

Monday, 7 September 2015

930am - 12pm

During this class, children will learn how to paint their favourite animals using lines and shapes, while learning how to blend colours and understand contrasting and complimentary colours. 

Just follow the Rafflecopter instructions below. Most are optional, but they do give you more chances to win. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- The child has to be at least 5 years and above, based on the month and year of birth.

- No repeat winners are allowed. Only one winner per household is allowed.

- The winner(s) will be notified by email, through the email address provided.

- The winner(s) must confirm by reply email or phone call, within three days. Otherwise, a new winner will be picked.

- No changing of date or time is allowed.- No existing Customers allowed.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only. 

- This giveaway starts on 25 August and ends on 30 August (inclusive) at midnight.

- The winner(s) will be chosen from a random draw of entries received in accordance with these Terms and conditions.

- The winner(s) will be announced on this post by 1 September.-

Toddly Mummy's responsibility will end once the winner's details are passed to the sponsor.

- The organisers accept no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason.

- Entrants into the giveaway shall be deemed to have accepted these Terms and Conditions.

- Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice, at the organisers' sole discretion.- This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.

- Participants are providing information to Toddly Mummy and the sponsor(s) of this giveaway and not to Facebook.

Disclaimer:  We received one holiday art class from Heart Studio for the purpose of this giveaway. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own, unless otherwise indicated.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Giveaway: 4 heART Studio Holiday Art Passes!

Yes! Holidays are just one week away! Excited!!!

Once again, we are giving away art passes for kids aged 3 to 4 years old, at our favourite art studio heART Studio.

First, a little about heART Studio's holiday programme for 3 to 4 year old kids. The Little Masters programme, which will run for two weeks from June 9 to June 20 (except weekends). Besides learning how to draw forms using shapes and lines, kids will also be taught the techniques of painting, colour mixing, colour harmony and contrast. This painting programme will give kids the opportunity to try out canvas painting. (Read all about our part experience with heART Studio's holiday programmes here and here.)

Credit: heART Studio

Giveaway!!!

So, here's the information about the giveaway. heART Studio is sponsoring four art passes to Sea Mammals class, just for kids aged 3 to 4 years old. In this class, kids will learn about positive and negative colours, perspective and contrasts.

The details of the classes are:

Date: June 9 (Monday)

Time: 130pm - 4pm

(2 winners)

Date: June 11 (Wednesday)

Time: 430pm - 7pm

(2 winners)

There will be 2 winners for each of the above date / time slots. To enter, just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- The child has to be 3 years and above, based on the month and year of birth.

- No repeat winners are allowed.

- Winners will be notified by email, through the email address provided in the Rafflecopter widget.

- Winners must confirm by reply email or phone call, within three days. Otherwise, a new winner will be picked.

- No changing of date or time is allowed.

- No Existing Customer allowed.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.

- Giveaway starts on May 22 and ends on May 29 (inclusive) at midnight.

- Winners will be announced on this post and on my Facebook page by June 1.

Disclaimer: heART Studio sponsored four art passes for this giveaway. No monetary compensation was received.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Why we love doing art at HeART Studio

EV has been attending class at Heart Studio for the past six months. Her journey has been fun, and for this mummy, extremely amazing as I witnessed the creations of her beautiful art works.

If you are searching for an art school for your kids, and am still deciding, why not consider Heart Studio? Before I proceed, I must state clearly that I am not being compensated by Heart Studio in any way to say this. I am sharing my honest opinions, because I've seen for myself how good Heart Studio is what they do. And I believe that other kids will be able to benefit too, as my little EV has.

So here is why we love Heart Studio.

The teachers are awesome!

At four, EV attends the Little Dali classes for kids between three to 4 years old. The teacher-in-charge, Teacher Syafiq has a reputation of being extremely good with kids, and it is oh-so-true. Recently, Teacher Jay joined the team, and his casual yet patient nature has been a hit with EV too. Both of them are really good at bringing out the hidden artistic talents of the kids, and it’s amazing how their warm personalities appeal to the kids. Many times, I’ve been surprised by the work that EV has achieved, and this is not only because she enjoyed it, but she also liked the teachers. The other teachers who teach the older kids too are equally approachable. And judging from the amazing art works that kids in their classes do, one can tell they are awesome too.

Focus on the child's 'can do' ability, independence and confidence

The atmosphere at Heart is very positive, and the belief is that every child has the ability to do it. Keeping to this, opportunities are given for the child to gain more independence in their own ability, for example, asking them to get their own paintbrushes. Seems rather simple, but it definitely is a much better way of nurturing independence instead of just laying out the brushes before class for the kids. When doing the art work, the teachers only provide guidelines and advice, allowing the kids to learn and do on their own, finish the art work and gain more confidence in their abilities. The fact that projects are theme-based, and kids have the choice to decide what they exactly want to do within that team, it also helps to train the kids to think independently and with confidence.

Slow and steady gets the artwork done

Lessons are revolved around themed art projects. Each term, there are three projects to be completed, and about three to four lessons are devoted to each theme. The first lesson of each theme is spent explaining the basics of the theme, before moving on to the actual art work. For example, the ‘occupation’ theme’s first lesson involved learning the difference between drawing a male and female, and how to draw a body. Kids were tasked to draw their mummies and daddies. This is how EV drew her mummy and daddy. This is an important step, as it teaches the importance of always learning the basic foundation before moving on, such as how to hold a paint brush. The whole process also teaches kids that tasks can and should be broken into smaller steps in order to get it done more successfully. Both are important life skills that kids need.

Boosts creativity, exercises the right brain

With the projects being theme-based, kids have the freedom to choose what they want to create within that theme. This helps to boost their creativity, as they do not need to stick to drawing the exact thing. In fact, the kids even get to decide what details they want to paint in, or whether they want to paint a night or day scene. And since creativity is associated with one’s right brain, that part of the brain is also being exercised at the same time.

Develops perspective

And since kids have the freedom to choose what exactly they want to draw under a particular theme, the end result for each kid is always different. There is no one identical art work, and through this, the young ones will learn that everyone around them is an individual, with different preferences and personalities. They learn that everyone has a different perspectives to the same theme, and learn to respect these different perspectives. This again is an extremely important life skill to have.

Conducive environment with a wide corridor

Heart Studio is not cluttered. Far from it. The whole Studio is very neat and organised, making it a very conducive learning environment. The kids will also learn about being neat and organised. It’s very cosy too. The wide corridor is extremely inviting to the kids, and they do run along it, even though they are told not to do it. But as one hears the kids laughing and giggling, one knows that they are having fun and enjoying the whole process. They are safe too because of the neatness and lack of clutter. And knowing that the folks of Heart Studio have considered this fact makes me feel that they are truly caring for the kids while teaching them art.

That’s why as a parent, I feel comforted when EV attends class at Heart Studio. She’s enjoying herself, she’s learning art and some life skills, but most importantly, she is safe. And I'm heartened to see that her creativity has developed since we started lessons there last September. Find out more from these review posts.

If this sharing has got you interested to find out more, you can do so at their website. The new terms starts next Monday.

Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was received for this post. All opinions and images are my own.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Review: Art with heART Studio Little Dali art programme for 3 to 4 years old (Part 3)

We had previously shared with you our adventure at heART Studio (here's Part 1 and Part 2). The adventure continues with Part 3. Slightly late, I admit, because of the December holidays, and our trusted helper being away in her hometown, and then settling the kids in for the new year. But better late than never, right?

Part 3 focuses on the final four weeks of the lessons, where the final art piece is on a canvas, instead of paper. And the topic? Buildings, painted specifically in the style of artist Karla Gerard. I like the fact that EV is also exposed to different artists and their different painting styles, which makes her art education so much richer.

It's heartening to see the kids so interested in it.

Teacher Syafiq was extremely patient in guiding the kids.

He also went the extra mile to explain to them what a canvas is and how it is constructed, rather than just give it to them to paint on. To give the kids some practice in drawing buildings, he got them to first draw buildings using shapes on paper. 

The following week, work began on the canvas (the background was painted the previous week) and EV had to first draw buildings using pastels. Again, Teacher Syafiq spent some time explaining about oil pastels to broaden the kids' knowledge, before getting them to choose colours to use.

 See EV at work here? She's obviously looking very proud of her own art achievement. Something I believe heART Studio has helped develop.

With the buildings drawn and painted, the next thing to do was to add the windows, and this was the focus for the following week. Taking a few weeks to create a single painting may seem long for us adults, but for kids, it's a learning process that needs to be guided step by step, and one realises that the few weeks' duration is actually not that long. It's a realistic time frame in order to inculcate the knowledge and ability in the children. It appears to me that heART Studio had put much thought into the development of its programme, and I'm glad this is the case.

During the final lesson, EV added the trees, stars and moon. Here she is drying her own work, all by herself.

And ta da! The proud girl with her awesome work!

Having attended a whole term of lessons at heART Studio. Here's our verdict. heART Studio is a fantastic place to tap the artistic talent of kids, and you will be surprised at just how well they can do it. I was. Plus the teachers there are really caring, and that makes the Studio a great learning environment.

Disclaimer: We received sponsorship of a term of art lessons under the Little Dali programme by heART Studio. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Giveaway: 3 heART Studio Holiday Art Passes

It's that time of the year again! Holidays are coming!! We've got another promotion to give away heART Studio art passes for kids aged 3 to 4 years old. 

Let me first tell you a little more about heART Studio's holiday programme for 3 to 4 year old kids. The Little Masters programme, which run for two weeks from December 2 to December 13 (except December 5), has themes that are based on all-time favourites such as the iconic Lego Man and Zebra; open-ended such as Abstract, Landscape and Hot Air Balloon; or even artist-inspired, such as Superheroes (Adam Limbert), Dinosaurs (Romero Britto), Faces (Steve Scott) and Bunnies (Joe Ledbetter) 

The programme focuses on canvas painting using acrylic paints, and is designed to allow the child to explore colours and understand key painting techniques. The child will also be able to express his or her creativity and interpretation of the subject, through their own brush strokes and choose of colours. (Read all about our part experience with heART Studio's holiday programmes here and here.)

Giveaway!!!

So, here's the information about the giveaway. heART Studio is sponsoring three art passes to three classes of different themes, just for kids aged 3 to 4 years old.

The details of the classes are:

1. Abstract Painting

Date: December 2 (Monday)

Time: 130pm - 4pm

2. Faces Painting, inspired by artist Steve Scott

Date: December 4 (Wednesday)

Time: 430pm - 7pm

3. Lego Character Painting

Date: December 10 (Tuesday) 

Time: 130pm - 4pm

To enter, please do so using Rafflecopter below. It is mandatory to leave a comment with the following information:

- Your name and email

- Your child's age

- Your preferred class: Abstract, Faces or Lego (choose 1)

You may also do the additional optional actions, to get more chances to win an awesome art class for your child. This giveaway runs from November 8 to November 22 (inclusive). Good luck!!

Terms and Conditions:

- Entries that do not fulfill the requirements stated will be disqualified without notice.

- The child has to be 3 years and above, based on the month and year of birth.

- No repeat winners are allowed.

- Winners will be notified by email, through the email address provided in the Rafflecopter widget.

- Winners must confirm by reply email or phone call, within three days. Otherwise, a new winner will be picked.

- No changing of date or time is allowed.

- This giveaway is open to Singapore residents only.
- Giveaway starts on November 8 and ends on November 22 (inclusive) at midnight.
- Winners will be announced on this post and my Facebook page by November 25.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview: Art from the heart with heART Studio founder Rena Chew

I've been sharing a lot about EV's art adventure at heART Studio - the wonderful teachers, the engaging way that art is taught and not forgetting the spacious and chid-friendly environment. (You can read about it here.) You must be thinking: Who is the inspiration behind heART Studio?

I'm very happy to introduce Rena Chew, founder of heART Studio. This mother of three was a Regional Marketing Manager before starting heART Studio. She became a stay-at-home mum after giving birth to her first child, and has since taken up music movement, speech and drama and classes on inculcating positivity in babies and tots, in the hope of teaching them to her kids in future. A search for a suitable art education for her son led her to set up heART Studio. She shares with us her inspiration.

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What is your view of art education in Singapore?

Art is slowly getting its way into the life of Singaporeans. However , I feel that the Government can do more to promote arts education, besides emphasizing on the academics.

You mentioned before about the 'direction of art education'. What do you mean?

Our direction of art refers to our belief in progressive works, where the child is guided at every step to aid in his or her development in the visual arts, rather than open ended ones.

As a team, what is heART Studio's teaching philosophy when it comes to teaching art?

We believe in building a child's foundation in art. It is just like building skyscrapers, the foundation is important before any creativity can be infused.

The teachers at heART Studio have a good reputation and are very good with children. How did you choose them to work with you? What is their secret?

The most important factor is that the teachers must have the same vision and passion as me. They love and really care for the kids. It is not just a job.

Are teachers important in delivering the art education direction? How do they do it?

Yes, it is extremely important. First of all they must believe and agree in heART Studio's teaching philosophy, and love kids. Only then can they deliver the type of progressive art education that we believe in.

Why are specific teachers chosen to teach specific age groups?

Not all teachers are suitable to teach all age groups. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Therefore it is important to recognise and take advantage of their strengths, so that they are in the best possible position to provide the best art education they can. It is also important to communicate with the teachers often to know what is best for them.

Why did you set up heArt Studio? What inspired you?

I set up the studio with the intention to help my boy when he was in Primary One. He loves art and had been in another art school for two years but he still could not express himself or his heart’s desires in his drawings. Being a hyper kid, he also struggled with the pressures at school and lost his confident and self esteem. As a mum, it was very sad to see her precious child being the victim of the rat race. Therefore I was very determined to do something for my boy. God gave me vision and gave me an opportunity when I found out that the teachers from his previous art school had left. I quickly searched for them and shared with them my plans for heART Studio.

Why did you choose to focus on art for children between the ages of 3 to 7?

This age group is the most important age as it is best for foundation building. Art not only helps them to de-stress but can also help them in future in the areas of math and language learning. At heART studio, we also help prepare kids who are going into Primary One preparation by teaching science and general knowledge.

What happens after they 'graduate' from heART Studio? Any plans to introduce art for older children or even adults?

After they graduate from heART, if the kids are interested in going to schools like the School of the Arts, we can help prepare them.

Some parents prefer to send their children for swimming or music lessons, and see art as the least important. What would you say to these parents?

Parents know their kids best, so these children may be more kinesthetic or musically inclined, rather than visually.

Any tips for parents to extend the art teaching at home, in between classes at heART Studio?

We debrief parents after every class so that they can try out the same method at home and enjoy drawing and painting with their children.

Thank you Rena, for taking time to do this interview.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Review: Art with heART Studio Little Dali art programme for 3 to 4 years old (Part 2)

EV's art adventure at heART Studio seems to get better and better. I like to observe her quietly while taking photos for this series. Sometimes, I look in from the window. What impresses me is her confidence in executing the tasks given to her. Sure, sometimes she may pretend a little to get Teacher Syafiq's attention, but the comfort and dexterity at which she draws her shapes and colours them impresses me. That's why I think the decision to send her to heART Studio was a right one; even if I am able to teach her, our relationship means that many times, EV will try to worm her way out and say 'I don't know how'. Here at the studio, she doesn't even want to.

The next theme is reflections (Read about the first theme on Shapes here). So simple, yet concept that is often overlooked. Teacher Syafiq had some cute illustrations up on the whiteboard, and he even made himself a topic when explaining about the concept, asking of there was one oe two of him. The kids answered two, and with Teacher Syafiq's stunned expression, they giggled. He explained that there is only one of him and that the other is a reflection. Just so the kids can experience it themselves, he had a mirror on hand to let them look at their own reflection. Again, there were beautiful scenic examples of trees and a frog and their reflections on water.

As the basics were being established in this lesson, the kids worked on a A5 sheet of paper. They had to draw a horizontal line across, representing the water line, and then three semicircles above it. Each semicircle was coloured with different tones of the same colour, for example red and pink.

Then the paper was flipped, and with clear step-by-step instructions, the kids used water colours to paint the semicircles' reflection and water. Dashes of white paint was added to resemble the flickering reflection that is produced when light shines on water.

Isn't this good practice for the first lesson on reflections. I can't wait to see what art work EV would be working on.

The following week came quickly, just as we hoped. We usually get to the Studio early, because eager EV never waits to get out of the house. Good too, because it gives her time to settle down and settle in before class.

As a start, Teacher Syafiq did a quick recap of the previous lesson and asked the kids what they remembered. This is important as the kids need to reflect on past experiences to help them learn.

The artwork of the day was to draw a scenery consisting of hills and mountains and of course a lake for the reflection, much like the sample pictures that is shown on the wall. A mixture of water colours and oil pastels was used, for the background and to create the texture of the mountains and hills. The kids also got to choose whether they wanted their art works to be a day or night scene. EV chosen day. I think this is really important as it gave her true ownership of the art.

To create the little flowers on the grass, a chopstick was used to lightly dab yellow paint. It looked fun, and I think the kids agreed, as they started to dab on the respective art works in Ernest while giggling with glee, which then led to a game of catching as they went to the pantry to wash their hands.

Have I said that parents are very involved at this Studio? After every class, the teacher will explain what was taught for that day so that parents can do similar art works as practise at home. Super nice, in my opinion. I could also see the EV's art progress for myself.

So the following week, the focus was on finishing the art work by painting in the reflection, adding the little white streaks to resemble the water's reflection and dabbing in little red flowers. EV was making so much noise, my goodness, I almost thought she became the teacher leading the class into mischief.

Mischief was indeed what she got into, as she ran with her friends round the Studio, laughing and talking very loudly. It was all in the name of fun. Clearly, she enjoyed the company, and working on her brilliant art work. I'm so proud of her.

Stayed tuned as we bring you more of this Art with heART Studio series in the coming weeks. Till then, have an artful weekend!

Disclaimer: We received sponsorship of a term of art lessons under the Little Dali programme by heART Studio. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Thank you for reading. If you like this post, please do connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, so I can share our fun adventures, thoughts and exploits with you. 

Review: heART Studio Little Dali art programme for 3 to 4 years old (Part 1)

As you might have read here and here, EV has been taking part in heART Studio's holiday programmes. And you know how she loves her Teacher Syafiq and how her mummy has a good impression of not only the teacher, but the studio itself.

But how about the actual term lessons at heART Studio? EV recently signed up for one term of the three to four year old Little Dali classes. I will be documenting what was taught, as well as her progress and development during this period. It would be great if you can join us in this journey.

EV's art adventure at heART started in the end of September and at first she seemed a little hesitant. After all, about two weeks since she was last at the studio, since she last met Teachet Syafiq. She was checking the whole new experience and wondering what she is there for. Of course, she's assessing her new classmates too. Are they fun to be with? Of course they are, and by the end of the lesson, she was playing catching with them along the studio's spacious corridor.

The first theme for the term is shapes, and I was glad to see what transpired. An art class at heART Studio is not all about art; EV even got an opportunity to practice her writing when she wrote the word 'shapes', with guidance from Teacher Syafiq, who drew dots for her to trace.

Teacher Syafiq introduced the various shapes, such as square, triangle, circle, heart, star, oval and many others. He demonstrated how to draw them and got the kids to draw them themselves. They also drew a shape within a shape. I was glad to see EV acting on the instructions very quickly and draw independently. 

Despite the kids being somewhat distracted at times, asking him endless questions, Teacher Syafiq was extremely patient, guiding and helping each child along the way. 

After drawing the shapes, the kids were taught warm and cool colours. What I liked about it is the use of examples to help the kids connect to what they are familiar with in the real world. For example, when talking about the colour orange, a photo of oranges was shown. Usually at home, I would just ask EV to choose a particular colour. I didn't think about showing her the difference between the colours in this way, and I'm glad that coming to heART Studio has given me another idea to reinforce her knowledge of colours.

The first lesson focused on establishing the basic knowledge of shapes and colours. The second and third lesson was devoted to actually creating an artwork based on what was learnt in the first lesson - a combination of shapes and colours. As you can see here, Teacher Syafiq is pointing out how shapes like circles, triangles and semicircles work together to create an abstract landscape picture of the land, mountains and sky. 

Using oil pastels and cool colours of blue, purple and green, EV created the land and mountains of the art work. The sky was to be completed in the next lesson.

Another thing I like about heART Studio is how pictures and drawings relevant to the theme or task of the lesson are put up on the wall. 

See how EV is skipping with glee here? It was Children's Day week, and as a treat, each kid was given a bottle of soap bubbles and a pencil. EV kept holding on to her bubble bottle all the way home.

The following week, EV was all eager to start the art lesson, and complete her art work. This is enough evidence to tell me that the Little Dali programme is extremely suited to her. Her good rapport with Teacher Syafiq also means that she is ever ready to listen and learn, an important aspect in a teacher-student relationship. As she often tells me: 'I like Teacher Syafiq'. See her broad smiles here?

This is EV's final work. Amazing!!! I really don't think I will be able to help her create something like this at home on my own. If you don't already know, I'm a klutz at art, and only rediscovered a tiny sliver of my creativity after EV was born. To teach EV and guide her to create something like this? Nah… only the experts at heART Studio are able to do it.

See the picture on the right? I just absolutely love to see her in action like this, so full of concentration.

Oh, and there's another fun thing that EV has come to like at heART Studio, and it's the punch-in-punch-out machine. It's unusual, but yet so much fun. It gives kids like EV a sense of independence and accomplishment.

Want to find out more about the rest of EV's art adventure at heART Studio? Stay tuned for the remainder of our four part series on the Little Dali programme.

Disclaimer: We received sponsorship of a term of art lessons under the Little Dali programme by heART Studio. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions and images are my own.

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Review: Heart Studio September Holiday Program

During the recent September holidays, EV attended theholiday art classes at HeART Studio again. Some of you may remember that she attended similar classes in June (read about it here) and this blog also conducted a giveaway for the September holiday classes recently. We hope the winners had fun, for EV had loads of fun at three sessions - Mermaid, Outer Space and Monsters.

It had been around three months since she last stepped into heArt Studio, so it's understandable that she was a little shy. Plus the fact that she was ill over the weekend, and was still under medication, she was rather quiet during the first lesson, during which she painted a mermaid.

As usual, Teacher Syafiq was extremely patient with her and with the other kids. In a small class of about four, Teacher Syafiq explained patiently the steps to create the mermaid painting. Firstly, he explained the various colours and how they are created. He asked the kids to pick a background colour and tasked them to paint that first. When that was done, he drew a sample of a mermaid on the white board, and guided the kids to use shapes to draw the mermaid.

Teacher Syafiq and his assistant Teacher Joanne were on hand to guide the kids at very step of the way, such as drawing the outline of the respective shapes for the kids to colour in. EV diligently followed instructions but was very clearly not her usual energetic self. Teacher Syafiq prodded her and kept her engaged to the task at hand. Teacher Nurul also pitched in to help.

When she searched and couldn't find me (who was at the nearby Thomson Plaza having breakfast), the teachers comforted her. It's assuring that I could leave EV to the trust of the folks at heART Studio so that I can go run errands. It really means a lot that they are truly looking out for EV from the heart, and not just saying it.

Here's EV's art piece, which I had also shared earlier here.

The next day, we returned for more painting with the theme Outer Space. There were only 2 students for that session, and the other kid came late. So for about a third of the class, EV enjoyed a 1-to-1 session with Teachet Syafiq. Lucky girl!

She was a totally different girl this time, and was back to her usual self, earnestly listening to Teacher Syafiq's simple instructions to create the space background and stars. The starts were created by gently hitting two paint brushes with white or yellow paint to make little specs on the black background.

Teacher Syafiq went through the colours again, important in helping little kids understand and remember. Little EV did remember what was done the previous day, and could name which primary colours makes which secondary colours, though she was unsure of about two of them. Then after choosing four different colours for painting the planets and space shuttle, off EV went on her painting adventure.

When I saw her completed work, I was amazed!! She really surprised me with what she can do and achieve. Like what I told her before the session started, I believe in her, and she did it!! That's my girl!!

This was supposed to be our last encounter with heART Studios during the holidays, but EV wanted more. So we signed up for the Monsters class because she found the one on display too angry and wanted to paint a happy one.

On that day, EV kept pestering me to get out of the house at least two hours before class was supposed to start. We didn't need that long to get there, and I had to remind her over and over again that it was too early. We still ended up reaching at least 15 minutes earlier, and she kept asking where Teacher Syafiq was. Luckily, he arrived and she went straight to the class. There, she chatted and 'helped' him as he prepared for class. He was so sporting and didn't mind EV being there. And geez, she was one chatty little girl that day; even Teacher Syafiq commented on how active she was. As usual, I didn't have to worry about leaving her alone to her task. So I spent the next two hours chatting and catching up with a fellow mum blogger whose son was also attending the holiday program.

Presenting…. EV's happy monster. 

It sure brings a smile to my face.

And so ends EV's holiday art adventure, she'll be back at heART Studio for more. She will be attending a term of art lessons with Teacher Syafiq, and wasn't she one excited girl when I told her the news. Her first lesson is in less than two hours, and she is already changed and ready to go. 

"Mummy, are you ready? I want to see Teacher Syafiq!"

Alright, I better end here, before she thinks of funny ideas to make me. 

{Giveaway!!} 4 heART Studio Holiday Art Passes

The September holidays is just round the corner. Are you looking around for creative and fun classes for the little ones?

You might know that during the recent June holidays, I signed EV up for art classes at heART Studio, and she had a blast! Read more about the review I did, and how she absolutely adored Teacher Syafiq, who is brilliant with kids, by the way.

So I am really happy to share that heART Studio is giving away TWO passes to the Mermaids class and TWO passes to the Outer Space class to Toddly Mummy refers. Each session is worth $75.

These classes are suitable for children aged 3 to 4. They are specially designed to let them have loads of opportunities to create characters such as spaceships, mermaids, monsters and Hello Kitty, by using simple shapes and observing details.

So if you have a little kiddo of the same age, and who loves art, take part in the giveaway today! All you have to do is to complete the Rafflecopter widget below. Easy peasy! Do note that heART Studio will try their very best to accommodate your preferred choice of class, subject to the availability.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We received a complimentary session from heART Studio for the purpose of this giveaway. No monetary compensation was received.

Holiday art @ heART Studio

I have heard so many wonderful things about heART Studio from the other mummy bloggers, and finally I got the chance to witness just how awesome it is. Thanks to A Happy Mum, EV won a 'Painting Fairies' holiday art session at heART Studio.

So on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, EV and I braved the weather and made our way to the studio. We were slightly late due to the rain and traffic, and when we arrived, it was still drizzling. The cab stopped just outside the shophouse building where heART Studio is located and while I was paying the fare, a lady from the studio came with an umbrella and offered to bring EV in. I was impressed with this caring initiative and started to have an inkling of why this studio ranks so high amongst my mummy bloggers.

The class had already started, but the two teachers - Teacher Syafiq and Teacher Elma - did not let that prevent them from paying attention to EV and trying to connect with her. Walking into the classroom, EV was extremely unsure and was looking around observing the whole environment. Both teachers were patient with her. Teacher Elma helped her put on her apron, while Teacher Syafiq explained what they were doing that day. Thought still unsure, EV gamely sat at the table and listened intently to Teacher Syafiq's instructions.

The classroom had a square window that allowed me to look in and observe the class. At the beginning, EV kept looking out at me. I gave her two thumbs up and many big smiles, and gradually, I think the painting became more interesting than mummy. I was able to leave her in the class and go for a walk at the nearby Thomson Plaza.

When I came back and peeped in again, I was amazed by what EV could do. She was putting clay pieces in a plastic bowl, heating them up with a hair dryer, squeezing the clay together, and then making a star shape using a cutter, all by herself! If I was doing this with her at home, she will probably ask me to help her every step of the way. Here, she was so confident and independent with each task, I couldn't help but feel proud of what she had achieved. Also, her fairy painting was nothing short of amazing in this mummy's eyes.

It was clear that EV had struck a connection with both Teacher Elma and Teacher Syafiq. She really likes them, even playing catching with them after class.

Yes, catching! heART Studio has a wide, uncluttered corridor, which allows kids to freely run around without the fear of bumping into anything. The whole environment is very cosy and calm, and it is clear that a lot of thought has been put into making sure the studio is a safe place for kids to roam around. What I like about it is that the studio has three separate rooms for the three main programmes it conducts - Little Dali for kids from 3 to 4 years old, Little Picasso for kids between 5 to 6 years old, and Young Van Gogh for older kids 7 to 12 years old. There is also a room at the back with sinks installed at just the right height for kids.

I was so impressed with heART Studio, its environment and teachers, I signed EV up to paint vehicles and sculpt a robot. Here is EV with her creations.

Each of these sessions was taught by Teacher Syafiq. I like his calm and patient approach with the kids. He guides, but gives the kids space to exert their own individuality. He is funny and approachable, and EV has really taken a living to him. When we stepped into the studio for our most recent session, the first thing she asked was 'where is Teacher Syafiq?'. On the way home, she proudly proclaimed 'I like Teacher Syafiq'. Looks like you've got yourself another little fan, Teacher Syafiq. :)

heART Studio

101 Soo Chow Walk

Singapore 575385

T: 6554 7563

E: info@heartstudiosg.com

www.heartstudiosg.com

Disclaimer: The holiday art sessions at heART Studio were either part of a giveaway conducted by A Happy Mum or were fully paid by me. No monetary compensation was received for this review, and all opinions and images are my own.