Underwater Painting in the Classroom Sink: A Joyful Collaboration with Canandaigua Academy

By Olga Nikitina

Recently, I had the pleasure of supporting a unique and inspiring art project with students from Canandaigua Academy in New York. The project involved underwater painting — done not in the sea, but right in a classroom sink! When I received a message from John Rivera, a passionate paraprofessional at the Academy, I was truly excited to hear that students had become curious about this rare and experimental art form.

The class had first discovered the concept of underwater painting through a video online — it was the first time many of them had seen such a thing. Their questions and curiosity touched me deeply. I was happy to share what I could: a list of materials, practical tips, a presentation from my Underwater Painting School, and a link to my YouTube channel. I was especially glad to know that the students and teachers found this helpful and engaging.

Below is the full review from John Rivera, which provides more insight into how this creative idea came to life in the classroom:

Review from John Rivera, Canandaigua Academy

"My name is John Rivera I am a paraprofessional at Canandaigua Academy in Canandaigua, NY. I work in the special education department as a classroom aide. Our curriculum is based on basic life skills with some flexibility for fun! In our social studies class, we focus on current events. We stay caught up by watching CNN 10 and The World From A to Z. On an episode (3/11/2025) of The World from A to Z, Carl Azuz did a story about Crimean underwater artist Pyotr Dotsenko. Some of the students and staff were curious about how he was able to keep the paint on the canvas, only knowing that he did not use a brush because it could cause the paint to break apart in the water.

I enjoy doing fun projects with the students, so I began to brainstorm ideas on how we could do our version of underwater painting. Canandaigua is part of the Finger Lakes here in the state of New York. The thought of taking the class to the lake had crossed my mind, but I wanted to make the project accessible to everyone who is currently in our class and future students. After brainstorming a few other places to make our attempt at painting, it made sense to use our sinks. Our classroom was previously used as a home and careers room and then a science room before we took over, so it left us with four deep sinks to work with. Next was researching what paints work in the water. That is when I decided to research artists and found Olga’s website and followed her Instagram account. I sent her a message in hopes of a response. While I waited for her to respond back I started testing different paints and ways of application. I initially thought Olga was going to give me a list of materials and tell me, 'Good luck.' She went above and beyond, giving me the resources to turn this project into an entire lesson! Olga took time out of her busy schedule to provide the list of materials, tips/instructions, a link to her YouTube channel, and a PDF presentation from her Underwater Painting School. Everything she provided and the time she took to do so made the experience so much fun and educational. It was interesting to learn about the history and how much this form of art has transformed into what it is today! The only thing I had to figure out was how to weigh down the canvases.

We have a few students in shop class who were working with metals. Messing around with some of the sheet metal, I cut and bent a piece that would pinch behind and slide into the canvas, then made a stand to help weigh it down and keep it from floating to the surface, and tack-welded them together. During the lesson, we went over Olga’s presentation and talked about what we were going to paint. The only thing they had to look at was a wall, some students sketched what they wanted to paint, and a few others looked up some images for inspiration. When everyone had their concepts ready to go we had the students prep their canvas by painting a background, after those dried over the weekend we set up paint pallets and pallet knives (donated by our art department) at each station. I made a color chart so the students could see the dry result of the paint before they applied it to their canvas.

The experience working with the students on their paintings was amazing; it kept them engaged and slowed things down for them. It always feels like they want to rush through things, but this project really helped them focus and slow down. Each student took pride in their work and loved the experience. After everyone had finished, the classroom teacher (Mr. Groot) gave them a prompt question for their daily journal: “What did you like about painting underwater, and what was difficult?” Here are a few of our responses:

Ronnie — “My favorite part of the underwater painting was that I got to help Mr. Rivera. The most frustrating part was getting paint on my hands.”Dakota — “I liked painting the dinosaur. I had a hard time not pressing all the way on the canvas.”Sean — “I am proud of my painting and the most challenging part is getting it to shape.”Timmy — “I am proud to be doing this project and I am not frustrated.”

I want to thank Olga for giving me her time, she went above and beyond between setting us up with her Underwater School presentation, and keeping in constant communication with myself. She has also inspired our IB Art teachers and students who were kind enough to save us a spot in their IB Art Show!"

Looking Forward: Expanding the Concept

From my side, I am deeply grateful for the creativity, care, and curiosity that John and his students brought to this project. It’s a beautiful reminder that art can happen anywhere, and its impact reaches far beyond the canvas — or even the sink!

This collaboration has inspired me to develop a new seminar or course (I'm still deciding the best format!) on how to paint underwater in accessible environments like sinks or baskets. I’m working together with a psychologist to explore why people need this experience — for creativity, for mindfulness, for therapy, or simply for joy. I believe painting underwater in small, manageable settings can be both transformative and healing, and I look forward to sharing this journey with more students, teachers, and curious minds around the world.

Stay tuned for more updates — and thank you to everyone who keeps the spirit of creativity flowing.

— Olga Nikitina

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