ABOUT US
Joana Pratt López opened Art for Life in Buford in 2017, after teaching art, theater, and Spanish to K-8 graders and adults for more than 20 years. We’re happy to have a place to help you bring art into your life, only a mile from the Mall of Georgia!
No previous artistic experience is required to participate in our parties or classes! Our studio is designed to help teach those who have never made a painting, drawing, or sculpture, as well as budding artists.
Children love our after school program, which offers opportunities to unleash their inner artist and, in certain classes, to learn Spanish.
Our camps--which we offer during Winter, Spring and Summer breaks--are a blast! Adults can also learn with us in our workshops, where you can work with paint and canvas or work with cardboard, and our corporate and team building events are a great opportunity for business owners to bring their employees together to work on something creative and fun.
Every weekend we offer Public Artsy Parties, or "Paint 'n' Sip" events, and once a month we also offer a chance to Paint Your Pet! Guests are welcome to bring their own food and drinks, and we provide all art materials as well as plates, cups, ice and bottle openers. If you're interested in throwing your own Private Artsy Party, whether in the studio or offsite, we would be happy to help you celebrate a birthday, a new job, an anniversary or new engagement with a group of your friends and loved ones. You can find an array of possible projects in our online gallery or come to us with an idea from your own imagination.
We guarantee that if you walk through the doors of Art for Life, you will have fun while creating — and enrich your life with art!
OUR INSTRUCTORS
Joana Pratt-Lopez
Joana's art career began in Colombia, her birthplace, where she ran her own company that made Mardi Gras-style floats and furniture with a technique she developed using recycled cardboard.
Since arriving to the US in 2001, Joana has taught in many Montessori schools, directed a nonprofit program for youth at risk, and worked with Lango, a program teaching foreign languages to children. The adventure continues today at the Art for Life in Buford studio which she operates with the support of her husband Timothy and their son Dylan.
Lybi Cucurullo
Lybi is a conceptual artist and explorer, new to Georgia. She has been an educator for over ten years and graduated with her Master’s in Fine Arts from Brooklyn College in 2019. She is a conceptual artist who works in photography, video, installation, sculpture, and more. Currently, she is a professor at Georgia Military College and teaches a range of courses including Drawing, Painting, Art and Technology, and Art History. In her free time, she likes to unwind by painting abstract watercolor and oil landscapes that transport her to her favorite desert spaces.
Website: Lybi-cucurullo.com
Lybi is been teaching in our afterschool program and with adults at Artsy Parties on weekends. We're glad to have her with us at Art for Life in Buford!
Jae Montano, CRI®, CRFI®
Jae Montano is a Certified Ross Instructor® and Certified Ross Floral Instructor®. With a serious passion for painting, Jae specializes in landscape and floral oil paintings, utilizing Bob Ross's painting techniques.
Jae believes painting has the power to make you happy and she loves sharing that experience with others. What Jae loves the most about teaching is showing people that anyone can paint while having a fun and enjoyable experience! Her technique is all about making you feel at ease and confident with your brushstrokes. Remember, there are no mistakes, only happy accidents!
This wet-on-wet oil painting is for all beginners. There is no need for drawing. You just need a canvas then you’re ready to create your world. Every time you paint will find success!
Jae is now the only certified instructor through Bob Ross Inc. in this area of Gwinnett Co. and Art for Life in Buford is excited to have her join us!
