Last January I had the pleasure of creating and filming a three part watercolour course for beginners for Art Fix Nipissing, here in North Bay. Art Fix is a program run by a collective of artists with mental health or substance use lived experiences. They use art as a vehicle for social change to break down barriers and to heal.
I split up the course into three videos aimed at teaching folks how to paint watercolour without any prior knowledge or training. It was a great way to launch into 2021, but the global pandemic did shake up plans for having a professional videographer actually shoot the footage. Instead I used my trusty Nikon and did the best I could filming in my poorly lit kitchen. Somehow it actually turned out pretty well and I was proud of myself for how quickly I was able to pivot and get the three videos filmed in just over a week.
I’ve always wanted to do something like this and it was really fun to explore the process of sharing my gifts and teaching others, even if it was done virtually without anyone in front of me. I enjoyed the opportunity and felt humbled by the experience. Big thanks to Lindsay Sullivan, Training Program Coordinator at Art Fix for putting this all together. In addition to the videos I facilitated there were several other artist led tutorials and workshops available to choose from. Everything from filmmaking to collage and printmaking.
The project is all wrapped up now but hopefully I get a chance to take part in something like this again. Or, who knows, maybe I’ll start a YouTube channel one day. Check out Art Fix on the web or on social media to find out what they’re up to.