Decades of teaching, hundreds of students. We prepare young artists for portfolio-based programs, and now we come to your home or school to teach one-on-one or in small groups you create.
We have decades of experience teaching art and have taught hundreds of students. We bring the studio to you.
During COVID we closed our physical art school. Today we go into homes and schools to teach individually, or in small groups you assemble at your own location: focused, personal instruction on your schedule.
Is your child auditioning for the School of the Arts or another portfolio-based program? We sharpen drawing skill, technical knowledge, and overall artistic ability so they can compete more effectively.
Individual instruction tailored to your child's level, pace, and goals.
Gather a small group of friends or classmates; we teach at your location.
Our approach teaches a process of seeing that can guide a student in a lifelong pursuit of recognizing and understanding structure. Seeing is fundamental to understanding. If you cannot see, you cannot understand, no matter what career you choose.
Drawing divides into subsets of practice: contour, mass, gestural, and shape drawing. Everyday "looking" becomes "seeing" when an artist understands edges, cross contours, and the relationships that seeing reveals: size and proportion, negative space, value and color.
Those relationships are what masterful, expressive drawing demands, and what we train, deliberately, piece by piece.
Regardless of prior training, anyone can learn the elements and principles of art and apply them successfully to their own practice.
From a toddler's first torn-paper collage to a sixteen-year-old's graphite portrait, every age, every medium, taught one student at a time.
A good portfolio may be the best chance to cut through the competition and catch the attention of those who decide your child's future.
A portfolio is far more than a showcase for talent. It tells viewers who a student is: their personality, their interests, their ambitions, and it is one of the principal measures teachers, administrators, and recruiters use to find the candidates who best fit their programs.
We work with all ages and all levels of ability. While we help build the strongest possible presentation of your child's work, we also guide and prepare for any testing and interviewing that accompanies an audition.
We help plan and execute the specific pieces a program requires, whether for Charleston County School of the Arts, Cario, Rawlings and other magnet schools, or a university admissions package. Your child's finest work deserves to be organized and presented to its best advantage.
It reveals personality, interests, and ambition at a glance.
Decision-makers use it to find candidates suited to their program.
Guidance for the testing and interviews that come with the audition.
We recommend beginning a year ahead of time to plan and execute work that truly showcases your child's talent. Bring a willingness to learn, determination, and passion; we provide the rest.
During our first year of teaching, these are the results of our students’ success rates: gaining admittance into the highly competitive Charleston County School of the Arts.
In our first year, ten of the twenty-one accepted students came from Art Connects Us, when the requirement was a portfolio of seven pieces.
"Eric is my son's favorite teacher. He is excellent at teaching advanced technical skills and was invaluable in helping my son build a strong portfolio for admission into the School of the Arts. He is also an empathic, calm, and kind mentor who modeled artistic patience, mindfulness, and connection. I highly recommend Eric."
We work individually with your child at their own speed and developmental level, or in small classes. Students not following a portfolio track are free to follow their own interests.
Structured training and preparation aimed squarely at School of the Arts and other portfolio-based admissions.
Work that follows the student's own curiosity, with the rigor of real instruction behind it.
From first marks to advanced technique, instruction meets each student exactly where they are.
One-on-one or a small group you create, taught in your home or at your school.
Art Connects Us is taught by two working artists and educators: Eric and Dianne.
Between them they bring decades in professional studios and classrooms: art direction, illustration, and comics on one side; fine art, art education, and art therapy on the other. Together they cover the full arc of a student's growth, from first marks through a competitive, portfolio-ready body of work.
You'll work directly with them, one-on-one or in a small group, in your own home or school.
Eric has worked professionally for over forty years as an art director, illustrator, and media director, and as a successful comic book professional.
Across numerous agencies, his deadline-driven, results-oriented experience means projects get done exceptionally well, and on time. That discipline is exactly what portfolio preparation demands: a clear plan, real craft, and the follow-through to finish strong work before a deadline.
He is uniquely suited to teaching studio practice and developing a student's technical skill, from foundational drawing through illustration, comics, and the kind of polished, intentional work that a competitive portfolio requires.
See more of Eric's work at vincentmediagroup.com →
Dianne was a certified art instructor with nine years in the public school system and over thirty-five years of teaching in other settings.
She has been represented by several galleries and shows her paintings regularly. With a Master's degree in Art Education, she is uniquely qualified to help plan your child's art education program, mapping the path from where a student is today to the portfolio a program demands.
Dianne also maintains a private practice as a board-certified, registered art therapist. Beyond instruction, she can facilitate an art therapy group with your school, supporting students' wellbeing alongside their craft.
Families who have trusted us with their children’s artistic growth, many for years, and through multiple School of the Arts auditions.
At the Art Connects Art School, Ivy has flourished as an Author, an Illustrator, a Sculptress and, above all, as a Visionary Artist. Dianne and Eric create an intuitive environment where Ivy’s creativity can be boundless.
Juliet felt confident with her School of the Arts drawing test and interview. I had a peek at some of the applicants’ portfolios and it made me realize how instrumental Dianne and Eric have been in raising the level of Juliet’s technique, and how fortunate she is to have two experts guiding her. The strong foundation you taught her gave her a tremendous amount of confidence. Thanks so much for your hard work! Only time will tell if the judges like her work and potential as much as we do.
My two sons have been taking art lessons with Dianne and Eric for seven years now, and we have been through two successful School of the Arts auditions with their support. They have an amazing ability to bring out the best in every child, in art production, creativity, and a positive attitude toward the process. My children have come to see them not only as art teachers but as role models and personal mentors. Art lessons with Dianne and Eric typically translate into valuable life lessons! Despite having been at the School of the Arts for five years, my oldest son frequently seeks out their opinions on his artwork. Dianne and Eric have been one of the very best investments I’ve made in my children’s happiness. The boys always leave feeling accomplished, self-confident, and happy. They’re serious about facilitating successful artists, but they always make it fun.
I don’t believe in testimonials. They tend to slant toward clichéd phrases and overly abundant praise, which in totality renders them all meaningless, so I say this in the hope you’ll treat my thoughts as genuine and sincere. My son, Will Culler, has studied under Eric Vincent since he was five, which makes it six years and counting. What he likes best is the 1-on-1 attention, where Eric learns his strengths and weaknesses and works toward focusing on the strengths and improving the weaker areas. While his technical skills have improved beyond what we could have hoped for, equally important is that Eric shares our ideals (positive attitude, hard work wins, pay attention to details) and treats my son like the most important person in the room. Eric is not only teaching Will art, but life skills as well: how to plan a project, how to persevere when things don’t go as planned, how to present your work, and how to communicate through art. You are in good hands with the folks at Art Connects Us.
My daughter, Autumn, has learned so much from taking art classes with Ms. Dianne and Mr. Eric. She has learned how to use the proper techniques and art mediums on paper. Having this experience with Art Connects Us has really helped her develop into a better artist. Her experience in art class has been GREAT!!
A portfolio in hand can be tailored to whatever comes next.
We can't guarantee admission to any program; there are many factors beyond our control, and good candidates can be left out. The good news: once your child's portfolio exists, it can be adapted to whatever opportunity arises. It's a solid investment that pays off in surprising ways for years. You'll never regret the time and effort invested in their future.
Let's discuss your plans for your child's future in art. The sooner you begin, the stronger the portfolio.