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Art for all in Purcellville
When art teacher Darcy Swope retired from the Potomac School in McLean two years ago, she moved to Purcellville into a country home with a run-down structure on the land.
She worked for 18 months converting the broken-down building into a cozy log cabin art studio with the help of fellow artist Trent Carbaugh, and now the two have opened an art school there.
Birds of Feather Art School provides art instruction in a variety of mediums to people of all ages and skill levels.
“It's different, and that's what we like,” Swope said. “It's more about creative thinking and more about the process of making art.”
Between Swope and Carbaugh, students can learn printmaking, drawing, painting, collage, bookmaking and more. And they also learn about history while doing art.
The two teach together, and they also collaborate on art pieces, even working side by side on the same drawing or painting at times.
Carbaugh said a good portion of each lesson focuses on the history of the materials used in each project. He is also a living-history performer and will sometimes dress in the attire from a certain time period to educate the art students in a different way.
Swope and Carbaugh also want to be able to bring their art instruction to their pupils by traveling to community centers, senior centers or homes to teach. This opens up the classes to those with disabilities or those who are homebound, Carbaugh said.
Birds of a Feather will offer daylong creative retreats in November where students can come to escape the pressures of everyday life and immerse themselves in their own art.
“It's wonderful when people come in here and you start to see them relax,” Swope said. “They come after a long day at work, and they're uncertain, but after awhile they don't want to leave.”
Classes are mostly weekends and evenings but can also be scheduled by the students.
For registration, scheduling information and more, call Birds of a Feather at 571-439-6862, e-mail birdsart@earthlink.net or visit www.thebirdsofafeatherartstudio.com.
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com
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