‘Paint Along Lady’ returns to help de-stress students ahead of exams

After her visit to Neath College, Claire Timbrell aka ‘The Paint Along Lady’ returned to Afan College this week to help de-stress students.

Claire travels across South Wales presenting paint-along sessions where everyone leaves with a finished painting, her events can range from 30 to 400 people at a time, and this is the perfect activity for students to relax before their upcoming exams and assessments.

Entering the studio, students were greeted with fun music and warm smiles from Claire and her team. Soon enough, swirls of colour covered their canvases as their creativity started to flow.

Following Claire’s expert advice, students from across the College focussed entirely on fun art, not fine art. No painting experience was required, and students used only five colours and three brushes to create fantastic individual masterpieces of a Welsh valley landscape, complete with some grazing sheep.

Afan College students from across a range of subjects turned out in numbers to take part in the activity.

Health, Social and Childcare student Ellie Rees was joined by friends Taylor Bird and Sophie John and they were astonished by how their pieces turned out.

“We have different levels of art experience, from GSCE Art to absolutely no experience at all and you couldn’t tell because it was so easy to follow along with. It was great to have a break from College work and do a fun activity together. It was so relaxing and we would recommend it to other students who are feeling stressed ahead of exams”.

Petra Williams, the College’s Senior Officer: Higher Education Student Experience was delighted to be able to again deliver this activity through Reaching Wider Funding, said:

“It was really just an opportunity for students at Afan College to have fun and unwind a little bit before they go into exam season.  The health and well-being of students is at the heart of the College, and we know, that relaxing your mind before an exam or revision session will help you plan your study schedule, remember your notes, and generally feel better about everything.”

The South West Wales Reaching Wider Partnership aims to increase participation in higher education by people from underrepresented groups and communities in South West Wales. Through collaborations with Reaching Wider the College can offer a range of inspiring activities for targeted young people, creating those pathways to higher education.

This was another activity in a full programme of sessions designed by the College to help students combat stress, revise, and prepare for exam season.