Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School third-grade students were treated to a visit from a professional artist, and class parent, during a March art class.
Melissa Freebern, whose oil painting exhibit is on display at the Croton Free Library through the end of April, spoke with students about her personal painting inspiration and offered tips to help students find their own voices.
“I think the paintings I have liked over the years have influenced me on the style I choose to paint,” she said. “Most recently, my work has been inspired by the Hudson River.”
Freebern, who as a child looked up to older relatives who were artists, said she always knew she wanted to be a painter.
“I don’t remember wanting to be anything else,” she said.
Freebern said she often takes photos in Croton-on-Hudson, or while on the train, to use as inspiration for her landscape paintings. Despite enjoying painting outdoor scenes, she said she found painting en plein air was not a process she enjoyed.
Students asked Freebern questions about her work before using some of her photos to create their own landscape masterpieces.
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