This painting was started last summer of 2009 at the Roloff Farms as part of an art project called the”Roloff Art Experience – The ABC’s (Apprenticeship, Back-story, Collaborate)”

Younger brother of Matt Roloff of “TLC’s Little People, Big World”, Sam Roloff.   He is working on his newest series of paintings and is giving an opportunity for kids to collaborate and apprentice on his paintings by doing the under painting of ten pieces. During this time the kids will be instructed on basic and master level skills of painting. Sam is giving an opportunity for kids to also collaborate with one another. Matt invited Sam to have these sessions under the pavilion at the farm since he had too many kids for his own studio.

The kids got a great introduction to art via painting. They were exposed to: building of the canvas with stretcher bars, stretching the linen/bedsheets, mixing a palette, applying the ground/gesso, learning techniques of “Back-Story Under-Painting” with acrylic, pencil and charcoal. Sam also provided thought leadership in the discussion areas of why art is important (how do we view events and history by viewing art?), using it as an outlet of expression (good or bad), and that at all times your “Right Brain” can be thinking of different creative expressions. Each painting came with a theme, images and words pre-assigned to guide the kids through the process, they each picked one.

The Kids (4 of Matt’s kids, 3 of Sam’s kids, 2 Crabbe kids, Dakota King, Mia Webster and the Olander kids got to do a large format painting 48 x 36 inches on canvas. This under painting was completely done by the kids in acrylic and the subject matter was of timely events. This made each piece somewhat of a “Time Capsule” painting.

Once the kids paintings were complete, Sam Roloff, painted a new layer of oil paint and glazes over the under-painting. Each step of the painting process was recorded by a photographer so that each part of the story can still be told. These prints will be compiled then into a book that will accompany each painting, to tell its “Back-Story”.

Below is a photo of the completed piece called “Nancy’s Butterfly”

Title: Nancy’s Butterfly
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Date: 2009
Size: 40 x 30 inches
Price: contact artist