NI artist Dawn Crothers draws global audience to online art tutorials

Having embraced the ‘wonders of Zoom’ entrepreneur and mother-of-two Dawn Crothers has drawn international audiences of aspiring young painters from as far afield as the USA for her online classes.

Known for her vibrant snail paintings, Dawn launched the classes for children and families when Covid-19 restrictions saw a blanket cancellation of arts activities, including the extremely popular group classes she had been running from her Belfast studio for over 10 years.

She said: “As a mother of two myself, I have seen first-hand just how challenging and disheartening the lockdown period has been for children in particular, who naturally bore easily and require constant stimulation.

“It has always been a passion of mine to teach others about drawing and painting and, thanks to the modern-day wonders of Zoom, I knew I could help bring some much-needed creativity and family fun back into the homes during what has been a really difficult time for everyone.”

With over 1,500 participants in her latest class, Dawn says she has been blown away by the response she has received from families across the globe.

The Belfast artist said she has been approached by a large-scale internet business in Atlanta, USA, requesting a new series of Zoom art classes as part of their online teaching programme.

She said: “The benefits of art for the mental health and wellbeing of people of all ages – from toddlers to pensioners – has been widely documented and this has been so apparent recently, with hundreds of online students getting in touch to say that my classes have given them and their children a much-needed boost.

“Others have contacted me to say how grateful they were for the opportunity to enjoy a new activity as a family and to keep the kids entertained with something interactive and engaging for a couple of hours.

“It is so humbling to think that these classes are having such a positive impact on people across the globe.”

Having launched her own art gallery and studio premises in Holywood 13 years ago, Dawn and husband Stephen Whalley – also a renowned artist – have continued to grow the business and, in 2016, invested in larger premises on the Belmont Road in east Belfast.

Dawn added: “Like many businesses we saw thousands of pounds worth of bookings and business literally disappear overnight as a result of Covid-19.

“We had no option but to innovate and diversify into new revenue streams.”