The 2017 Lotus and Water Lily Festival began with “beautiful blooms” on Saturday, July 15th. This year’s festival featured performances from around the world, which included Asian, African, and Latin American traditional dances and music. Among the activities transporting guests around the globe, 8 Arts & Culture offered guided painting.
With the background of exotic music, painters of all ages recreated water lily scenes at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens.
Sign-ups for painting sessions were filled before the end of the first session, making the guided painting one of the most popular activities during the festival.
By the end of the day, more than 60 visitors enjoyed painting with Tendani Mpulubusi El, Founder of 8AC. Each participant took away their own masterpiece from the festival.
Landscape painting was regarded as one of the highest forms of painting by the Chinese and dates as far back as 4,000 B.C.E. Artists from China and Japan painted on silk and handmade paper to portray beauty of as well as show appreciation for their surroundings.
8 Arts & Culture’s guided painting gave visitors the opportunity to use this ancient practice as well appreciate the brilliance of the water lily landscape. This activity was one of the many opportunities for visitors to enjoy the history of the art form throughout the festival.
(via 8 Arts & Culture Council. Photos courtesy of 8 Arts & Culture.)
