PopUpArt!

I do love it when I’m right. Dont get me wrong, I dont obsess about it, or go around in this tshirt (much as I confess I’m tempted) but when it comes to teaching art, I thrive on proving that my universal mantra of “ANYONE CAN DO ART” survives the test.

I’ve been teaching folks, young and old, how to paint and draw for some time. I say young and old, but if there’s one leveller in this world, its creative activity. It really does get us back in touch with our internal child.

Like the much quoted #Picasso said: “Every child is an artist-the problem is staying an artist when you grow up”. That dastardly process of growing up otherwise known as conforming, which gets hammered into us as soon as we enter an educational system. Somewhere along the way, either through peer pressure or poor educational guidance or parental pressure, many of us unfortunately develop a sense of inadequacy when exploring our own creative expression, and we consequently steer clear of it. It sticks tenuously to the membrane of our self-consciousness, like gum on the soles of our shoes. We carry on walking through life, repeating our comfort zone mantras, “oh I cant draw a straight line!”.I

Well folks I proved you wrong didnt I! (Theatrical pause as I pump up feathers). Pop Up Art was a venture which in 2018 my dear friend Richard Powell suggested we launch. It was a match made in heaven-he is a wildly enthusiastic ideas man with serious organisational mileage behind him, and I am a flaky artist who hugs trees, and anyone who makes me laugh.

It has proven to be a resounding success. Maybe it had something to do with setting up a creative activity involving the copious supply of wine and nibbles- but I knew it would work. After all, it does for me on nights when dinner is done and I head downstairs to my studio, don my painting apron, open a bottle of wine and crank up the music.

We started off with a special family group request, a birthday present.
None had painted before, except for little John who is now not so little but who for some time had been attending my kids art classes.

And there you have it, after a 2.5hr session, (and a bottle of wine or two later), look what this bunch of “I cant do art” people produced…multiple replicas of a #VanGogh painting! Clearly, the class packaged as a fun social activity won people over who might otherwise balk at signing up for my drawing and painting courses.

Several more #popupartmalta classes followed, some participants even asking, the paint hardly dry on their canvas, to come back for another session. I can be forgiven for smugly rubbing my hands in glee. It clearly didn’t take them long to get addicted!

The enthusiasm and sense of achievement among all participants has been so rewarding for me. So, if you’re a “can’t paint to save my life” sorta person, I challenge you! Give this a go. Its 35 euros a session, all inclusive (wine, nibbles, canvas, painting materials). We’ll be posting up forthcoming sessions on our Pop Up Art Malta page on Facebook.