Parul

Hello!

I am Parul, a student of grade 11 from Muscat. I have been in this art class for about 7 years now and having experienced both the offline and online mode, I consider myself eligible to talk about the effectiveness of the online mode of our art class. Initially everyone I told and even my family were apprehensive about its effectiveness but seeing the improvement and maturity in my art and ma'am's constant dedication over the years cleared all doubts. My parents find the art class as effective as an offline class and very convenient to attend.The students and the quality of teaching are not at all affected. All of us are able to connect and communicate with Maam and all the other students and learn together.

The art class has a lot of variations in the age group of students in each batch. We have kids from younger classes till class 12 in each batch. This creates a very lively and engaging atmosphere. There is no sense of peer pressure and competition between the students. We are all constantly working together learning the various aspects of art and skills such as sketching, proportions, foreshortening, perspective, proportions, color theory and all the different methods of painting and coloring using different art mediums and styles from each picture under Maam's constant guidance. All of us are constantly learning each and every picture, understanding every step we take and adding our own touch to the pictures rather than just copying. We also discuss and feel the therapeutic and counseling aspects of art.

All the students in the class are incredibly well spoken and kind. All of them make very appropriate and respectful comments about other students and their work. I would also like to mention the encouraging yet effective comments made by Maam that have brought us all this far. We also have various students with different goals, some who see art as a hobby, passion or a stress relieving experience, others like me who wish to pursue art as a career and some other amazing students who are a part of the class for the therapeutic or counseling aspects of it.

I aspire to become a fashion designer and the art class has definitely helped me in making this decision and showing me and my family my true artistic potential and helping me find out where my interest lies. The art class has also increased my knowledge about all the various careers and types of designing lying in the field of art. Despite not studying art in school I can confidently say that I am as educated about art if not more than any other art student. All the topics and concepts have been taught to us from the very beginning of the class that now they are embedded into us and are a part of our working process that now we make use of those techniques subconsciously. We have been learning and practicing all the complex art concepts and painting techniques not fully aware of the fact that most of them are taught at higher levels or even in art colleges. I would also like to talk about the portfolio making process in the art class. I have seen ma'am enthusiastically working with the senior students, constantly guiding and supporting them throughout the process. This gives me more encouragement and motivation and ideas for when I start making my own portfolio which I am really looking forward to.

I also want to highlight the qualities and behavioral changes that I have seen in myself and my fellow classmates other than art. My parents have also noticed all the positive changes in me. I personally have developed better communication skills which are so important thanks to the art class. It also makes me really happy to see my fellow students improving on the same. Improved attention span, better observational skills and my ability to concentrate in not only art are constantly improving. The art class created a very positive and supportive atmosphere for me to overcome my shyness and lack of confidence. I am sure the same has also helped many others in the art class.

And finally I conclude by saying that this class is unlike any other class I've ever been to and is so much more than just art. It has taught me values and skills that I will forever cherish. I am looking forward to continuing in this class and learn so much more that the class has in store for me. I am forever grateful for Lakshmi ma'am and her art classes and thank her for all her constant guidance and unwavering support and dedication.