Distance Painting: Recreating a Masterpiece

Funded Oct 22, 2020

I can not express my gratitude for your support of this project. Kids look forward to this project all year, and for many it is why they enroll in the class. Fall term I focused on drawing during distance learning. There was no end in sight for distance learning, so I started to wonder how I could make painting happen for my students. Giving every student their own set of paints was more than my entire budget. A parent suggested I tried donors choose. In a week the whole project was funded! I literally cried when I got the message. So winter term we have been painting like crazy! We are hopeful to be in hybrid by spring where I am planning to be able to do hand building with clay.

I have uploaded a picture of some of my students with their paint sets, so you can see those smiles. Kids were so excited to get their own paints. This term we spent 6 weeks on the paint a masterpiece on your personal stool. I have tried to enclosed some photos of the process and some finished products. We have enough paint that students will also get to do a free choice painting and paint a plaster sculpture they create. So 3 major projects happened because of your generosity!

Distance learning has been very challenging for myself and for my students. It is so good to hear how painting has made a difference. Students often say when we paint it feels a little more like regular school. I also made over 20 instruction videos, demonstrating skills like color blending, adding textures, fixing a mistake... The kids do appreciate these efforts to make distance learning more like in person school. Kids also are allowed to socially talk during class which is a great outlet and periodically they show each other their work, and encourage each other. As we have been wrapping up this project, many students commented that they didn't think they could do this project. Yet they were surprised with the quality of their final project, for me that is the greatest compliment! So thank you very much for making this possible. It has given me a lot of joy at this time.”

With gratitude,

Mrs. Kronser