Residents create artwork from scratch on Paint Night at Baldwin Community Garden

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Laughter filled the Baldwin Community Garden as residents and members of the Baldwin Civic Association participated in Paint Night at the Garden. Each participant was geared up with paint brushes, aprons, and their own canvas to create their artwork.

The group was instructed by Meryl Cittadino, a professional artist who owns an art studio in Rockville Centre. She taught them step by step how to paint a set of flowers through basic techniques like drawing shapes as a template for the flower pedals and its stems.

“You have to dissect a painting and break it down inch by inch for people who don’t know how to paint,” Cittadino said. “For other people who know how to draw, they would know how to do it but the difference is you have to break it down and make it easier for people who have never painted before.”

Cittadino, who has lived in Baldwin for 30 years allowed the participants to have their freedom in putting together their paintings. She stated that “in art, there is no such thing as mistakes” and that anyone who has an interest in art can come out and enjoy an event like Paint Night.

“It’s like a Zen moment, it’s like taking a yoga class, it’s relaxation, and it’s the best form of meditation that you can get,” Cittadino said. “It’s better than going to any physiatrist.”

Everyone complimented each other’s work as they followed Cittadino’s instructions. Helena Hillian, chairperson for the BCA proposed Paint Night as another activity that she hopes will turn Baldwin into a more close-knit community.

“The Baldwin Civic Association is trying to make Baldwin a place that’s more like a destination where people will say, ‘Wow, I want to go Baldwin they’re having something really amazing at the community garden,’” she said. “The main goal is getting the community together and trying to find positive things so that we can come together and enjoy each other instead of going outside of the community to do things.”

Claudia Rotondo, director of the Baldwin Council Against Drug Abuse BCADA has loved what the BCA has done to expand the usage of the community garden.

“First of all, I think that the civic association is doing an excellent job, and I think that this garden is one of the proofs of that,” Rotondo said. “Bringing people together to do something like this was really awesome. It’s something that I wanted to do because I love art.”

She also said that the community garden is a place where residents should come more often as an area to participate in activities similar to Paint Night.

“I think that it really brings the community together and I really wish that more people took advantage of it,” she said.

As the sun went down, participants put the finishing touch on their paintings and helped themselves to food and refreshments. Paint Night at the Garden started and ended with laughter and joy from everyone.