Wednesday, November 6, 2024

This area scientist is hosting weekly ‘stress-free art’ workshops

Bratislav Cvijetić (WYDaily/Courtesy of ODU)
Bratislav Cvijetić (WYDaily/Courtesy of ODU)

Bratislav Cvijetić (BaTo), a designer, technical illustrator, visual artist and senior project scientist at the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center, is hosting art sessions as part of the center’s outreach during the coronavirus pandemic geared toward encouraging activity for K-12 students and their families while social distancing.

The center is at Old Dominion University.

“We have more time to do things that we used to, or always wanted to do, but could never do them,” Cvijetić said. “Now with time on our hands, we can dive into art.”

The Stress-Free Art sessions, which are available Mondays through his YouTube channel, consist of two themed workshop-format videos, one for adults, the other for children. In each video, Cvijetić goes over everything from the supplies needed to the final execution.

Participants can use traditional art supplies or a digital format. Many of the sessions are taught with a free app called SketchBook.

Recent sessions have included watercolor basics, visual composition and landscape painting. Workshops for children included “How to draw a T-Rex” and a session on illustrating children’s books.

“The hope is for the kids and the parents to sit down and start making art together and for the adults to start expressing themselves through whatever art form they find comfortable,” Cvijetić said.

Zoom meetings are held Fridays to discuss techniques and allow participants to ask questions.

Cvijetić emphasizes the workshops are stress-free.

“The sessions I create are not obligatory,” he said. “they are not for a grade and are judgment-free.

“People are naturally creative, and we see it with the kids at an early age … the problem adults usually have is the confidence in art creation. They become self-aware and judgmental of their skill and usually stop making art.”

Participants can access past course videos and register to join live tutorials and Q&A sessions every Friday afternoon. To register, visit the Eventbrite link.

Sherry DiBari is a public relations specialist for strategic communication and marketing at Old Dominion University.

YOU ALSO MIGHT WANT TO CHECK OUT THESE STORIES:

John Mangalonzo
John Mangalonzohttp://wydaily.com
John Mangalonzo (john@localdailymedia.com) is the managing editor of Local Voice Media’s Virginia papers – WYDaily (Williamsburg), Southside Daily (Virginia Beach) and HNNDaily (Hampton-Newport News). Before coming to Local Voice, John was the senior content editor of The Bellingham Herald, a McClatchy newspaper in Washington state. Previously, he served as city editor/content strategist for USA Today Network newsrooms in St. George and Cedar City, Utah. John started his professional journalism career shortly after graduating from Lyceum of The Philippines University in 1990. As a rookie reporter for a national newspaper in Manila that year, John was assigned to cover four of the most dangerous cities in Metro Manila. Later that year, John was transferred to cover the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. He spent the latter part of 1990 to early 1992 embedded with troopers in the southern Philippines as they fought with communist rebels and Muslim extremists. His U.S. journalism career includes reporting and editing stints for newspapers and other media outlets in New York City, California, Texas, Iowa, Utah, Colorado and Washington state.

Related Articles

MORE FROM AUTHOR