Hillside Art Studio is a small, family-run studio nestled halfway up the mountain, drawing inspiration from nature. We offer a progressive range of art courses, from early childhood exploration to creative development for children, and professional training for teens and adults. Courses cover sketching, color, plaster cast studies, portrait, landscapes, and still life. Our signature watercolor course combines academy-style instruction with summer outdoor sketching, enhancing both technique and artistic expression. Guided by nature and professional teaching, students learn to see beauty, create beauty, and enjoy the journey of artistic growth.

Courses

  • Early Childhood Art Class (Age 5)

    Discover the world through color and light. Through play and creativity, children learn to observe, imagine, and find beauty in their own way.

    Class Duration: 1.0 hours

  • Creative Art Class (Ages 6–11)

    Building on early art skills, children explore progressively challenging creative projects: Younger Group: Oil pastels, markers and watercolor pencils; simple imaginative drawings and everyday scenes. Older Group: Gouache and acrylics; landscapes, still lifes, and more advanced creative projects. From feeling beauty to creating it, art grows with them.

    Class Duration: 1.5 hours

  • Teen & Adult Art Class (Ages 12+)

    Develop drawing and painting skills systematically. From sketching to color, from plaster casts to portrait studies, it trains observation and expression. Combining still life, creative projects, and technical exercises, it builds solid artistic foundations. Explore the vast world of art with professional guidance and inspiration from nature.

    Class Duration: 2 hours

  • Watercolor Class (Ages 12+)

    Designed for students with prior drawing experience, this course follows a professional academy-style watercolor curriculum. Students practice in-studio exercises and summer outdoor sketching, exploring still life and landscape painting while developing color, composition, and light skills.

    Class Duration: 3 hours

Meet our Founder & Art Instructor

Xiaojie(Alicia) Liu is an accomplished illustrator and pattern designer with a solid painting foundation and a broad aesthetic vision. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Hubei Institute of Fine Arts and a master’s degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and has worked professionally in New York for several years.

Her work has received international recognition, including selections for the AI-AP Illustration Award (USA), Cheltenham Illustration Award (UK), Creative Quarterly, Ijungle Illustration Award, and the Asian Illustration Annual. Her pieces have been exhibited at venues such as Printspace (UK), IDS Center (USA), and the Northrup King Building (USA).

Xiaojie collaborates with global brands including Lyft, McDonald’s, and Walmart, as well as international publishers like Barefoot, Macmillan, Editions Auzou, People’s Education Press, and Phoenix Publishing. She has published nearly ten popular children’s picture books and is represented by the UK-based Illo Agency.

With extensive experience in art education, Xiaojie is passionate about nurturing children’s creativity and expression through visual arts, combining professional expertise with insights into child development.

Portfolio: https://www.xiaojieliu.com/