Students gathered in the Cal Poly Pomona Games Room Thursday night for the first Paint on Canvas of the semester. With the guidance of painter Kimberly Laya, 42 students came together for the event.
Paint on Canvas is an event that was established with the goal in mind to help students de-stress. As a result, the planners of this event try and have the event take place twice in a semester. Typically, the first one is held during the first couple weeks of the semester and the second toward the end when students are more stressed.
According to fourth-year psychology student and Events Manager Elijah Flores, the event was established to try and help students have a fun time more than anything.
“The thinking behind this event is that we understand that the Games Room is kind of more of a homely type of place to hang out with friends, (and) do creative things because we are more than games. We have events for students, and we just wanted to have something chill for students to take home and take part of,” Flores said.
The event kicked off with Laya showing students the first step of the painting as well as how to mix colors in order to make other colors. Following that, for approximately two hours, the students listened to Laya’s instructions and also saw the demonstration she gave of the painting in order for them to then translate it into their painting.
Paint on Canvas has not only helped students get through tough times in school, but it has also served as the perfect avenue for students who feel the passion for painting and are scared to really try and go for it to finally sit down and explore their talents.
“I don’t usually paint, so when this event is offered, I like to come because I don’t paint on my own because sometimes personally I feel like there’s the whole mentality of (whether) I’m good enough, and if I’m doing it right,” senior biology student Gabriela Lopez said. “Even though she (Laya) says there’s no right way to paint, I feel like we want to be good all the time, so this event helps me get through that and just paint.”
The next Paint on Canvas event will take place April 22 in the Games Room.