FARMINGTON – The Foothills Arts Center will offer three new Saturday art classes for children, starting Saturday, March 5, at the center, adjacent to Meetinghouse Park downtown.

“Crafty Creatures and Creations” will feature a variety of 2-D and 3-D projects for children in kindergarten through grade three. The media and techniques will include drawing, painting, print-making and woven paper. The children will also make masks, kites and puppets. The class will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. for six weeks, ending on April 9.

“Art of Card-Making” is a class for fourth through sixth graders that will focus on fun ways to create one-of-a-kind greeting cards. Participants will learn techniques of printing, batik design, pop-ups and embossing.

The techniques use a myriad of materials that will bring the cards to life: watercolors, collage, tissue paper and wax-resist. The class will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for six weeks, ending on April 9.

Debbi Hiltz will be the instructor for “Crafty Creatures” and “Card-Making.” She has taught for many years in the SAD 9 schools and for Foothills Summer Arts. In her own art work, in addition to traditional portraiture, she enjoys combining unusual materials, such as photographs and drawings, to place real people in fantasy-like settings.

The third class starting on March 5 is a new session of the “Drawing for Kids” that Brent Laflin and Foothills initiated in February. The class was filled to capacity, and Foothills has a waiting list that will fill part of the March session. There are a few slots left, so people should call to sign up.

“Drawing for Kids” is a five-week session for kids ages 6 to 9 that be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m., ending on April 2. Laflin will introduce the kids to many of the basics of drawing: composition, line and contour, shading, perspective.

As they are learning the techniques, the young artists will create drawings from their imagination and use a variety of materials, including ebony pencils, markers, colored pencils and crayons.

Laflin has experience teaching adults and children in a wide range of settings in the community. He is a social worker in the Farmington area. He creates whimsical outdoor sculptures that combine various metals and found objects.

The goal is to stimulate imaginations and to teach skills that can be used into the future. All levels of ability are welcome.

The fee for the two six-week sessions is $45 each. The fee for the five-week session is $37.50. A sliding fee scale is available for people who cannot afford the full fee.

To sign up, contact Foothills director Anne Geller at 778-0448 or info@foothillsarts.org. The center is a nonprofit community organization that brings together children and adults, artists and audiences of Western Maine to share the arts in an atmosphere that encourages learning, exploration, and collaboration. For more information about the center, people can visit www.foothillsarts.org.