Discovered this gem through a LivingSocial offer: BYOB mixed media arts class for two for $55…read more Booking: Due to the demand for such a unique class and the typical size of classes (4-8 people), you'll want to book 2-3 weeks in advance. I called in early January and booked a class for the last Friday of the month (about 2.5 weeks out). The Location: Nice, quiet neighborhood tucked in the hills off the 192. She's at the end of a cul-de-sac, so there is a good amount of street parking. You walk down a long driveway, take some stairs down into the hillside, and then you enter LeAnne's adorable and intimate art studio. There's a canopy overhead made from yards of fabric loosely draped over tree branches. Two little tents house vintage aprons to protect your clothes, LeAnne's own artwork examples, drawers full of arts supplies, and more. There's a cute little wicker patio furniture set off to the side, next to the rabbit cage. And everything is lit by strings of twinkling lights. Wonderful atmosphere to get the creative juices flowing! The Group & the BYOB aspect: I went with a coworker, and we were joined by a couple. There was supposed to be another couple coming, but they cancelled. Personally, I was pleased with the small size of our group, because it facilitated great conversations and we all really opened up to one another! My friend and I brought our own beer and some cheese and crackers. The other couple brought wine and cheese as well. Highly recommend bringing a good array of treats to snack on while you work; it makes the whole thing seem like a fun weekend gathering among good friends. The Experience: The class is listed as a 2.5 hour class. We stayed from 6pm to nearly 10pm. We got so into our artwork and our conversations, and everyone was having such a great time, I had no idea we had been there so long! LeAnne was amazingly patient and never rushed anything, always allowing us to take as much time as we wanted on each layer of our artwork, and really encouraging both our art and our conversations to develop and grow organically. Her instructions were the perfect balance: enough guidance and suggestions that I didn't feel totally lost, but without strict boundaries, gently pushing me to take creative risks and explore. Not only was the art process itself a great experience, we had a great time getting to know the other couple in our group. I feel like this is the type of class you could make some great friends in! Recommendations: 1. You do have an apron, but you should still wear clothes you wouldn't mind getting paint on! I made the mistake of coming straight from work and almost ruined a pair of nice work pants... (my coworker saved them though!) 2. Bring snacks! If it wasn't for the second group, our snacks would have been long gone early on. 3. Bring a plastic bag or a tarp to put your painting on when you drive home! You put a lot of layers of media on your canvas, and it may not be dry when you leave. All in all, I'm incredibly happy I stumbled upon this LivingSocial deal. I would go back for another session in a heartbeat, and I highly recommend it to friends, couples, anyone at all. There's nothing else like it in the Santa Barbara area, and it's an experience worth trying at least once. Even if you don't think you're creative! You will make a masterpiece, and it will be associated with a great night.

The whole event was great but the towards the end when it came down to pay most of my groups of…read morefriends had groupons and the owner seemed very irritated like as if she didn't want us to use them.

My wife and I took a beginners class last weekend - what an absolute blast. My wife is the artistic…read moretype, and I'd picked the class for a birthday gift for her. I think I enjoyed it at least as much as she did. Tammy is a wonderful instructor, and very encouraging. For first timers, I was very impressed by what some of the students were able to accomplish. A wonderful experience that we will definitely do again!!!

Recently a friend told me about how great Tami was and her School of Mosaic Art. I checked out her…read moresite and saw a posting for a Pet portraiture class being taught by visiting artist Donna Van Hooser and decided I HAD to make a trip down south. Both Donna and Tami did not disappoint! Tami, who owns and runs the school, was great - she was full of knowledge, which she was willing to share. I was surprised at the extensive list of top notch visiting artists she's coordinated to teach at her school. Will definitely be back. Donna was a great teacher. First, she picked and prepared the exact materials that each student would need to complete their project. She even included some tools that she created herself. She was thoughtful and attentive to each student in the class no matter their work style or skill level. Her enthusiasm for her art was contagious. Very excited to finish my project!

After meeting local Artist Danielle Renee at an Elite Yelpers event, I was inspired have her at a…read moreBirthday party I was planning. What an Amazing opportunity. On February 17th 17 of me and my Friends gathered at the Palace Grill on the Patio! Yes they have a party space ( which had gone unused for years). The Palace Grill patio is a great spot to have a Great Party. Danielle Renee brought her Amazing talent and she captured the groups desire to make Great art . We drank great Wines and painted with wine Danielle taught us how to work out the brushes along with other techniques. Her wonderful personality and outgoing manner created the perfect atmosphere. Thanks Danielle Renee for turning a party into an Event! Ronnie S

I had the opportunity to take one of Danielle's classes recently and it was such a treat! I was so…read moreintrigued by the idea of using wine to paint with and Danielle explained the variety of wines well, including how to apply them onto the paper. She provided a couple different brushes to choose from and also offered that we use wine from our drinking glass to add more color options ;) It was such a fun experience and she let everyone get as creative as they wanted. The pre-drawn Santa Barbara outline was so fun to color in. I love my creation and would definitely take another class at some point!

Great place to learn to work with clay. In addition to their classes, they offer lots of extra lab…read moretime, enabling newer students to practice creating pottery. Very professional and kind staff always available to lend a helping hand.

We enjoyed this place on my birthday - Great little surprise for me. And we made really cute cups…read moreand bowls

I've come here for a few years now for ceramics so I can only attest to that room. There are many…read morewheels, three good sized tables for the hand builders and lots of glazes. Ample parking. Located downtown by Cottage Hospital. I recommend the classes to all!! Get creative :)

I went here for a watercolor class taught be Tom Hendicks. It was so good he taught me how to paint…read morelandscapes and sky. I liked it so much i even took two semesters at the end of class we even had wine.

Mac was my trainer and he was very informative and awesome, kept the learning very interesting and…read morelight. Really tried to make it fun and awesome.

I'm not a "learn at home" type of person, I know I could have taken the classes online solo but I…read moreneeded the atmosphere and the instructor as well as the other people in class to make me stay consistent with the classes. Pamela was actually a really great instructor who had good tips and real life stories to share. I would highly recommend going up to P.V. and taking this class with Pamela.

Gina's classes help students build a solid foundation of acting skills. Geared to prepare students…read morefor working as professional actors, students get lots of hands on audition and acting practice with clear direction on how to improve from Gina who works in and knows all aspects of film & TV. The best part is Gina's ability to challenge you to go beyond your comfort zone through encouragement and understanding your individual needs and goals.

Sick of acting classes where you're sitting on the sidelines while others perform? In this class,…read moreyou'll be on your feet at least twice per session, with a close-knit group that encourages you to take creative risks. Experience is the best teacher, and with Gina's insightful weekly feedback, you grow with every performance. Worth every penny! Jourdan

My son starting taking private acting lessons with Amanda and his confidence has significantly…read moreimproved. He loves going to classes because Amanda is fun and makes him feel comfortable. We are going to have him start the group classes soon too so that he can get even more comfortable in front of people and the camera.

We hired Amanda for private piano lessons for my 5 year old daughter. Amanda wanted us to prepay…read morefor 7 lessons. Amanda showed up for the first 3 lessons and after that we never saw or heard from her again. She did not respond to calls or messages. Basically she took our money and disappeared. My 5 year old was heart broken. Later I came across other reviews from former Amanda's customers complaining that they never got their refunds and there was a lawsuit filed. (I wish I saw this before we hired her). It looks like dishonesty is a common business practice for Amanda who offers many types of services, such as piano lessons, acting lessons, writing lessons, "Baked Blessings" baking cakes for charity, insurance services, singing lessons, you name it. I would recommend to think twice before you do business with Amanda.