Becky Patterson Design 3/13/25 Becky Patterson Design 3/13/25

Buffalo State University Cultural Cafe

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to provide watercolor painting instruction for some of the students and staff of Buffalo State University at their Cultural Cafe event, celebrating Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors.

The Center for Global Engagement fosters the growth and development of Buffalo State’s international programs and services. In March they hosted an event celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors and invited me to lead their group through a Holi inspired watercolor painting activity. I designed a bold, vibrant abstract painting for their group. Using half a dozen vibrant hues, we explored how watercolor paint bleeds and blooms together to create new vibrant hues, gradients and textures. We also tried our hands at layering color to create richer, more saturated hues while adding detail and texture to our paintings. We finished it all off with some inking techniques to add our own personal touches to the pieces.

I had the best time working with this group! Special thanks to Tricia Herritt, the Director for International Student and Scholar Services at Buffalo State for inviting me out to this special event.

If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind activity for your special event, I’d love to bring a watercolor activity to you! Send me a message and let’s set it up!