By Glen Ess (The Cascade) – Email
It may be summer, but for students registered in condensed courses, it’s crunch time. With exams and final projects peering over the horizon, it’s understandable that stress levels are on the rise. On June 14, Student Life held a workshop to help students creatively channel their stress through painting.
The workshop, running for only two hours late that Tuesday morning, was led by local artist Karrie Murray. The goal of the workshop was to highlight a meditative approach towards painting, and Murray would lead the small group of students and Student Life staff through the completion of their paintings.
With a soft voice, Murray instructed the group in what direction their brushstrokes would go. In many ways, it was similar to a yoga lesson, with an instructor leading from the front of the class with a demonstration which was then copied by the class. While on the surface it appeared that the group hadn’t been given much room to express themselves, after some time it became clear that Murray would encourage them to incorporate aspects, colours, and techniques of their own choosing within the framework she provided.
With students and stress often walking hand in hand through UFV’s halls, perhaps the meditative art form espoused by Murray can help refocus your mind.
