Monart School of Art
Monart School of Art, 2590 Truxtun Rd #204, #204, San Diego, CA 92106
About
Monart School of Art offers studio classes that use the Monart Drawing Method to teach children how to draw realistically. The program includes on-going weekly classes at the Liberty Station studio, after-school classes at public and private schools, and weekly half-day studio camps. Classes use the Monart approach of breaking all subjects down into five elements of shape that serve as an “alphabet” or “visual language.”
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: On-going weekly classes and weekly half-day camps
Monart School of Art is based on the best-selling book “Drawing with Children” by Mona Brookes, who developed the Monart Drawing Method in 1979 through a grant from Pepperdine University. The Monart Studio opened its doors in Solana Beach in 1992 as one of the founding Monart Drawing School franchises. The original owner was Cynthia Stringfellow, and the current owner is Leslie Vaughn.
The Monart Drawing Method is described as a specialized drawing method focused on teaching children how to draw realistically while building confidence and developing skills such as fine-motor control, hand-eye coordination, project planning, decision making, and problem solving. A Monart class is described as a non-competitive, non-judgmental, and educational environment that promotes success and self-esteem and supports a healthy and positive sense of self-esteem in students.
Monart’s core values include the ideas that drawing is a teachable skill at which everyone can be successful, that children do not have to wait to grow up to be artists, that it is acceptable not to like one’s own artwork, that there are no “mistakes,” that there is no “better” or “best,” and that it is acceptable to be inspired by another artist and attempt to copy their work. The Monart Method has been taught in classrooms around the world since 1979 and has been recognized by leading educators as an academic program that incorporates focus and concentration, decision making, problem solving, sequence planning, and development of hand-eye coordination and fine-motor skill. The method has achieved results with children of all skill levels, including those with learning difficulties, and use of Monart in classrooms has been associated with increased reading and math levels and better concentration and problem-solving in public school students.
Monart School of Art offers after-school classes at public and private schools throughout San Diego County. The Monart Drawing Method has received national attention and has been described in publications and organizations such as The Washington Post, The Smithsonian Associate, Kennedy Center Events for Teachers, Creative Writing Journal, and The Whole Life Times, as well as by educators and professionals including Howard Gardner, Dr. Lucia Capacchione, Jean Katz, Robert Evans, Joanne Nelsen, Dr. Geraldine Schwartz, and others.
Last updated July 3, 2026.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: On-going weekly classes and weekly half-day camps
Monart School of Art is based on the best-selling book “Drawing with Children” by Mona Brookes, who developed the Monart Drawing Method in 1979 through a grant from Pepperdine University. The Monart Studio opened its doors in Solana Beach in 1992 as one of the founding Monart Drawing School franchises. The original owner was Cynthia Stringfellow, and the current owner is Leslie Vaughn.
The Monart Drawing Method is described as a specialized drawing method focused on teaching children how to draw realistically while building confidence and developing skills such as fine-motor control, hand-eye coordination, project planning, decision making, and problem solving. A Monart class is described as a non-competitive, non-judgmental, and educational environment that promotes success and self-esteem and supports a healthy and positive sense of self-esteem in students.
Monart’s core values include the ideas that drawing is a teachable skill at which everyone can be successful, that children do not have to wait to grow up to be artists, that it is acceptable not to like one’s own artwork, that there are no “mistakes,” that there is no “better” or “best,” and that it is acceptable to be inspired by another artist and attempt to copy their work. The Monart Method has been taught in classrooms around the world since 1979 and has been recognized by leading educators as an academic program that incorporates focus and concentration, decision making, problem solving, sequence planning, and development of hand-eye coordination and fine-motor skill. The method has achieved results with children of all skill levels, including those with learning difficulties, and use of Monart in classrooms has been associated with increased reading and math levels and better concentration and problem-solving in public school students.
Monart School of Art offers after-school classes at public and private schools throughout San Diego County. The Monart Drawing Method has received national attention and has been described in publications and organizations such as The Washington Post, The Smithsonian Associate, Kennedy Center Events for Teachers, Creative Writing Journal, and The Whole Life Times, as well as by educators and professionals including Howard Gardner, Dr. Lucia Capacchione, Jean Katz, Robert Evans, Joanne Nelsen, Dr. Geraldine Schwartz, and others.
Last updated July 3, 2026.
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