Studio Classes

Daniel Mantilla (he/him) is a Colombian-born artist with over a decade of experience teaching young people, families, and adults. In his paintings, drawing-collages, and cutouts, Mantilla explores ideas of transition and instability. He previously lived in New York City, where he recorded instructional videos for public television. His art has been exhibited across the United States and internationally. He has studied paintings in museum collections in Spain, conducted research on cadmium-free acrylic paint, and holds an MFA from Hunter College.  

Jaffia Royes (she/her) is a multidisciplinary visual artist and educator with more than 17 years of experience in arts education (and more than two decades of studio practice). Originally based in New York and now working in Georgia, Jaffia’s art has been exhibited nationally. Art instruction remains a vital extension of her studio practice, and she works with learners of all ages and experience levels, providing instruction that spans drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Balancing technical rigor with creative exploration, Jaffia supports learners in developing both their skills and authentic visual voices. Through artist-led creative experiences, she encourages adults to engage with artmaking as an ongoing practice of discovery. Royes holds a bachelor’s degree in studio art with a concentration in painting from Florida State University, and she maintains an active practice across multiple disciplines while specializing in oil painting. 

Loi Laing (she/her) is a visual artist and educator working in textiles, natural dyes, and earth pigments. Her studio practice draws on locally sourced, ecologically responsible materials and moves between ancient dye traditions and contemporary methods, including plant-based color, hand-stitching, quilting, shibori, sashiko, and slow, process-driven making. In her workshops, she guides participants through hands-on encounters, using material process as a way into deeper creative and reflective engagement. She also brings a background in law to her work with artists, writing and speaking about intellectual property and the practical realities of protecting creative work. Her writing appears in This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community, and Connection (2021) by Jen Hewett, and in Tiny Buddha: Simple Wisdom for Life’s Hard Questions (2011) by Lori Deschene. 

Larkin Ford (he/him) is a painter and muralist whose studio is located at Echo Contemporary Art. Ford grew up in rural North Carolina, an experience that continues to inform narratives he weaves into his artwork. Beyond painting murals for the City of Atlanta, Ford has exhibited art across the city, as well as internationally in Ireland, Japan, and Belarus. He looks forward to displaying a new body of work in an upcoming exhibition at Swan Coach House Gallery in January 2027. He received his BFA from UNC Asheville and his MFA from Georgia State University, and in addition to teaching at the High Museum of Art, he serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Emory University.