In a time when attending in-person classes is only a memory from the past, Colleen Koziara has changed the game. She offers a relaxing afternoon of painting virtually on Wednesday afternoons. Koziara has been teaching art classes here in Sun City for four years. But this year has brought challenges.
Roni Schmidt said, “I have been painting with Colleen for four years now. When I saw she was starting the online classes I was thrilled. I love them. Because of COVID and a recent surgery, I am stuck inside and painting keeps me calm. Time just flies when I am painting. The best thing about the online class is I can finish my painting and perfect it at my leisure. I even turned our den into my studio.”
Koziara, a glass-half-full person, looked on this as an opportunity. Koziara said, “This quarantine, a worldwide pandemic, can make you a much stronger person. This can be an opportunity to find new ways of doing things and learning new things.”
Cheryl Borgardt said, “It’s truly amazing to me how we are learning so much about painting over Zoom.”
Koziara said, “I tried to find some advantages to the situations. One is that we learned about Zoom. I have a 90-year-old student that learned how to use Zoom. My students’ average age is 85, and I have one that is turning 100 soon.”
Jacquelynne Pokorny said, “I enjoy the class and am amazed that I was able to able to complete a beautiful painting, my first, in a two-hour session. Colleen is a wonderful and encouraging instructor. I look forward to the next class. I plan on attending more of her paint classes in the future.”
The classes in the past were held in the lodge but the classes had a time limitation. If you worked at a slower pace, you may not have completed your painting to your satisfaction.
Koziara said, “The participants now buy their supplies, and they can complete the project after the two-hour session is over and they have the link to see the instructions.”
The painting used to all be done on 11 x 14 canvas boards, but students can now use bigger canvases. Koziara said, “Yet another advantage. They might choose a bigger canvas for a variety of reasons, vision problems, need to fill a bigger spot on the wall or they like to work on a large scale. They also can now choose their media. They can use oil or watercolor. The techniques and color blending are explained so they can try something different.”
Are there any disadvantage to teaching during Covid-19?
Koziara responds, “Yes, there are cons. I miss the human connection. I know many of the students but when you have someone new it is harder to make that human connection.”
Koziara offers outdoor painting sessions in other communities.
They are held in parking lots, pavilions on the lawn, or wherever they can accommodate the additional distancing needed. Koziara said, “These are long days. I can leave the house at 8:30 a.m. and not get home until 3 p.m. The class is still only for two hours. I need to sanitize everything. I bring 80% disinfectant. It is made from a local brewery and smells like Gin. It starts a conversation. I also have to bring water in two-gallon containers.”
Koziara also helps with keeping the kids busy during this unusual time.
Jan Williams said, “I have been looking for something creative and out of the box to do during Covid-19. Then I saw Colleen’s Zoom painting class in the Lifestyles magazine. I haven’t painted since high school and wondered how I’d do. Colleen is really laid back and encouraging. Never once have I felt judged or rushed. She allows everyone to go at their own pace. Colleen helps us to see how colors blend and come alive. It may be that the colors brighten a mountain sky, or produce a golden light that glows in the background. My four granddaughters and I had Grammy Jan camp. I hosted a zoom paint party at my house with Colleen teaching us. The girls ranged from six to 11 years old. They painted unicorns in all sizes and shapes. Colleens paint party was definitely the highlight of the overnight.”
Koziara said, “We need to work through this word-wide pandemic together. We are all connected. If one falls, we all fall.”
