About Art Fun Studio
About Us: Art Fun Studio has been dedicated to provide art education and entertainment for kids and adults in our community since 2015. As Picasso famously said – “All children are born artists; the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” we are helping every person to discover and express their hidden and vibrant talents by appreciating and creating art. Participation in art significantly improves a child’s learning and development potential while adults enjoy a reduction in stress from the sheer fun of being creative.
We offer unique and affordable birthday parties for kids and adult alike. In our walk-in studio you can stop by and create art work under our guidance. We make sure each bidding artist received attention. We carefully stock our shelves with the best and most popular items – so everybody find something interesting to do.
As a local business we care about our community. We provide discounted rate for neithboring schools so kids can enjoy arts.
Awards and Press
We earned "People Love Us on Yelp" Award 2016
Online Reputation.
Alla Baksanskaya
Founder
Alla is award-winning artist working with natural seashells to make mosaic, mixed media paintings, Sailor Valentines and sculptures from beautiful nature materials from all over the world. She combines the colors, textures and unique shapes of each shell to make a truly exquisite piece of art. Alla finds beauty and simplicity in the uniqueness of seashells, corals, sea glass, driftwood, pebbles and pearls. A type of this applied art called, Coquillage. Alla’s works are elegant, original and one-of-a-kind since there are no identical shells in nature.
She won numerous awards at a prestigious Sanibel Island, Florida, Philadelphia and New Jersey Seashell Show from 2009 to 2020.
She was introduced and fascinated to the world of seashells as a child. Alla was born in Baku, Azerbaijan and spent so many summer vacations with her parents on a beautiful beaches at the Caspian Sea. All her life is connected with art. It is not just a career, it is a life passion.
Since 1994, Alla has lived in NY with her family. It is where she has started to create art full time.
Alla is the author of the book Seashell Picasso Nautical Mosaic: 18 Art Projects with 18 Hand Cut Templates and has developed 30 fun art and learning activities for kids called Seashell Picasso Mosaic Kits.
Alla is a founder of The Art Fun Studio from 2015, a small business helping local kids and adults to make art with school trips, workshops and celebrate their events with art.
Some of Alla’s Artworks
Some of Alla’s ArtWorks – Sailor Valentines
- “Love”. Traditional Single Sailor Valentine, 2010, size is 11”x11”. The shell mosaic includes geometric patterns, shell flowers and sentimental message. In this Valentine was used the list shells which were described in old antique octagonal shadow boxes as a reference in John Fonda’s book. This work was made for private order for the woman with the first name is Love.
- “To My Sweet Heart With Love Always”. Traditional Single Sailor Valentine, size is 12 ¾” x 12 ¾”. Third place, Yellow Ribbon Award on Sanibel, Florida Shell Show 2013, artistic professional category. This Valentine was made in an original antique octagonal box using a strictly limited selection of seashells and crab eye seeds, which were described in John Fonda’s book for the Traditional Sailor Valentines. The shell mosaic includes geometric patterns, shell flowers and sentimental message.
- “Happy 75th Shellabration!” Contemporary Single Sailor’s Valentine, size is 17”x 17”. It is a very special King’s Neptune greetings for 75 Sanibel Anniversary.
The King of Neptune and his six horses were carved from the Jingle seashells golden, orange, white and gray colors. Garfish scales were used for eyes. For ocean waves in the mosaic used tiny green Nerite Snail shells, Dentalium Weinkauffi vintage dyed green shells and also crushed Spirula and Jingle white shells with a tiny Baby clamshell.
In the center of the mosaic the Neptune driving a Sea Chariot, which is Tridacna seashell and Junonia seashell with Allapora Pink corals like a present for the Sanibel Jubilee.
The beautiful sunny island Sanibel made out from the Jingle seashells orange color and looks like the happy dolphin. The dolphin’s eye is the seashell Museum on the island, and on the nose is the Harbour Lighthouse. Complicated dolphin’s eye made out of two parts: Garfish scale and tiny Mussel ”micro” Natural blue shell.
4.“Ganesha” Contemporary Single Sailor’s Valentine, size is 11”x11”
Third Place, Yellow Ribbon Award, 2011 New Jersey Cape Sea Shell Show.
This work was made after an exotic and inspirational vacation in India, 2010. Lord Ganesha is a symbol of wisdom, wealth, success and good luck in Hinduism. The center of the Sailor Valentine is made out of Capiz seashells along with a personal carving and painting all details done by the artist. In this work were used many different types of shells, their fragments and gar scales also. All work was done with natural color seashells.
- “Loving hearts is always in Bloom”, size is 16,5” altogether. (8 ¼ per side.)
Contemporary Double Sailor Valentine seashell mosaic.
This work received the “Honorable mention” Award on Philadelphia Shell Show 2013 and Second Place, Red Ribbon, Jersey Cape Shell Show 2014. All the design and miniature masks for this Sailor Valentine was personally painted and made by the artist. Sailor valentine is covered with convex, dome-shaped glass. On the left side of the Sailor Valentine is a loving heart which divides into two parts with happy and sad masks. “Love is never can be without sadness, but it is more beautiful than sadness without love…” On the right side of the Sailor Valentine is a blooming heart that surrounded by 8 different masks or main people’s feelings: happy face, frightened face, curious face, jealous face, angry face, apathetic face, suspicious face and sad face. Life is life… Happiness for a loving heart never has to depends on the people or weather around it. Surround yourself with happy, positive people who share your values… In this work were used: dyed red, blue, black, green and yellow Mother of Pearl shell beads and gar scales; green nerites, baby blue mussel shells, small dentallium aprinum white shells, ring top cowrie shell beads, sea urchin spines, Job’s tear shells for flower’s petals, sea sponge and yellow Littorina shells.
