Arts Benicia will host a series of painting and drawing workshops at Mary Farmar Elementary School in February. The classes will be taught by Les Overlock. (File photo)

While a school day is not always enough time to learn the basics of art, Arts Benicia is here to make sure creatively inclined students have additional opportunities to hone their craft. After School sessions will be held at Mary Farmar Elementary School throughout February.

Arts Benicia’s After School program, sponsored by Benicia Unified School District, aims to give students an opportunity to explore the arts and develop new interests. The classes are inspired by the principles of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math), encourage critical thinking and problem solving and are taught by experienced art instructors.

The February session will be taught by Les Overlock, a painter who taught in school settings for 37 years, including a long stint as Liberty High School’s art instructor. Overlock paints everything from animals to human faces to planes to automobiles, utilizing different colors and encouraging painting outside the lines. For the past decade, Overlock has contributed “The Buzz” and “The Buzzard” to the Benicia Herald, which provide clear examples of what his work is all about. Overlock’s workshop at Farmar will focus on drawing and painting.

The workshop will meet from 3 to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays, Feb. 7, 14 and 21 in Farmar’s Multi-Purpose Room, located at 901 Military West. The class is open to all BUSD elementary schoolers in grades 1 through 5. The cost is $30 for members and $35 for non-members. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, go to artsbenicia.org/arts-benicia-after-school-2 and download the form.

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