We had the opportunity last trimester to have Siroos Kassarian, an artist from Switzerland, visit our classroom! He is a member of the European Academy of Arts and has won several awards for his excellence in different fields of Visual Arts. Pegah, his daughter, came along as his interpreter as Siroos speaks German.

Siroos had the pleasure of doing a demonstration for one of the 4th Grade classes. Since we do a series of watercolor paintings in class, Mr. Robby and I suggested his demo be specifically on watercolors. The students were fascinated by the language barrier while their questions went through an interpreter, which made me think that it doesn’t matter what language you speak; Art, like Music, is a universal language that connects all people.

Siroo started by looking around the room to find an object he could use for his painting. He selected a coffee mug. He then proceeded and explained the technique he used while wetting the watercolor paper with water. Then, he applied various colors that created an abstract painting. He also commented on using light colors first before applying the darker colors.

At this point, students were very eager to start their own watercolor painting using the techniques they just saw. Our students had learned these techniques already from previous projects, but to have another artist show them their technique was an experience and valuable lesson. Because all artists have their own style and techniques, applications may be the same, but individual interpretation makes it more unique and interesting.

Students stayed a couple minutes over their class time because they were so enthralled with painting and didn’t want to stop. It was a new experience for them, and it kept these young artists’ minds curious and hungry to learn more about the fascinating world of Visual Arts. Art rocks!