Earth As Our Primary Teacher!‍ ‍

Symbiotic Interdisciplinary Arts and Traditional (Indigenous) Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for learners of all ages.
Participants explore Sacred Original Algorithms that shape natural systems.
T.H.E.A. students gain hands-on experiences that flow naturally into the more applied, material-focused work of Earthen Futures studio.

People sitting in a semi-circle outdoors in a desert landscape, some with hats, some on chairs and some on benches, with supplies and water bottles nearby, under a clear blue sky.

Person sitting in the center of a large spiral of rocks on dry ground with mountains and trees in the background under a clear blue sky.

Two people kneeling in front of an altar decorated with white cloth, spray-painted with colorful spiderweb designs, inside a room with flowers and colorful decorations.

Colorful tapestry with a woman's face and celestial motifs, laid on dark rocks in a desert landscape with sparse green vegetation.

Person with gray hoodie and a ring on their finger is holding a rolled piece of clay with both hands, while another person in a white coat is assisting by supporting the clay. A bottle of water or spray is on the table, and a partially finished clay sculpture is visible.

Rx

Peri-

mental

Eco-

Arts

Education

Drawing of a scene with various characters and objects, including a woman at a desk, a bookshelf, a ghost, a tree, a candle, a blackboard with a smiley face, and surrounding elements.

Five people and a dog standing outdoors on a dirt path with a mountainous landscape and clear blue sky in the background.

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Our Story

Originated by Mx. Van, Terra Heaven Eco Arts (T.H.E.A.) provides intergenerational, hands-on learning across studio arts, outdoor education and technical skill development. Through experiential, place-based curriculum, learners of all ages develop creative confidence, problem-solving abilities, collaborative skills and environmental awareness.

T.H.E.A. was founded in 2011 while Mx. Van was raising their young children, in response to a gap in accessible, intergenerational programming. Art education was often disconnected from ecological and cultural contexts. Models that meaningfully integrated art, ecology and ancestral knowledge were scarce. With the goal of connecting learners of all ages; including their own children, to the processes of fine art-making while fostering awareness of Indigenous heritage and local ecosystems. T.H.E.A. developed a curriculum grounded in the land itself.

The program honors the intersection of art and science, offering experiential learning that cultivates creative courage, ecological understanding and community-centered engagement.

Informed by the broader vision of Ancient Pocket and in partnership with Earthen Futures Studio, T.H.E.A. bridges art, environmental stewardship and innovative inquiry to support resilient, community-based learning.

Now based in East Hollywood, CA. T.H.E.A. welcomes learners of all ages to participate in both in-person and online programs.

Ready to learn more?

instructor bio

* Top photo of Mx. Van by Vivian Rubin

Street performer dressed in white with black drawings, standing next to art supplies, music instruments, and colorful drawings on ground, with three people watching, in an outdoor setting.

Students of all ages explore:

Drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media
Nature-based art and outdoor learning
Clay, fiber, plants and natural materials
Herbalism and plant relationships
Individual expression and collaborative projects

Classes are designed to support confidence, creativity, focus and care for the environment.

How We Teach

Our teaching approach is an all ages guidance platform: gentle, structured and adaptable, inspired by Waldorf education, nature schools and material art-based learning models. Lessons are paced to support different learning styles and needs.

Students learn through:

Working both independently and in groups
Outdoor exploration and seasonal rhythms

There is no pressure to “perform” or compete, each student is supported at their own pace.

T.H.E.A. is rooted in Traditional Ecological Knowledge, which means we guide others to:

Respect the land and living things
Honor the wisdom and ability levels of intergenerational beings
Learn from seasons, weather and place
Treat materials like clay, plants and fiber with care
Practice gratitude, responsibility and reciprocity

Rather than memorizing facts, students build real relationships with nature through art-making and direct experience.

T.H.E.A. WELCOMES:

Children and Adults of all ages
Neurodiverse learners
Homeschooling families
Parents and caregivers interested in learning alongside their children (optional)

Programs are designed by an experienced interdisciplinary artist, nature educator, Waldorf-trained advisor and parent, ensuring lessons are thoughtful, flexible, inclusive, interdependent and family-aware.

While our classes are designed for learners of all ages and abilities, Mx. Van is also a California state-approved and insured online art vendor through Sky Mountain Charter School.

how to sign-up :

T.H.E.A. currently accepts payment thru Paypal, Venmo, Stripe, Cash or Zelle.
Students of every background and from all age ranges, levels and experience levels are encouraged to email for enrollment questions if you are seeking further details.
Most classes and workshops will be updated to the T.H.E.A webshop. If you have a specific skill training desired, class need or private arts session in mind please feel free to email terraheaveneco.arts@gmail.com for info.

At T.H.E.A. we value:

Respect for diverse cultures and ways of knowing.

T.H.E.A. does not package or teach Indigenous culture as a product. Instead, we focus on ethical learning, respect for place and nurturing a natural sense of wonder and responsibility.

T.H.E.A.’s approach to Traditional Ecological Knowledge is informed by the founder Mx. Van Ehecatl Santos's lived background as Mexica, Kizh, Hopi, Apache and Yaqui. With a lifelong relationship to land, materials and intergenerational cohesion T.H.E.A. does not replicate or extract Indigenous knowledge.

We Explore Fine Arts thru Play

Programs center relationship-based learning that cultivates humility, respect and accountability to place, emphasizing ecological responsibility rather than cultural consumption.

T.H.E.A. recognizes that Traditional Ecological Knowledge is place-specific and carried by living cultures. Programs emphasize respect for local Indigenous ecologies while encouraging students to develop ethical, reciprocal relationships with the lands they inhabit.

Children walking along a dirt path through a lush green garden on a sunny day.

A brown outdoor mat on the ground with various items including a blue water bottle, a white bag, a green magnifying glass, pink scissors, labels, dried leaves, and small cardboard pieces. In the background, there are green grass, brown dirt, and a fallen tree branch. Part of a person's head and arm are visible on the left side.

Collage of outdoor scenes including a green garden, a child doing crafts at a table with colorful fabrics, a desert with rocks arranged in a smiley face and a heart shape, a person and a puppy in a flower circle, a garden with plants and a hay bale, and a molehill in sandy terrain.

Two children, a boy and a girl, are standing on rocks by a river, looking at the water. There are green trees and cloudy sky in the background.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)

At T.H.E.A., Traditional Ecological Knowledge is not taught as static content, but reinforced as a living, relational methodology. TEK forms the structural spine.

TEK is reinforced through:

Place-Based Learning rooted in local land, climate, plants and materials
Intergenerational Knowledge Transmission through shared making, observation and mentorship
Material Intelligence treating clay, fiber, plants, pigment and earth as teachers
Seasonal & Cyclical Time aligning learning with natural rhythms rather than linear pacing
Reciprocity & Consent-Based Ecology emphasizing care, permission and accountability to place
Embodied & Oral Learning including story, movement, handwork, repetition, pattern-work and memory

Artistic practice becomes a method of ecological remembering, reinforcing knowledge systems that honor land as animate, intelligent and reciprocal.

Pedagogical Lineages & Context

Plein Air Écoles / Outdoor Air Schools

The Plein Air École movement emerged in the early 20th century from the belief that fresh air, outdoor learning and contact with nature support physical, emotional and cognitive well-being.

Founded by Prof. Dr. Bernhard Bendix and Berlin school inspector Hermann Neufert, these schools offered “open-air therapy” to urban youth, creating learning environments rooted in health, movement and sensory engagement.

Anthroposophy

Anthroposophy seeks the development and elevation of human consciousness, described by Rudolf Steiner as:

“The elevation of the human faculty of ‘knowledge’ to: Imagination Inspiration and Intuition.”
- Third Conference, Dornach, April 15, 1923

At T.H.E.A., this informs our emphasis on imagination, handwork, rhythm, observation and ethical relationship with the natural world.

While informed by Waldorf approaches to imagination and experiential learning, our programs are critically adapted to honor diverse cultures and community-centered practices.

Célestin Freinet Pedagogy

Freinet’s educational philosophy centers learners as active participants in their own education through lived experience. His five defining principles include:

Pedagogy of Work making, building and offering meaningful contributions
Inquiry-Based Learning experimentation, trial-and-error and discovery
Cooperative Learning collaboration and shared responsibility
Natural Method learning rooted in real-life experiences
Democratic Self-Governance agency, voice and collective decision-making

These principles directly inform T.H.E.A.’s studio structures, collaborative art ecology practices and TEK-centered learning environments.

Curriculum Development

All lesson plans at T.H.E.A. are developed by an educator who is simultaneously:

An Artist in Practice
A Nature School Teacher
A Waldorf-Trained Educator
A Homeschool-Fluent Parent
An “all ages” inclusive Studio Arts Teacher

Each program is composed with flexibility, care and respect for diverse learning needs, capacities and lived realities.

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T.H.E.A. carries forward the ethos of our Founder and Director

Ancient Pocket

Ancient Pocket is the living culmination of Terra Heaven Eco-Art teacher and founder Mx. Van’s (Vanessa Santos) 30 years of practice as an Indigenous (Yaqui, Mexica, Kizh, Apache and Hopi descendant with Spanish, Portuguese, West and South East African ancestry), Disabled Interdisciplinary Artist, Healing Arts Practitioner (Reiki Master and Auto-Immune Protocol Herbalist), Bio-Dynamic Farmer, Bio-dynamic Beekeeper and Studio Arts Teacher. They work across textiles, ceramics, moving image, drawing, sound, painting and writing.

Mx. Van fuses eco-disability advocacy, bionomic futurist ritual and anarcho-animist practice.

Work With ANCIENT POCKET HERE