During our stay in the Dominican Republic, I am on the mural painting team with Crystal, Danielle, and Amanda, under the expert instruction of a local artist, Ruben. Our mural portrays the beautiful landscape and mountain view visible outside of the comedor. However, the mural omits the impoverished families, starving dogs, and shoeless children.
When I asked Ruben why he chose to create this image he told me the comedor is a positive space for students and the mural should emit the same rays from the sun as the rays from the imagination from the children. “This is a safe place,” he told me. Por eso, usaremos solo los colores positivos. Positive colors evoke positive emotions.
Before painting the clouds, Ruben instructed us to stand outside, close our eyes in silence for a minute then look at the clouds until you can feel the movement in your heart. “It is a distinct movement in every person” he explained. This is why everyone’s clouds look different, and furthermore why everyone’s perception of the situation in which we are learning is different.
The most interesting lessons I learned today were not only the overwhelming load of painting technique, color mixology, and stroke work, but how to observe my surroundings, draw inspiration, and understand space. This has obvious metaphoric implications. Being able to take the “artist’s view” (a few steps back) called for more self reflection than I had expected and I’m thankful to have had a lesson that applied to more than just our mural.
Rowan University Service Trip 