In late November, I had the honor of photographing another paint class by Art Experience, this time at the Overland VFW Post 3944. I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude from the moment I arrived and saw the helicopter out front and continued inside where all of the walls were covered in medals, war memorabilia, and tributes to fallen soldiers.

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For this class, Richard, the artist, led the group in painting a wintry scene with birch trees and cardinals, paying homage to the city’s beloved baseball team, the Facebook Export-10 St. Louis Cardinals.

To this day, I am always so impressed at Rich’s attention to detail and his ability to lead dozens of non-artists on this journey to completing remarkable pieces that are strikingly similar but still reflect each individual painters’ abilities and perceptions.

It is truly an amazing experience hearing the conversations of the attendees go from focusing on the fact that they’ve never painted anything remotely recognizable in their lives to how impressed they are that THEY made THIS!

This class was no exception!

It is absolutely fascinating to watch the canvases go from blank to individual works of art in the matter of a couple hours. Rich patiently walks each student through the steps of completing their works of art, taking time to explain the hows and whys behind each technique and brush choice, allowing students to leave with more than just a piece of art but a new understanding and knowledge of art creation.

Oh, and they just added the coolest items to their list of art experiences: CERAMICS!

Facebook Export-32 Yes, you can order your own blank ceramic online and it will come to your doorstep in the most adorable packaging with a wide variety of high-quality paint colors to choose from, a set of brushes, and a guide to help you paint your ceramic. So basically, you don’t even have to leave your house anymore to get in on the awesome Art Experience by Rich!

Now excuse me while I go paint my ceramic chicken that I can’t wait to show off!

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