Hideki-Juku Art Classes For Kids In Burbank Just Might Be The Change Of Pace Your Kids Are Looking For

Hideki Juku entrance…sign made by Hideki

Unconventional.

un·con·ven·tion·al
ˌənkənˈvenSHənl/
adjective
adjective: unconventional
not based on or conforming to what is generally done or believed.

Some of the best experiences I’ve had personally, or with my kids have been a little unconventional. Trying things that don’t fit my exceptions often times blow me away and remind me that not everything has to fit a mold.

Earlier this year, Hideki Okuda, a longtime Burbank resident contacted me about his private art classes for kids. He was looking to advertise as he was hoping to share his knowledge with more families in the area… and knowledge he does have, but I’ll get to that later.

He offered me three free classes in exchange for advertising on the site. I suggested a review that he humbly insists I don’t need to write, but there’s no way I’m NOT going to tell you about Hideki-Juku. (And there is my required disclaimer)

One of the first things I asked Hideki (Or Hi-ducky) as my 4 year old calls him, was what does Juku mean? He explained that Juku in Japanese means a specialized school, or private instruction that happens normally after school hours.

Makes sense.

I watched from a distance as all three of my kids were given the same project to complete. He had given them all a basic exercise to see where they are in their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. As weeks of class go on, he then tailors the art projects to the kids strengths, whether it be drawing, water color, clay modeling or simply helping them complete a school art project.

In that first class, I watched as my kids all tried to trace a Mickey Mouse face, with grids given to show them how to keep a picture in perspective. He didn’t tell them about the grids, he wanted to see how they would use them, if they did.

My 4 year old refused. So, he told her to do whatever she wanted on the Mickey face. She began to draw circles in the squares she saw. Honestly, I had no idea what she was doing, but Hideki said, “You can’t tell kids how to do art. They see it all differently then we do. Everything is done little by little.”

Hideki Okuda is one of the most talented artists I know. His art is different. I asked Hideki what brought him to the United States all those years ago. He laughed and said, “Star Wars.”

As a young man, he had seen the Star Wars films come out and said he knew he wanted to make props and build things for movies like that.

And he has.

When you walk into his studio, you’ll see props everywhere. You know those toothpaste commercials with the perfect toothpaste squeeze on the toothbrush? Not real. Made by Hideki. How about that fantastic Snickers bar that closes out the Snickers commercials..also not real. Made of plastic and sculpted and painted by Hideki. How about the tiger paw used in the closeups in the movie The Hangover? Yup, he made that too.

Handmade by Hideki for his daughter’s doll house

If you look around his studio and yard, you’ll see evidence of an extremely humble, very creative and insanely talented man. Sitting outside the studio door is a beautiful, eerie doll house that looks like it once hosted grand parties and happy memories. He made it by hand for his daughter. Not only the house, but every single thing that lived in it, including the stairs, wall paper, light fixtures, furniture and kitchen sink.

I’m amazed at his talent, and his genuine desire to teach kids to use the art they have inside of them.

As the weeks of classes moved on, my kids looked forward to seeing Hideki. We extended our three classes into 10. Every week was either something new or a continuation of the drawing they had started the week before. He moved the kids around inside and outside and even hand built easels in one week for them all the use the next.

Classes with Hideki need to be a commitment. I have figured that out. A one-time class would be a waste of your time. My kids love him and consider him a small part of our family. My 4 year old runs to him when he opens the gate to let us in. My eldest daughter has had great conversations with him about judging your own art and moving forward when you make a mistake, or think you have anyway. My son is a busy body and Hideki works with him knowing his personality, by giving him breaks and letting him play with balls in his backyard.

We look forward to our weekly time with Hideki. A somewhat unconventional, extremely personal and custom tailored art class does well for my kids.

You can find Hideki-Juku online HERE and on Facebook HERE.

Interested in trying something new and maybe a little unconventional?
Make the commitment to this class, because Mr. Okuda is dedicated to your family, I know that first hand.
Contact him at 818-605-9463 for more information.