The Firehouse Arts Center offers a variety of classes for all ages! In our classes, participants will learn the fundamentals of art, as well as the techniques and skills they need to create their own works of art. They will also have the opportunity to explore different art mediums and styles. Our classes are a great way for participants to develop their artistic skills, learn about art history, and have fun!
Our Instructors
Debbie Wardrope
Debbie Wardrope is a Bay Area native and longtime Pleasanton resident who has always loved art and has pursued painting for most of her life, even during her 20-year career in mortgage banking. Debbie’s primary medium is pastel, but she also paints in oils and acrylics. Her recent work focuses on the effects of light at sunset and twilight on the city, landscape and ocean. Debbie says, “I believe that art should be beautiful, accessible and evoke an emotional response in the viewer. I strive to create images that are immediately recognizable but are things that are frequently overlooked in the rush of everyday life. I love to capture the glory of God’s creation through the use of light and color.”
Young@Art
Flora in Focus
Come and be inspired by the floral art in our current exhibit and create a beautiful flower masterpiece or two of your own!
Fresh Works
Take a gallery tour of our own Pleasanton Art League’s annual art show for inspiration and join us in having a great time creating your own colorful artworks!
Art Fun with Ms. Debbie
Valentine’s Day Art
Come and make a cute candied apple and candy corn door hanger, a pumpkin mouse house and much more!
Friday, February 7
Friday, February 7
1:30pm-2:30pm
3:45pm-5:00pm
Ages 4.5-6
Ages 6-10
Shamrock Shenanigans
Join the fun and make some cute St. Paddy’s Day art! We’ll be making a leprechaun house, leprechaun hat sculptures, and a shamrock painting to decorate with.
Friday, March 7
Friday, March 7
1:30pm-2:30pm
3:45pm-5:00pm
Ages 4.5-6
Ages 6-10
Flower Power
If you love flowers, this is the class for you! We’ll be painting and drawing flowers and succulents in a variety of ways with watercolor, acrylic, and pastel with both 2D and 3D art projects.
Friday, May 9
Friday, May 9
1:30pm-2:30pm
3:45pm-5:00pm
Ages 4.5-6
Ages 6-10
Art Making with Ms. Debbie
Painting Exploration for Teens & Teens
This class offers an opportunity for teens and tweens to explore different painting mediums each week. We’ll experiment with water soluble oils. acrylics, soft pastels, and watercolor over the course of the class as students paint along with the instructor.
Drawing & Sketching for Tweens & Teens
Learn to draw and sketch in fun and creative ways with a variety of art materials and subjects. We’ll draw from life and photographs in the studio and do some plein air sketching downtown to develop observation skills and technique.
Crazy Creative Art
Come make some crazy creative art with Ms. Debbie! We’ll combine various materials, including joint compound, cardboard paint, and clay to draw, paint, print, and sculpt our cool and unique projects while learning about elements of art.
W 2/5/25-2/26/25
W 2/5/25-2/26/25
1:30pm-2:30pm
3:45pm-5:00pm
Ages 4.5-6
Ages 6-10
Artful Acrylics
Join us for an artful adventure as we learn the fundamentals of painting with acrylic paint! We’ll be exploring a variety of ways to use acrylics and experimenting with painting on paper, canvas, wood, and more with fun and creative projects that inspire.
W 3/5/25-3/26/25
W 3/5/25-3/26/25
1:30pm-2:30pm
3:45pm-5:00pm
Ages 4.5-6
Ages 6-10
Art Labs for Kids
This class is designed for kids to learn the fundamentals of art in fun and creative ways. We’ll be exploring color, value, perspective, and much more through the use of a wide variety of materials and techniques that spark creativity and improve skills.
W 4/2/25-4/30/25
W 4/2/25-4/30/25
1:30pm-2:30pm
3:45pm-5:00pm
Ages 4.5-6
Ages 6-10
Colorful Creatures
Love color? We do too! We’ll learn all about color mixing, creating 3D effects with tints and shades, and how to use warm and cool colors while painting and drawing fun and colorful subjects with acrylics, watercolors, colored pencils, oil pastels, and more.
W 5/7/25-5/28/25
W 5/7/25-5/28/25
1:30pm-2:30pm
3:45pm-5:00pm
Ages 4.5-6
Ages 6-10
Acrylic Painting Basics
We’ll learn basic color mixing, how to create value in your work, and much more. Students will paint along with the instructor to create several small paintings in order to apply what they’re learning. More advanced students are welcome to join and work on their projects.
Painting Workshop: Pastel, Oil, and Acrylic
This class is for anyone who wants to learn and grow in their artistic endeavors in a relaxed and supportive environment. Beginners and more experienced students are welcome. Beginners will receive painting exercises to get them started on the medium of their choice.
W 2/5/25-2/26/25
W 3/5/25-3/26/25
W 4/2/25-4/30/25
W 5/7/25-5/28/25
7:00pm-9:00pm
7:00pm-9:00pm
7:00pm-9:00pm
7:00pm-9:00pm
Ages 16&Up
Ages 16&Up
Ages 16&Up
Ages 16&Up
Charlotte Severin
Charlotte Severin is an award winning Bay Area Plein Air Artist whose works are displayed in public and private collections in the United States and many foreign countries! She has led painting trips for forty years and taught watercolor for 27 years for The City of Pleasanton.
Art Made Easy with Charlotte Severin – Intermediate/Advanced
Experiment with watercolor, textures, rice paper collage and painting. Subject matter to include people, animals, and nature paintings from life or abstract. Some watercolor experience needed.
*No Class 4/3, 4/10, 5/1
Zina Kassab
Zina grew up to love art and painting from a young age, painting next to her father who was a well-recognized oil and watercolor artist, her father was her first art teacher. Being that art was such a big part of Zina’s life she obtained a B.A in Print Design from the Academy Of Art and later continued her education earning another certificate in graphic design.
Zina has lived in the Tri valley for over 30 years and has been teaching with the City Of Pleasanton and The Town Of Danville for over 8 years.
Zina loves teaching art to all ages!
She strives to create a wonderful experience for all of her students if they are a beginner or an experienced artist.
Zina has enjoyed sketching, painting in watercolors and acrylics and has exhibited her work at the Pleasanton museum, the gallery at John Muir hospital and Harrington gallery at the Firehouse art center and continues to exhibit her art.
Acrylic Painting for Kids
Come have fun painting with acrylic! We’ll create themed paintings using sponges, different brushes, and other fun materials! Students will be guided with step-by-step
instructions and will go home with beautiful works of art.
Th 2/6/25-2/27/25
Th 3/6/25-3/27/25
Th 4/3/25-5/1/25
Th 5/8/25-5/29/25
4:00pm-5:30pm
4:00pm-5:30pm
4:00pm-5:30pm
4:00pm-5:30pm
Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10
Ages 6-10
Acrylic Spring Break Camp
Come have fun painting with acrylic! We’ll create spring-themed paintings using sponges, different brushes, and other fun materials! Campers will be guided with step-by-step instructions and will go home with beautiful works of art. Please bring a paint shirt or an apron and a snack.
Acrylic Painting
Learn all about painting with acrylics, mix colors, and explore acrylic techniques and textures. All levels are welcome. No experience is necessary. We’ll paint a landscape or still life from a photo. You can bring your own photo or use one of the provided photos.
Th 2/6/25-2/27/25
Th 3/6/25-3/27/25
Th 4/3/25-5/1/25
Th 5/8/25-5/29/25
10:30am-12:30pm
10:30am-12:30pm
10:30am-12:30pm
10:30am-12:30pm
Ages 18&Up
Ages 18&Up
Ages 18&Up
Ages 18&Up
Sketching
Learn how to draw, understand perspective, and contrast. Students will learn how to use the sketching pencils, shade, and learn a variety of sketching techniques. We’ll sketch
landscape, seascape, and still life. All levels are welcome! Optional $12 supply fee is payable to the instructor at the first class for new students.
T 2/4/25-2/25/25
T 3/4/25-3/25/25
T 4/1/25-4/29/25
T 5/6/25-5/27/25
10:30am-12:00pm
10:30am-12:00pm
10:30am-12:00pm
10:30am-12:00pm
Ages 18&Up
Ages 18&Up
Ages 18&Up
Ages 18&Up
Cindy Kiraku Ting
Cindy Kiraku Ting Certified Sogetsu Ikebana Instructor & Floral Designer
Ikebana has been a part of Cindy’s life for the last 25 years. Throughout her career in technology and her dedication as a mother and wife, she has remained passionate about expanding her ikebana knowledge and expertise. More recently, with exposure to both eastern and western influences, Cindy continues to advance her style and techniques. Utilizing both fresh and unconventional materials, she loves creating classic as well as more modern structures as part of her Ikebana arrangements. Cindy has been teaching and sharing her learnings and style through workshops, classes, and exhibitions as a certified Sogetsu instructor for the last few years. Cindy believes Ikebana is a lifelong journey as she continues to learn, teach and share.
Ikebana Flower Arrangement
Ikebana is a Japanese style of flower arrangement that focuses on creativity and individuality. The philosophy is that Ikebana can be done by anyone, anywhere, with almost anything. Students will learn the basics of Ikebana, create their own arrangements, be critiqued by Cindy Sensei, and take their arrangement home and enjoy. Fresh materials will be provided.
F 2/7/25-3/28/25
F 4/18/25-5/23/25
9:30am-11:30am
9:30am-11:30am
Ages 16&Up
Ages 16&Up
Ikebana Flower Design for Show Workshop
This workshop is to learn about how to design and make an ikebana arrangement for exhibitions. Each participant will pick one artwork from the Flora in Focus Exhibition, and design and create an ikebana flower arrangement inspired by the chosen artwork. This class is for the participants who have taken ikebana classes with Cindy Sensei.
