Image Credit: Jessi Turner

Donors Give Auburn Greener Oil Paints

Inside the art classroom of Auburn Adventist Academy (AAA) is the smell of paint and the sound of happy chatter as students hunch over their respective paintings and mix their colors to just the right hue.

Art class is a place where students can be creative, learn with friends and discover practical techniques to use in future art projects.

This year, AAA art students are using water-soluble oil colors, thanks to a generous donation from the school’s Committee of 100.

These water-soluble paints are a greener product for students to use in the classroom. They do not require the use of turpentine or mineral spirits, as regular oil paints do. This allows the classroom to remain free of harsh chemical smells.

The water-soluble oil colors are an art medium used in addition to gouache and watercolors. Students like how the new paints are “so nice” to work with and help bring sketches to life.

AAA offers fine art academic credit for painting, drawing, printmaking and graphic design. The fine art classes are taught by Robert Renfroe, who has a master’s degree in painting and drawing. “My goal is for students to learn an appreciation for art and to know the time and effort it takes to make a piece of art,” Renfroe says.

Hannah Justinen, AAA student, and Jessi Turner, AAA Gleaner correspondent

Featured in: March 2014

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