CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan -- For the nine students intensely focused on sketch pads, colored pencils and paintbrushes in front of them, “art class” entails much more than a 40-minute class during school.
The young artists, ranging from 7 to 12 years old, are participants in a biweekly art class at the Foster Framing and Fine Arts Center on Camp Foster.
Led by art instructor Eiichi Yoshida, a graduate of the Osaka University of Art in Japan and a Foster Framing and Fine Arts Center employee since 2001, students practice and develop sketching, cartooning and watercolor skills.
Yoshida, who has been teaching art for more than 15 years, said the class is vital to instilling a deep appreciation and understanding of art in his students.
“My goal is to educate [students] about art and hone their talents, so they can be future artists if they choose,” Yoshida said. “Even if they go on to have a different career, at least they will have had an interest in art, and they can pass it on to their own children.”
For Andrea Paloschavez, 11, a fifth grader at E.C. Killian Elementary School, the classes are just the start of her relationship with art.
“Even though we have art class in school, I like coming here to make myself better,” Paloschavez said. “I want to be an artist someday, and Mr. Yoshida teaches me how to draw anything. I’ve already moved up to watercolor.”
Although art is the main focus, the class provides much more than a platform for creativity, Yoshida said.
“They learn patience, socializing skills and how to be confident in themselves,” Yoshida said. “At this age, children can do anything. I’m just helping to mold them into what they want to be.”
The youth drawing and watercolor classes for children ages 5 to 12 consist of eight sessions, scheduled every Wednesday and Friday from 4:30 until 5:30 p.m.. There is a small fee for classes plus materials.
For more information call 645-3674.