A native New Yorker, Caroline Aoustin has always immersed herself in art and literature. She's been living in France since 2011.

Having studied Art therapy at New York University's renowned graduate program, she has 16 years of professional creative arts experience, including working with children. "I'm a therapist AND a teacher. Many of my patients do not know the first thing about making art, and this is where I must first teach them technique, build their confidence, and then get into the therapeutic aspect."

In 2009, her love of writing brought her to Sarah Lawrence College's The Writing Institute, where she studied fiction writing. "Words, the use of words has always fascinated me. When I was young, I remember other kids picking up comic books to read, while I spent hours going through my gigantic Webster's dictionary that my dad gave me. I loved that thing." She is currently working on her first novel.

The idea of L'Atelier Anglophone came to her after spending hours with her five year old daughter, teaching her English basics. Although fluent in the language, Caroline worried her daughter would miss out on grammar and writing until it would be introduced much later in the French schools. So using her daughter's favorite pastime, art, a passion they both share, Caroline found it a good medium to further her little one's knowledge of English. Soon after, she took on her neighbor's son with no prior English, forming a Wednesday group where they would engage in games, art, song, and writing exercises exposing them to the language. Now, Caroline hopes to share her love of words, art, and fun, in these workshops with children.