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Dear Homeschool Parent,
Let me guess.
Math? Covered. Reading, history, science? Handled, or at least handled-ish.
But art keeps sliding to "next week." Then next month. Then "we'll do a big art unit in the spring."
Not because you don't care. Because somewhere along the way you decided, "I'm not artsy. I'm not crafty. I can't teach this... or I don't have time."
I hear it from homeschool moms all the time. And here's what I tell them:
You don't have to be good at everything when you homeschool. You just have to find the people who love teaching what you don't.
Art happens to be my thing. Let me take it off your plate.
The professor who told me to quit
My name is Tonya Maroney. I'm a painter, a homeschool mom of three, and I've taught a couple hundred students in co-ops, homeschool groups, parks and my own living room.
But I almost never painted again.
In college, a professor told me art "was not the thing for me." I believed him. I put the brushes down for years.
Then I had my first baby. One afternoon, a little bored, I wandered into an art store and walked out with a set of watercolors. I sat down at the kitchen table, put brush to paper, and I was hooked from that moment.
That professor was wrong. And I've spent every year since making sure no student of mine ever hears what I heard.
"My job is not to fix it"
I've sat in a lot of classes with my own kids. And I've watched teachers walk up behind a child, say "No, you have to do it like this," take the brush right out of their hand, and "fix" their painting.
I will never do that.
In my class, if your student wants to paint the tree purple, the tree is purple. Everyone sees the world differently, and that's the interesting part of art. My job is to hand them the techniques, then get out of the way while they discover what they can do.
There are no mistakes in watercolor. Everything can be fixed. (Kind of like life.)
And my one rule? If it's not fun, it's not worth doing.
My son got to spend time doing what he loves — his art. I appreciate you making it okay for him to just do that.
Introducing: Wonders of Watercolor
Wonders of Watercolor is a 7-week live online class where your 6th–12th grader learns how watercolor actually behaves, and how to make it do what they want.
Watercolor is the medium most people are scared of. It runs. It blooms. It does its own thing.
That's exactly what makes it magic. Sprinkle salt into a wet wash and it blooms into what looks like snowflakes falling. Touch it with a drop of alcohol and it bursts into tiny droplets. Water, pigment and paper all react to each other, and once your student understands how, they stop fighting the paint and start playing with it.
Here's how every class works:
- Set up for success (5–10 min). We prep and tape our paper together so everyone starts right.
- The technique of the week. One watercolor technique, demonstrated live and practiced until it clicks.
- The element. Three ways to paint one thing (pumpkins, trees, evergreens) so they build a toolbox to pull from.
- The finished painting. We put it all together into a real piece they keep.
- Show and tell. I look at each student's work on camera, answer questions, and make suggestions, never corrections.
- Brush care and clean up. Artists take care of their tools and make their space ready for next week.
What your student will paint
By December 17, your fridge (and probably your hallway) will be covered:
- A stack of fall pumpkins they'll want to hang every autumn
- A pumpkin-row bookmark
- A hand-painted "Happy Fall" card to mail to Grandma or a loved one
- Fall trees reflected in a river
- Winter and Christmas scenes (families who don't celebrate Christmas get a winter version)
- A larger final painting that pulls all 7 techniques together
Plus everything they paint at our virtual Holiday Painting Party on December 22.
Week by week
| Week | Date | Technique | Painting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Thu, Nov 5 | Setup, taping, wet-on-wet | Mini pumpkins → Pumpkin Stack |
| Week 2 | Thu, Nov 12 | Glazing | Pumpkin-row bookmark |
| Week 3 | Thu, Nov 19 | Salt texture | "Happy Fall" card to mail |
| Week 4 | Tue, Nov 24 | Reflections | Fall trees on a river |
| Week 5 | Thu, Dec 3 | Alcohol droplets | Winter sky and snow |
| Week 6 | Thu, Dec 10 | Splatter | Christmas tree or winter forest |
| Week 7 | Thu, Dec 17 | Putting it all together | Large final painting |
| Bonus | Tue, Dec 22 | Holiday Painting Party | One festive piece, just for fun |
All classes run 1:00–2:10 pm Eastern, live on Zoom. We meet on Thursdays, except Thanksgiving week, when class is Tuesday, November 24.
I love this class. She makes it so much fun, and I love the way she teaches.
Is this right for your family?
It's a perfect fit if:
- Your student is in 6th through 12th grade
- They've never painted, or they've dabbled and want real techniques
- They say "I'm not good at art" (my favorite students to prove wrong)
- They're accomplished at art but looking to expand their learning and techniques
- You want art handled, start to finish, by someone who loves teaching it
- You want an elective your high schooler can count, plus a portfolio to show for it
- Bonus: You want an hour-plus to sip a cup of coffee or tea while your student learns to paint
It's not for you if:
- Your student doesn't want to be there. Art has to be a "want to."
- You'd rather buy your own supplies. (More on that below.)
- You need an in-person class.
Why homeschool families love this
- It's hands-off for you. Log them in, then go cook dinner. You don't have to sit in with your student.
- It counts. High schoolers can count it as an art elective (you decide how to record it). Everyone gets a certificate of completion.
- They build a portfolio. 8+ finished pieces by Christmas.
- It travels. Visiting family over the holidays? Bring the laptop. I'll come with you. I do love to travel! :)
- Nobody falls behind. Every class is recorded, so a sick day doesn't mean a missed technique.
- It's a safe, kind room. From the moment they arrive until they leave the virtual classroom, I encourage and require kind words only, and I'm watching every square on the screen.
My son has special needs, and he absolutely loved being in her class. She made it a place where he felt welcome and could just enjoy creating.
"Wait, why do I have to buy YOUR supply kit?"
Because I won't teach this class any other way.
Watercolor is touchy. Cheap paper buckles. Some paints go muddy. If your student's supplies don't match mine, they won't get the results they see on my screen, and they'll decide they're the problem. They're not. The paper, paint, tape or brush was.
So every student gets the exact same kit I paint with. I've already sourced it as affordably as possible without giving up quality. It ships to your door before the first class, and the palette will last for future classes too.
Here's everything your student gets
- 7 live Wonders of Watercolor classes (70 min each, live on Zoom)$245
- BONUS #1: Holiday Painting Party, Tuesday Dec 22$35
- BONUS #2: Replay of every class, rewatch anytime during the semester$49
- BONUS #3: Wonders of Watercolor Technique Guide and syllabus$19
- BONUS #4: Certificate of completion (great for elective records)Included
- BONUS #5: A spot in the online YaYa Student GalleryIncluded
- BONUS #6: $50 credit toward the spring semester$50
Total value$398
So what does it cost?
Not $398.
Your student's tuition for all 7 classes plus every bonus is just $179. That's under $26 a class, less than a family pizza night.
Add the required $39 supply kit, shipped to your door, and a one-time $49 registration fee per family.
Got more than one artist? Each additional sibling (grades 6–12) is just $129 plus their own kit. You only pay the registration fee once.
Two Ways to Pay
Enroll with Credit Card →Enroll with Step Up →$179 tuition + $39 supply kit shipped to your door + $49 family registration · Enrollment closes Fri., Oct 23
My First-Class Promise
Come to the first class on Thursday, November 5. If your student isn't having fun, email me before class 2 and I'll refund your tuition in full. Your $49 registration fee comes back too, or I can apply it to a future registration, whichever you prefer. The supply kit is theirs to keep.
That's it. If it's not fun, it's not worth doing, and it's certainly not worth paying for.
Paying with a Step Up scholarship? Under Step Up's rules, refunded scholarship funds go back to your student's Step Up account, not to you directly.
Why there's a hard deadline
Enrollment closes Friday, October 23 at 11:59 pm ET.
That's not a marketing trick. Every student gets a supply kit, and the kits have to ship and arrive before our first class on Thursday, November 5. After the 23rd, I can't guarantee a kit will make it in time, so the doors close.
There were students who only signed up for her classes — and they took every single one. They loved being in her classroom, they loved the way she taught, they loved everything about her class.
Meet your teacher: Tonya Maroney
Tonya Maroney is a painter, art teacher and homeschool mom of three. She has taught art to her own children for nearly three decades and to a couple hundred students over eight years in homeschool co-ops, groups and private classes.
She works in watercolor, oils, acrylics and charcoal. Before teaching full time she worked as a florist, where she learned that composition and color are everywhere, not just on canvas.
Tonya is an obsessive student herself. When something fascinates her, like the curl of a wave or the way a cloud catches light, she studies it and paints it until she gets it. That's the curiosity she passes on: not "paint it my way," but "look closer, try it, and see what happens."
She founded YaYa Cultural Arts on a simple belief: everything is art, every culture expresses it differently, and every child is an artist at heart.
Tonya is an approved Step Up For Students provider for PEP and FES-UA.
Questions parents ask
Can my student really learn to paint over Zoom?
Yes. They see my hands and paper up close, I see theirs, and I check every student's painting on camera during class. Plus, they can rewatch any demo on replay.
What does my student need?
A computer or iPad with a camera, a stand, easel or way to point the camera at their paper, a table, three cups of water, and an old T-shirt or apron. The kit covers the rest.
Can we use supplies we already have?
No. To get the results they see on my screen, students need exactly what I'm using. That's why the kit is required.
My child isn't artistic.
Everybody has art in them. It just looks different for each person, and they won't know what theirs is until they try. Watercolor is a wonderful place to find out.
What if we miss a class?
Every class is recorded. Your student watches the replay and paints along when it works for you.
What if Tonya has to cancel?
I'll schedule a makeup class so nobody misses anything.
Do I need to sit with my student?
Nope. Once they're logged in and set up, you're free. Stay if you want to; it's up to you.
Does it count for credit?
High schoolers can count it as an art elective; as the homeschool parent, you decide how to record it. Every student gets a certificate of completion.
Can siblings take it together?
Yes, if both are in grades 6–12. Each sibling is $129 and needs their own kit. The $49 registration fee is once per family.
Can I pay with my Step Up scholarship?
Yes. Florida families on PEP or FES-UA can reserve through MyScholarShop. Click the Step Up link and we'll walk you through it.
We don't celebrate Christmas. Is that okay?
Absolutely. Holiday weeks include a winter option for every project.
What time zone is class in?
Eastern. Thursdays at 1:00 pm ET (12:00 Central, 11:00 Mountain, 10:00 Pacific). Thanksgiving week we meet on Tuesday, November 24 instead.
What's your refund policy?
See my First-Class Promise above.
Two Ways to Pay
Enroll with Credit Card →Enroll with Step Up →$179 tuition + $39 supply kit shipped to your door + $49 family registration · Enrollment closes Fri., Oct 23
I keep every painting my kids ever made. Little hands, big pumpkins, purple trees. Those pieces are some of my favorite memories.
Give your student the chance to make a few of their own this fall.
See you Thursday,
Tonya
P.S. Enrollment closes Friday, October 23 at 11:59 pm ET so kits can ship in time. Class starts Thursday, November 5 at 1:00 pm ET.
P.P.S. Not sure? Come to the first class. If your student isn't having fun, I'll refund your tuition and registration fee, and the kit is theirs to keep. You literally can't lose.