Since 1984 ARTS UMBRELLA  is proud to have amazing and talented instructors for our ADULT and YOUTH art classes. They have always had the student in mind and created a relaxed and encouraging atmosphere in which the artist can realize their potential and find community.

Liana Bennett
Oils & Acrylics

Liana Bennett, owner of Arts Umbrella, has been teaching for over 30 years. In 1985 she opened  Arts Umbrella Art Center to provide a relaxed and nurturing place that both youth and adults can flourish in their art. She enjoys all styles of painting from abstract to representational.Liana studied at Art Center School and Chouinard Art Institute (California Institute of the Arts). 

www.lianabennett.com
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Eileen Casler
Youth Art / all Media
Art has been an ongoing presence in Eileen's life, drawing from childhood, classes at college, plus volunteering as an art docent while her son was in elementary school. But so much of her training as a youth art teacher came from a beloved youth teacher Rhonda Parent who passed away in 2017. Eileen was Rhonda's assistant for 2 1/2 years at Arts Umbrella learning under an amazing artist. With her children well on their way, Eileen is looking forward to expanding her creative life. 

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Emiliya Lane
Oils, Acrylic, Gouache

Emiliya was born in Russia and has been drawing and painting since she was three years old. Emiliya  has been constantly surrounded by the visual arts ever since.  

After a 15-year career in commercial art as an animator and Illustrator and earning a Master’s degree in Fine Art and Art History, she relocated to the United States and continued to improve her painting techniques with such masters as Scott Christensen, Jeremy Lipking, Pam Ingalls, Rob Liberace, Ned Mueller, Jim Lamb, John Bodicin, Ovanes Berberian, Kathryn Stats, Zhaoming Wu, Karen Offutt and Daniel Gerhartz 

 What brings me the greatest joy is painting two things:  capturing the everchanging features of Nature and the intricate landscape of the human face; where even the slightest change in mood or emotion can have transformational effects. I most love  painting ‘alla prima’, directly from life, in the Russian Impressionistic tradition with the contemporary twist of palette knife.

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http://artlanegallery.com
https://www.facebook.com/emiliya.lane/
https://www.instagram.com/emiliya_lane_art/
https://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/703030
Michelle Lustgarten
Youth Art / all media
 I've been creating my whole life! I was lucky to have the same art teacher in middle school and again in high school that inspired me to do what I do today. I'm a graduate of the University of Washington with a BFA in Visual Communications and I am the sole graphic designer for Honda dealerships in both Kirkland and Bellevue.  I also teach art at multiple elementary schools in the Lake Washington School District, and this is the job that brings me the most joy!  In addition, I am a member of the Kirkland Cultural Arts Commission and support the adoption of public art as a way to show that people care about the world in which we live in through the art that is placed in our environment

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Jennifer Park
Youth Art / all media

Jennifer was born in California and received a B.S. in Psychology with an emphasis on art therapy at San Diego State University. She began painting commissioned murals just after high school and continued after moving up to the Pacific NW. She has worked with children and young teens for many years from after school programs to para-education. She started teaching art through the Northshore School district’s Art docent Program following along the educational path of her three boys. Jennifer is very passionate about art and the creative imagination, and puts a lot of energy into building self-confidence and taking pride in individualist voices.  Jennifer comes from a strong art background on both sides of her family, and was strongly influenced by her grandfather, David Warren Seyler. He was an award winning sculptor, painter, and print maker, and head of the University of Nebraska’s art department from 1948-1960

jenniferrpark.com
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Steve Whitney
Oils


Steve Whitney is an award winning artist whose paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor have appeared in prestigious national juried shows. He is a lifetime signature member of the Northwest Watercolor Society and former president of the Evergreen Association of Fine Art. Steve offers ongoing classes in oil painting, with focus on the landscape. Painters in acrylic and gouache are also welcome.

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stevewhitney.com