Virtual event review: McHarper Manor virtual art class

As you continue to self-isolate, you may be running out of activities to keep you busy and entertained. If you have completely run out of ideas, look no further. Student Affairs put together a website with links to different virtual activities ranging from art projects to workouts. I wanted to share with you my experience trying one of the virtual art classes. 

My experience

I’ve been trying to strengthen my creativity during my time at home, so a virtual art class was the perfect activity for me to try out first. I selected the McHarper Manor virtual class and tuned into their live Facebook tutorial. They host daily art project tutorials on Facebook at 11 a.m. MDT. The projects range from canvas paintings to chalk art, to pique a variety of interests. Depending on what supplies you have on hand, you can follow along live, or go back and watch the saved video later on. During my experience, I watched the video live.

The lady who led the class described how to paint everything in very simple terms and had a conversation with the comments people submitted on the live video. As I was watching, I was entertained and felt like I was in a room talking to friends. It is a family-friendly page and the tutorials seem to emphasize the importance of family time. The videos also include family members in them, which further illustrates how the activities can be done by a variety of ages and art levels. I also discovered this page has “Date Night at Home” art project tutorials which could be a fun idea to try with your partner.

Why you should try it

Trying something new can be a great way to discover a new hobby or skill. Not only can it be fun, but it’s also a great way to relax and focus your mind on something besides your daily routine. Making time to play and have fun is very important during this time and can help to minimize stress levels. You can even take your art project outside and get inspired by nature. The best part about the painting tutorials is that they pick the topic for you, so you don’t have to come up with something all on your own. You can use your creativity to tweak the projects and make your own wonderful creations.
I would definitely recommend a painting tutorial to anybody looking for a new way to pass the time. If painting isn’t your thing, definitely try out a different virtual activity.