Autumn and Alina of Little Leaf Art Studio

Meet Autumn and Alina, the mother - daughter girl boss duo team behind Little Leaf Art Studio in downtown Hahira.

 Autumn started Little Leaf almost 15 years ago out of a converted second garage in their family's home in October of 2012.  ​That second garage was, in fact, part of what attracted her to the purchase of the house in the first place.  "I have a lot of ideas," says Autumn.  (Incidentally, I might add, in keeping with her many ideas, now that the studio has moved to Hahira since November of 2019, the family has since renovated that second garage into a beautiful air b&b!)  Before I digress altogether though, what started out as exciting with the move into their newly purchased building, quickly turned into a "scary and emotional time" with the onset of Covid.  Classes shut down.  Autumn and her husband and family continued to renovate the new space even quicker than they had originally planned to with the extra time now on their hands.  Finally in June of 2020 they were able to reopen for art camp.  Everyone had to be six feet apart.  The additional square footage was key.  "We could never have pulled that off before," says Autumn.  
​Autumn, whose mom is an artist and whose dad is a photographer, comes about her artistic talents rightly.  A natural born teacher, she offers classes to all ages (depending on the medium) with Alina assisting.  Alina herself teaches a preschool class.​

Autumn offers pottery classes to ages 8 and up.

Behind Autumn here (left picture) you can see a whole wall stacked full of pottery molds.  There is so much to this fun form of art: feeling the clay in your hands, shaping it, firing it in the kiln, glazing it...
I love the sign behind her.  It's a little out of focus in this picture, but the colorful lettering says, "Mistakes are proof that you are trying."  I love how Autumn says to me, "you have to be willing to be bad at something before you can get good at it," and, "it's okay to be messy."  Words of wisdom there.  
Autumn says her goal in teaching art is not academic, but to give people an outlet for creativity, to facilitate others in enjoying the process, and to show people that you are more than you produce.
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It is impossible to walk into the studio and not be inspired.  The walls are covered in various paintings and drawings of all different kinds, mostly from students, but also from friends and family members alike. 

​Paint brushes and paints and markers and textiles and yarns and beads and clay molds are all organized in beautiful patterns that draw the eye and capture the imagination, pulling you instantly into a magical world where nothing seems out of reach.  Working stations are situated in two rooms: the "mudroom" for all things pottery, and the main studio room with all the other mediums represented in all their colorful glories.  Sitting areas and reading nooks made with an eclectic blend of textures and a vibrant mix of colors complete the space. 


​As if all this weren't enough, if you look closely you'll soon find the studio mascots: a bearded dragon named Dart (short for D'Artagnan), a grey lop-eared bunny named Boba Tea, a calico tabby named Kimchi, and the newest addition: a vivacious grey kitten named Calamari.

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Little Leaf fosters kittens through the Humane Society; and has even hosted events at the studio in conjunction with them.  Alina offers her time at local events as she is able in support of the Humane Society through the art of face painting too.  Kimchi was the very first kitten they ever fostered, and she has been only generous and welcoming of all the other kittens that have stayed at the studio while they are waiting to find their furever homes. ​

 
​All the animals at Little Leaf are friendly and kind to the students and their families.  ​
​​ Even though Kimchi isn't a fan of being picked up, she is very polite about simply making her requests known while still remaining gentle.

​​Calamari had a bad eye infection before he was rescued, and had to have one of his eyes removed.  He is very adaptable and gets along great though.  Of course Kimchi is loving him and has fully accepted him as a part of the family.​

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Pan pastels are a sort of a chalk you can paint with.

Some of the types of art Autumn and Alina teach besides pottery include watercolor, oil, acrylic, markers, pan pastels, and textiles such as yarn, needle felt and needle punch.

Little Leaf offers all classes in 6 week blocks.  They offer a teens and tweens class.  Three options are available to choose from for elementary age students on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.  In these classes they teach a different media type each day so students get a full experience.  They offer private sessions, birthday parties and summer camps.  Occasionally, if a Saturday becomes available, Autumn may advertise an open studio day a week or so ahead on social media.

Check out their offerings and information below!
​Visit their website at www.littleleafartstudio.com
​They are also on facebook.
Come visit them, find out how you can become involved, take a class, and become a part of the
​Little Leaf Art Community and
The Humane Society of Valdosta/Lowndes County.

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