Week 5 of art class: Three Cheers for Watercolors

Chandhni Sivashunmugam
Jan 10
2 min read

As I entered the class, I remember the children rejoicing India's win in Women's World Cup. They were in a super cheerful mood and were curious as to what art materials we had brought for that day.

I could sense they were in a rush to get things started. It felt like a tense cricket match and we were trying our best to quench their curiosity.

Ashik showed a book made by children of Mumbai in a project called Dharavi Art room; the young artists had painted what home means to them. Inspired by this book, the 30 adolescent boys geared up with brushes, watercolors and palettes to learn watercolors and paint their dream homes.

In the first half of the class, the children learnt basic watercolor techniques like blending, wet-on-wet and applying a wash. As Akalya, one of our team members beautifully put to words "Today, while exploring watercolors with the kids, I realised I was more excited to learn than teach. I kept rushing them to finish so we could try the next thing, but watching them reminded me of something adults often forget to slow down, be present, stay calm, and enjoy the moment without rushing through it. They taught me more than I taught them today."

These words captured the essence of the class - children freely experimented with watercolors; trying to get the technique right but also adding a lot of play to the process. Each child figured out the process in their own way - while some followed instructions to the word, some tried painting with their fingers, some just splashed paint onto paper and see how it absorbs while some just threw tissues at each other.

I also observed a child who has never likes to sit in one place for more than 10 minutes completely absorbed by the watercolor process. Overall, they were learning art and being children at the same time and it added a lot of joy to the classroom.

The next half of the class, children started painting what home means to them - a safe place, a place of comfort, a place where they can rest, a place where they can just be themselves. Again, I could see the children expressing their voice. Some didn't want to paint and stop with the first exercise and keep just playing with watercolors.

Some painted landscapes expressing where they would like their home to be. A few children went into detailing their home including

day-to-day objects like television
imaginary objects like a window that opens into space
wiring or similar features to connect the different objects or rooms in their home

Even when we were cleaning up after class, I could see children opening up and taking about how they help their family members in chores at home. The children opened up our hearts, their homes and taught us "there is no right when it comes to expressing one's voice through art".