I was flattered when former Brooklynite, and current Washington-based art docent, Carla Liang, expressed interest in sharing my painting process with a 4th grade class. They reviewed both the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge paintings, here are their unedited, first thoughts on both.
Classroom Response
I love your painting. It has lots of details and great use of color.
I think your painting is creative enspireing colorful and a lot of desighn. You must! work reely really hard!
I thought it was a colorful and great painting.
Good use of mixing colers and malking thick layers.
Amazing!
I like the fine detail in the buildings and bridge.
I don’t really like the water.
The sky is beautiful.
You rock at painting.
Like the colers in it.
The linning.
The building and brige look great!
Like the small details in it.
It looks like it took a LONG time.
I like how it’s realistic.
I like the picture because it has a lot of tecture.
You are great at drawing.
I like it because there were many details. It’s just that I would make the water a lighter color.
I like like how you put lots have detail in. Have you ever put people in paintings? (Great question, in my recent work, I haven’t put people in the scenes. When you paint a location for a long time, there are many people walking by, but none seem to stay long enough to become part of the landscape.)
I love the detail on the brige and the buildings. PS. U+rock!
Classroom Response
I love the bright color of the water, the blue buildings and sky. Nice.
I love the final detail that you did.
I like the texture of the bridge. I also like the detail of the bridges and the buildings. Hi.
The shadows rock!
The bridges are awesome!
The shadows and small details are great.
The background bridge looks great too.
I like the way you did the water.
I love your paintings!
Awsome!
I like the colors.
The water is nice.
I like the shadows.
The picture jumps out at you!
I love both of your beautiful paintings. There really really really really beautiful!
I thought it was a great and very realistic painting.
It must have taken you a long long time!
Carla added, “They really enjoyed seeing how your paintings came to be. The found the process fascinating. They liked how you reworked the water colors until you liked the end product. They also liked the close up detail photos where they could see more of the details and brush strokes. It was fun to share the process with them.”
Thank you Carla and thank you 4th grade class from Bothell Washington, you made my week!
This is a great teaching tool for them to see your process photos.
Thanks again Jason! The way you have documented your painting process really does make a wonderful teaching tool! It was fun to share your paintings with the class!
@Paul: Thanks man, it was quite an experience to have my work shared with a classroom across the country!
@Carla: Thank you again, this was such an honor.