THOMASVILLE- The Learning Center at Pebble Hill Plantation is pleased to offer two oil pastels classes for youth with local artist and art educator, Jessica Dell. This class will feature one of the region’s most renowned birds – the Northern Bobwhite Quail. The classes are offered Saturday, January 25th. The morning class is for students from 3rd- 6th grade and the afternoon class for students from 7th to 12th grade. All materials and snacks will be provided. Student’s artwork will be eligible to win the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Georgia Youth Birding Competition.

“Each student will learn the natural history of this bird and what makes it special to Pebble Hill and our region,” said Pebble Hill Plantation’s Program Coordinator, Kitty Spivey. “Jessica will then teach the technique of sketching the detailed characteristics of the bobwhite quail before finishing the piece with pastels.”

After the completion of the classes, the students’ artwork will be on exhibit in the Pebble Hill Plantation Learning Center from January 28 – 31, 2025. On January 31, 2025, scanned images of all the youth art class paintings will be entered in the Georgia Youth Birding Competition T-shirt Art Contest sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, where prizes and awards are given to winners in four grade-level divisions. The grand prize artwork will be showcased on the 2025 Georgia Youth Birding Competition T-shirt presented in April. All Quail Pastels Youth Art Classes artwork will be returned to participants.

Hailing from South Georgia, Dell spent her formative years riding horses and exploring the woods of Thomas County. Now, as an art educator, she is passionate about teaching students to appreciate the artful arrangement of visual elements, composition, and the dynamic interplay of light and shadow. Dell’s goal is to teach and foster creative, collaborative, and critical thinking, providing students with the tools for self-expression.

For more information, visit the Pebble Hill website www.pebblehill.com, call 229-226-2344, or visit them on Facebook and Instagram using @pebblehillplantation.