Fine Arts and Design
The Fine Arts are traditionally thought of as those arts for which the beauty of the artifact or production is an end in itself. The Fine Arts may produce something useful, but they need not. They need only to be objectively and admirably beautiful. When students learn the skills, techniques, and forms of these various arts, they are provided with a framework through which they may communicate their own artistic visions.
We invite you to join us to learn these skills, techniques, and forms! Choose from long-standing favorites like drawing classes with Christine Jennings or architecture with Mrs. G., or one of our new classes in digital art, theater and film, photography, dance, music, and guitar. Whatever your artistic interest or level of skill, we can teach you the craft and practice to manifest your own artistic vision in the creation of beautiful things.
Liz Greaser has been teaching homeschool art classes for the last few years and recently received her Florida teacher’s certification in art education. She holds a master’s degree in library and information science and an AMS-accredited Montessori credential. She has worked as a librarian, adjunct professor, homeschool parent, and Montessori teacher. She spent five years making computer science more accessible for children through the use of Lego robotics and the programming language, Scratch. She has a passion for creative activities and you will often find her drawing, writing, knitting or following her children’s latest interests. She and her husband enjoy discovering new things, making stuff and helping their children to craft their own learning adventure. She and her family live in north Florida, where they are still two hours from the beach.
Christine Jennings was homeschooled by her mother and began taking interest in drawing and art through Charlotte Mason-inspired nature journaling. In high school she continued her education through an independent study program with the local high school, where she attended her first course in fine art. In college she continued her education as an art major, received a 4.0, and joined the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She received several first-place awards for life drawings and fine art, and her art was published in the college arts journal.
She has a variety of skills and experience in painting public murals, mounting canvas icons in churches, training in the art of iconography, and commissioned art works such as portrait work. She has also exhibited her art in local Fresno Art Galleries.
Christine developed a classical curriculum to teach students the elements and principles of art and design through drawing and painting. Uniquely, she teaches her students how to make their own materials such as artists vine charcoal, and ancient gall ink.
Christine enjoys living with her family in the beautiful Sierra foothills of Fresno county, CA. Her husband Matthew is a carpenter, and small business owner. He is currently an apprentice training to become an electrician. They have five lively children whom Christine homeschools through a local charter school. Christine loves to make time for following her many other interests. If she’s not cooking a big meal, she can be found exploring the creeks and hills, gardening, making ink, singing, researching ecology, foraging for mushrooms, and general shenanigans, all with her children in tow!
Clare Sharp received her B.A. in Liberal Arts from Wyoming Catholic College, a small Great Books-based college in the middle of the beautiful Wind River mountains. This education gave her not only a love for classical learning, but also a love for experiential learning – learning through experience and immersion in the beauty of nature. She taught for four years at Great Hearts Academies in San Antonio, Texas, teaching 2nd grade, kindergarten, and 6th grade both as an Assistant Teacher and as a Lead Teacher. When she is not teaching or learning, she loves spending time with her husband and baby daughter, wrestling with her dogs, playing piano and guitar, reading a good book, and baking yummy food.
Amy Gillispie and her husband, Father Robert, began homeschooling their nine children in 1999. Amy was graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Architecture, did her Master’s work in Liturgical Architecture, played the organ for her church at twelve years old, danced in a ballet/jazz company, worked as a photographer/developer, directs musicals, is a COPE certified health coach, a registered IEW teacher and a licensed Simply Music Piano Instructor. She wrote her own architecture curriculum and began teaching architecture courses to students from around the world when she created her business, Building Brilliant Minds, in 2009. “Architecture” and “Music/Piano” continue to hold her heart because the possibilities are intertwined and infinite. Mrs. G’s Architecture and Piano courses may be taken online during the arranged Zoom classes or privately. For more information, email Mrs. G. at musicarch.clrc@icloud.com , or visit her website at www.buildingbrilliantmindsonline.com .
Brittany Scott graduated on theater scholarship from Concordia University Irvine with a B.S. in Humanities: Creative Writing. She worked professionally as a production coordinator and videographer in the Orange County/Los Angeles area before marrying the love of her life and starting a family. As an Orange County School of the Arts alumni, she was excited to teach Theater and Film conservatory classes at OCSA’s sister school, The California School of the Arts. And now as she transitions into homeschooling her own two children, she’s thrilled to join the CLRC team!
Nicole (Coley) Klaers received a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida. While earning her degree, she worked as a physics, math, and SAT/ACT tutor at Socrates Preparatory School. After this, she taught Honors and AP Physics courses, Algebra 1, Pre Calculus and Photography at Lake Brantley High School and then at The Geneva School, a Classical Christian School in Winter Park, FL. She has been a freelance photographer for 8 years, photographing the UCF Newspaper in addition to weddings, newborns and family photos.
Coley now resides in Old Fort, North Carolina with her husband, Daniel, their beautiful new baby girl, Jemima Milly, and two dogs. Coley enjoys reading, making art prints and hiking in her spare time.
Amy Gillispie and her husband, Father Robert, began homeschooling their nine children in 1999. Amy was graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Architecture, did her Master’s work in Liturgical Architecture, played the organ for her church at twelve years old, danced in a ballet/jazz company, worked as a photographer/developer, directs musicals, is a COPE certified health coach, a registered IEW teacher and a licensed Simply Music Piano Instructor. She wrote her own architecture curriculum and began teaching architecture courses to students from around the world when she created her business, Building Brilliant Minds, in 2009. “Architecture” and “Music/Piano” continue to hold her heart because the possibilities are intertwined and infinite. Mrs. G’s Architecture and Piano courses may be taken online during the arranged Zoom classes or privately. For more information, email Mrs. G. at musicarch.clrc@icloud.com .