Let's Create!

Let’s Create Art Studio in Denville has generously gifted our students an opportunity to experience a special, unique art technique called paint pour. Owner and Artist, Annie Felice recognized that this very trendy and popular art form was a good fit for students with sensory and development challenges, and thought of Celebrate the Children school, right down the road in Denville.
 
As a community-conscious business, Let’s Create Art Studio is providing this experience for absolutely no charge; supplying all the materials and staff so our students can fully participate. Let’s Create has given back to the local community by not only offering free art lessons, but by creating a wonderful Community-Based Instruction opportunity for our students. 
 
Let’s Create Studio is a cheery, art and light-filled space, and our young artists immediately feel welcome and comfortable. Annie works one-on-one with each student artist explaining and facilitating an authentically created personal work. Students select and pour beautiful colors and then manipulate the canvas watching their colors turn into fantastic one-of-a-kind art.
 
Many of my students have not had the opportunity to work with other art teachers. I am delighted to have met such a knowledgeable professional in my field who cares so deeply about children of all abilities and is open to all kinds of making. I am happy and grateful to share my students with a teacher who puts theory into practice and understands the power of art by making it accessible for all. Pride and self-esteem come from real, genuine experiences, and we realized that at Let’s Create.

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What’s Paint Pour?
 
I always tell my students that artists have to know a little bit (sometimes a lot) of chemistry to be successful. The first chemistry fact in art is that water is the universal solvent. The second chemistry fact is that oil (and wax) and water don’t mix. Artists use this fact to a great advantage. Our students exploit that rule in many, many of the works we create at CTC.
 
Paint pour is an example of the third art chemistry fact or term in my class ...viscosity. Viscosity is the stickiness or density of a substance. We use this to great advantage in printmaking and is the theory behind Paint Pour.
 
 
So how does Paint Pour work?
 
The same paint of varying colors is altered with some simple additions that change the density and or stickiness of each individual color. These colors are then layered in a cup, like a cake, or a lovely cappuccino in a glass cup. With a few tricky twists, the colors spill out onto the canvas. Instead of the colors mixing together, they repel each other… creating color “cells” that don’t mix with the other cells - similar to oil and water. So you get beautiful pure colors next to each other in psychedelic swirls. You get to move them around a bit, but the pure color pops back up instead of being a big mushy mess. Paint Pour!

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​How does Paint Pour benefit our students?
 
Paint Pour seems like an “easy A” - BUT, you have to invest in the process - make choices, control your body, follow instructions, and stay with the process to its fruition. For students with autism and special needs, this can sometimes be challenging.
 
This experience provides our students with opportunities to develop their hand-eye coordination, ideation, motor planning, and execution. It helps to enhance their communication, self-expression, and best of all, self-esteem.
 
Thanks to Let’s Create Studio, and the fact that they recognize how much our students can benefit from this technique, our kids have an opportunity to create a work of art just like the ones folks are selling on Etsy and works featured on YouTube. The whole experience is a win, win, win!
 
We got to leave school to go to a local business. Met a new teacher and neighbor. Learned a new way to make art. Practiced manners and social skills. And make a REALLY COOL work of art.
 
Thank You, Annie, for your generous thoughtful gift that allows our students to have an art adventure in our local community with a new teacher, and produce a work that will be treasured for years to come.
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Mary Beth Scheerer, Art Teacher, Celebrate the Children
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About Let's Create Art Studio
Their goal is to share our appreciation and love of art with all that are drawn to express and improve themselves in creating their own form of visual expression, and to give all the opportunity to explore the art world in a safe and nurturing environment.

For more information please visit https://letscreate.com/