As time slips away and we get closer to the event, I continue to play out the setup of the painting and display. I created this rendering of what the setup will look like at the venue. The canvas will dominate the setting, which is intentional. The three side posters consist of:

  • A poster about Alexander Calder and facts about his sculpture for Grand Rapids
  • The Artist Mosaic which shows the faces of all who’ve painted
  • A poster describing the available paint times

The setup should work well as long as winds are at a minimum! The canvas is heavy enough that it should stay in place, but not so with the lighter posters. Existing tables owned by the venue will be nearby for anyone to use.

A supplies table will be nearby to contain the paints and brushes. Fifty paint cups will be available at each session, so some colors may not be available if they’ve been used.

One change I’ve made is to do away with handing out cards. Instead, a volunteer will hold up a sheet with the available color swatches and numbers of the ten paints. Each participant will indicate their paint preference, and if that color is available, will get a cup and brush to paint with. The cards didn’t serve that big of a purpose and would potentially be an unnecessary challenge to handle and coordinate. There will still be coloring sheets available and perhaps another surprise or two for those who’ve painted!