Children engaged in an art or science activity at a table with various supplies, supervised by an adult in a well-lit room.

A calm after-school art studio

in Glens Falls for kids 8–12


We play with watercolor, slow down the breath, and let the painting take us wherever it takes us.

No pressure to get it "right."

Learn About Classes
A person with long brown hair painting watercolor swatches on paper at a table, with paint supplies and other people in the background.

WHAT IT IS

Eight kids, one table, good paper,

real paint.

No experience necessary, and no models to copy.

Watercolor exploration, mindful breathing, and gentle reflection, woven into every session.

Process over product, always.

WHAT DOES A SESSION ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE?

Soft music plays the whole time, low in the background, setting the tone to keep the space peaceful.

  1. Grounding breath — A few slow breaths together, shoulders dropping, everyone arriving into the room before anything else happens.

  2. Technique & practice — A quick demo of a watercolor technique or material, then kids try it for themselves.

  3. Open studio — Their time. They choose the direction, the colors, the pace.

  4. Closing breath & reflection — A few more slow breaths, while quietly reflecting on how they’re feeling.

See it in action (sound on)

The goal isn't a finished painting to bring home — though there usually is one (or many!). The goal is a few tools kids can carry with them long after they've left the table.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Somewhere, quiet got lost.

Kids today are busier and more overstimulated than any generation before them. Everyone is. We're all go go go and don't even notice it anymore. Screens are everywhere, living rooms, bedrooms, classrooms, even the headrest in the car. And when school lets out, it's straight to practice, or dance, or music lessons, then dinner, homework, bedtime, and it starts all over again in the morning. There isn't a lot of "down" time anymore. Kids don't really know what it means to quiet their brains.

A young person with brown curly hair is painting with watercolors on a piece of paper, sitting at a table with art supplies, including bottles of paint, a water palette, and brushes, in a room with artwork on the walls.

A child can breathe, paint, and just pause for a little while. Sometimes that's enough to matter.

A girl with glasses and a tie-dye shirt is painting watercolor artworks in shades of purple on paper. There are paint palettes, cups of purple water, and blank cards on the table.

What Zen Art Den offers is tangible, even if it's small — one time a week where a child gets to slow all the way down.

A smiling middle-aged woman with short brown hair and glasses, wearing a black top and a delicate necklace, standing indoors near a large window with blurry greenery outside.

ABOUT ME

I'm a 4th grade teacher in Queensbury, entering my 32nd year of teaching. Outside the classroom I'm a self-taught watercolor artist. My style leans mixed media, loose and meditative — the kind of painting that's more about slowing down than getting it right. Painting has the power to transport my busy brain to quieter places.

Hi, I’m Chris!

I've watched anxiety and worry rise in kids since COVID. So I started weaving calming breath and movement from my own practices into my classroom, and I saw how it could transform a room. Last year I started a watercolor club at school. Sixteen kids, dead quiet, all of them just painting — I knew then I'd found something real.

This is what Zen Art Den is built on.

I hope to meet your child in the den.


— Chris Herrmann, founder of Zen Art Den

A woman with sunglasses smiling and holding a watercolor palette while sitting on a deck by the beach. Art supplies, including watercolor paints, a water container, and brushes are on the table in front of her. The beach is sandy with dunes and sparse vegetation, and the ocean with waves is visible under a blue sky.

Kind Words

“I felt happy, peaceful, and I just felt like I was in my happy place. Painting makes me happy and I loved it.”

— Eliana, student

“I felt happy and calm and enjoyed the free time and the creativity we all got to express and that we could be ourselves.”

— Eloise, student

“I felt relaxed. I had fun. I loved it so much.”

— Page, student

NOW ENROLLING!

〰️

NOW ENROLLING! 〰️

First Bloom

Intro to liquid watercolors

Children will explore a variety of watercolor techniques using

high-quality concentrated liquid watercolors, including:

  • Basic water control

  • Wet-on-wet blooming

  • Creating value and depth with water

  • Salt textures

  • Wax resist

No painting experience necessary. All materials included.

  • Tuition: $160/4 class series

  • ‍ Ages 8-12

  • Limit of 8 children per group

‍ ‍‍ ‍Current series dates below, you will make your choice on the registration form

CLASSES

A person's hand holding a blue piece of paper with a watercolor texture. The background shows a table with blurred liquids in purple, pink, and blue glasses, along with some paper sheets and art supplies.

Thursday Series

4:00 – 5:15 pm

10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5

Tuesday Series

4:00 – 5:15 pm

11/17, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15

(no class 11/24)

REGISTER NOW!

  • Before the series begins

    • Cancellations made at least 7 days before the series start date receive a full refund.

    • Cancellations made with less than 7 days' notice receive a credit toward a future series, or a refund minus a $20 administrative fee.

    Once the series begins

    • No refunds, credits, or makeups are issued for missed classes, including a no-show to the first class without prior communication, as each seat is reserved for your child in a very small class.

    Studio-initiated cancellations

    • If Zen Art Den must cancel a class (illness, weather, or other unforeseen circumstances), families will be offered a makeup class.

Stay in the loop

Be the first to hear about upcoming classes/workshops, and receive thoughtful tips and inspiration about children, art, and wellness.

Send any personal inquiries to info@zenartden.com

A woman with earrings and a buns hairstyle is painting with watercolors or ink on paper at a table, with her eyes focused and her hands holding a small brush or pen. There are small pots for mixing colors, a paint palette with water, and several glasses of water on the table, indicating an art or craft activity.

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