We moved further away and therefore haven't been able to take lessons at VAW for years. The opportunity to join the World Building Workshop came up for us, so we decided that the drive would be worth it for my child to participate in it. My child is on the younger end of the age range, and I was concerned that the long session might be too much for them. When I went to pick my child up, they were BEAMING from ear to ear about what a great time they had. They said they were not bored at all and that they were now a BIG KID because they were able to be in class and sit along with older children. It motivated them to continue to create and explore more. read more

Valley Art Workshop - Miles is a patient teacher, always looking for opportunities to share knowledge. - Art Schools Near Me - Woodland Hills, California

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Valley Art Workshop feels unique. I cannot keep this valley gem to myself. Miles Lewis, owner, has been teaching my kids for so long. I have tried to quit VAW but The Force is too strong. The price is reasonable, the location is charming and the teacher is a skilled, smart, kind, supportive, talented artist. When you walk into the studio, you are surrounded by different styles of art. I was floored to find out that they were mostly created by Miles. He's the real deal, a fine artist with patience and personality. I feel lucky that my kids attend. It's just a cool, peaceful place to be if you want to become a better artist. read more

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Amazing experience. Very profession environment. I recommend getting there early to find a comfy seat

Valley Art Workshop is a very special and enchanting place to come to learn about art. Miles Lewis is not only a gifted artist, he is also a brilliant instructor who has helped my visions come to fruition. After one year of hard work I learned new techniques, have been challenged and discovered how to enhance channeling my imagination. Miles has an engaging teaching style where his knowledge, communication, and overall uplifting environment come together to give us an inspiring space in his workshops. Therefore, I highly recommend taking classes at Valley Art Workshop. read more

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Miles is such a great teacher. He is patient and he will help you become better in sketching for sure. I took a free trial class yesterday and also a live model drawing class in the evening. I think I really benefitted from both classes. read more

Valley Art Workshop - Art Schools Near Me - Woodland Hills, California

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One of the cornerstone pillars of the visual art community in San Fernando Valley. I did my college prep for art school with Miles and it was through his instruction I was able to develop a portfolio that was met with scholarship and made my entry to art school much easier. In recent years Miles has been the host of one of the most enjoyable life drawing workshops available in the valley. Lastly I want to mention Valley Art Workshop has also been the home for all kinds of community outreach public art projects I have been proud to be a part of! read more

Valley Art Workshop - Art Schools Near Me - Woodland Hills, California

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This is such a great place for ART!!! They do figure drawing, portrait drawing and figure painting on a regular basis. I would say it's the best place in the Valley. They are great people who run it. Sessions are run in a large music room. Beautiful areas for breaks outside by the pool or on the tennis court. Lots of free parking in a residential street. They always have coffee and great snacks. And the artist that go are all great to socialize with and see their work. Can't wait for the next one. read more

I cannot speak highly enough of Miles Lewis and the Valley Art Workshop. Whether you are considering a career as a professional artist or an enthusiastic hobbyist looking to develop your skills, you will find great classes in a wide variety of media and styles. Several years ago I was looking for an art class for my teenage daughter. Her public high school offered no visual arts classes whatsoever and it was difficult to find a substantial drawing class in the area that catered to teens. We were both delighted to discover the Valley Art Workshop. My daughter is now an Experimental Animation major and a Teaching Assistant at CalArts, and she still talks about the classes she took with Miles, how much she enjoyed them and how they benefitted her development as an artist. She appreciates the individual attention that Miles gives to students as well as his "direct and straightforward" teaching style, and describes the beautiful environment of the studio as a "Sanctuary of The Arts." Valley Art Workshop is unique entity, a gem of the Valley where students can explore their creativity while developing concrete skills, and Miles Lewis is an excellent instructor. Look no further if you want to study art in the Valley. He also teaches children's art classes at the Tarzana Community & Cultural Center. read more

Valley Art Workshop - Miles teaching an art class at TCCC - Art Schools Near Me - Woodland Hills, California

I've been attending Valley Art Workshop since Summer 2018 for Gallery Girls' monthly Sunday Brunch Long-Pose and recent Sunday afternoons as well. I've also done a few of the Tuesday evening Portrait Sessions (even posing for one myself!). VAW is one of the more coziest and laid-back workshops I've had the pleasure of attending. And I've attended many! Miles and Co. are absolutely wonderful in making the artists feel at home. Before the sessions start, things are prepped for the model and artists. They also provided delicious food for the Sunday Brunch which never stopped being served until the end of class. Workshop locations should always feel welcoming and inspiring. Miles' home is great as it is spacious, quiet, and inspiring with the many Art History books he has. Which he lets you look through! Miles himself is very warm and friendly. Even though I only come for uninstructed sessions, I have overheard him teach students attending. It makes me yearn to have been a student of his. Besides the uninstructed workshops, VAW holds instructed classes as well, so there's many options for everyone. Highly recommended for the young to start learning and to the hobbyists/professionals looking to improve their craft. Thanks VAW! read more

Valley Art Workshop - Tuesday Evening Portrait Session - Art Schools Near Me - Woodland Hills, California

It was my first time taking a figure drawing class from here. I signed up for the $85 2-month figure drawing class. The atmosphere of the place is just very engaging and welcoming. You share a space with a community of people, all enjoying one thing: ART. It feels great to be in there every weekend, sharing a hobby or passion with people who show no judgment whether you're new or just improving your skills. I definitely recommend this place if you need an outlet or new hobby in the art field! read more

What a wonderful place to learn and create art! I took Nick Runge's watercolor workshop, who is a great teacher, specially for watercolors. We took the class outdoors in the tennis court. Everyone at the workshop was really nice and friendly. The age groups and the skill levels of the students were diverse. The property is quite spacious, relaxing, and quiet, an excellent place for learning and creating art. It is quite an unique place. I would definitely recommend taking classes here. read more

I attended a variety of classes with Miles and the many guest instructors at the Valley Art Workshop for 4-5 years throughout high school and into college. I credit Miles and the workshop with being able to take what was a hobby and passion for me into a sustainable career that I love. Miles is a master at his craft but also extremely humble and always learning about all art forms and passing that passion on to his students. I was an avid drawer and painter in my teen years, but Miles introduced me to mediums such as print-making and sculpture that set me on a path to going to university for graphic design and becoming a full-time graphic designer. Valley Art's classes are multi-disciplinary and teach a wide variety of skills valuable in all aspects of art. Miles takes and interest in getting to know each and every student personally and the curriculum at the Valley Art Workshop was far and away the most valuable art education I have ever received. read more

I was looking for an art class for the kiddos. One that was less 'copy this' and more 'let's explore art styles'. I was so impressed with how Miles was able to instantly judge each kid's level and boost their passion for their art. I loved it so much that I (middle aged mom that could only draw stick figures) decided to try. It is now my weekly happy place. Oh and bonus he has a studio cat and dog! read more

Best experience and best Art teacher Thank you to Miles for serving the community with passion and love read more

Though I've attended Valley Art on and off since I was in high school, the most productive period I participated in was a 2 year stretch starting a few years ago before I went back to college for animation. During that time, I was taking life drawing and portaiture classes 2-3 times a week as well as a general instruction time in which I would work on personal projects, exercises, and finalizing pieces. Miles Lewis is a prolific and talented artist with experience in drawing, painting, sculpture, and printmaking among other mediums. He'll forever be a model that I hold future teachers too because he is an instructor who is willing, able, and excited to share his knowledge with his students but is also never afraid to keep learning. As a teacher he is inquisitive and has a specific talent for helping his students understand how to construct images from what they see, either in life or imagination. Art is the foundation he teaches upon, but the topics of his lessons reached into every crevice of life. I learned to better understand how to identify my shortcomings, to ask better questions, to address anxiety about creating art, to create habits that benefitted me as an artist, the list honestly goes on and on. Maybe more importantly, he kept classes fun. I literally can't recommend his classes enough. read more

I started my artistic path in earnest at Valley Art. There is simply not a more competent, approachable, and knowledgeable instructor than Miles Lewis. I was fortunate enough to take several years of classes touching on topics ranging from painting, copper etching, printmaking, digital layout/concept art, landscapes, still lives, and live model life drawing. I was introduced to styles and mediums that are abysmally lacking in school art programs. In painting (a medium I found intimidating before taking the class) we used gouache, egg tempera, raw pigment oils, ink, and watercolor. This introduction to painting presented it as the beautiful passion and craft it is, as well as contextualizing it with the introduction of great artists, art history, and technique I am still harboring an obsession for. We learned more about layout, color theory/mixing, style, and technique in one class than I did in four years of undergraduate courses. The Life drawing classes I took here are still the most valuable courses I have taken to date. The portfolio we built got me into the majority of my top art schools, and the techniques I learned at Valley Art have proved accurate and beneficial constantly. Miles is a gifted painter, but his best gift may be in how he conveys his expertise. The classes are intimate and deeply informative while still being fun. Not a single class went by, that I didn't feel like a better draftsman and technical artist. We went to galleries and museums. We sketched and painted landscapes in person. We even got experience doing a mural which was extremely cool to be a part of. Miles is also a community leader in the environmental activism movement, and showed me how art can be a tool for speaking out and unifying people. Go here. Send your kids here. Do what you have to do to be a part of this community. read more

Started my daughter off here and haven't looked back since. Miles is a great teacher that caters to each of his students own style. Over the years he's taught her how to create art with several different mediums and exposed her to various techniques. His patience with the students is unmatched and he works hard to continually provide a positive and peaceful environment. I can't say enough good things about his studio. Whether you're considering classes for your child/teen or taking a weekend live study with the adults, you won't be disappointed. I highly recommend!!! read more

I went through several "art schools" in the Valley looking for best opportunity for my kids to learn. Unfortunately most of children's art instructions are taught by amateurs. Children copy pretty photos of landscapes, animals, or other "whimsical material". Valley Art Workshop stands out immediately. First of all it's professional artist guided. Kids deal with shades, perspective, values on serious level, yet in friendly and enjoyable environment. My boys made more progress after one year in VAW than in five previous years in other art classes. As far as I know this workshop is the best place for young adults' after school art education in San Fernando Valley. read more

As a model, I've participated in many different instructed classes and workshops. Miles manages both at the Valley Art Workshop; in one space at one time, and with growing success. I've seen all ages and experience levels represented, and many, many fine drawings. (The snacks are delicious and real food too!) read more

This was my first time taking a class here, and I was just blown away! Held in a beautiful and of course artsy home, with a large (yet cozy) area that is used for art classes and concerts. I took a watercolor portrait class with guest artist Nick Runge, and it was incredible. He was a great teacher, and everyone was so nice! Artists of all different levels were able to observe, learn both from the teacher and each other, and paint using techniques and ideas we had just discovered, and as a veteran art class participant, I was both surprised and warmed by everyone clapping at the end:). Not something that happens regularly in other classes! I have already registered for another class, as well as signed up for their newsletter, which I strongly recommend. If you do not arrive early, parking may be a block or two away, as it is in a residential neighborhood, so make sure you bring a cart or backpack for your supplies. That way one trip is all you need... Lots of impressive offerings to choose from, and so professionally managed. My only wish would have been for an emergency contact phone number, so I wouldn't have been so freaked out about where to park. And, don't pass the street by, as it's a long one way circle to get back! read more

I have a daughter that loves drawing, painting, and creating, but with all of her required classes in High School she didn't have room to fit in an art class. I was searching the valley for an art class when a friend of mine gave me a flyer for Valley Art Workshop. I called right away and my daughter started her class the same week. The studio is nice and comfortable, not that large, but there is plenty of room. Miles is fabulous, he is the owner and instructor, my daughter loves his classes and her art work has really improved. The classes are small and the students get plenty of individual attention. Sometimes homework is given, which is nice especially in the summer. They've taken field trips to the Getty and have had art shows on the property. When it was time for my daughter to put together a portfolio for college Miles helped decide which pieces would be best to include. There are different classes to choose from, drawing and painting, live drawing, and print making. There are guest artist that give classes also. Live drawing classes can get pretty large, but there is a nice large space and your student still gets plenty of help and attention. All in all, Valley Art Workshop is the best, and I couldn't ask for a better teacher than Miles. read more

I can't recommend this school enough! As a guest instructor for a few different workshops here, I have to say, the environment is amazing. Extremely professional and structured, but at the same time, open and friendly as far as the atmosphere. Working with the studio host Miles Lewis is always a pleasure too, and as a fellow artist, he's very capable at both craft and collaboration. He's truly skilled and innovative. Anyone who's interested in attending classes as a student or teaching workshops here won't be disappointed. Such a great place! read more

My 11 year old daughter absolutely loves taking art class with Miles. She has been taking his class for a year. Under Miles' instruction, her artistic techniques have grown dramatically in a relatively short time. He is patient, engaging, and knowledgeable and creates a welcoming, warm, and relaxed learning environment. He provides one-on-one instruction during the class, so everyone feels like they are able to express their own styles and work on the individual skills that they are interested in. This school is unique because Miles allows his students to choose their own projects. So, one student might be doing a water color of a still life while another is doing a master study in pencil. He does not create a cookie cutter curriculum where everyone has to do the same project at the same time. I highly recommend VAW and have been extremely happy with my daughter's experience there. read more

Miles was my art teacher throughout my high school and collage years. His insight and artistry was always an inspiration. Valley Art Workshop gave me all the tools I needed to become a working artist. I highly recommend attending at least and class and seeing for yourself. I am forever indebted to Valley Art. read more

This art program is one of the best around. Miles is extremely knowledgeable and my 13 year old son advanced greatly in traditional drawing skills. The environment is welcoming and nurturing. I highly recommend it. read more