Harvey Dunn discusses his virtual Paint Jam and his inspiration for starting it
October 19, 2020
Harvey Dunn started in the entertainment industry when he was young. According to Dunn, he did not do entertainment to put on a show, he did it because he loved to. He began by acting in theatre in intermediate school.
First, he did behind the scenes, freshman through senior year, he was cast in every musical there was. Musicals such as Wizard of Oz, Greece, Alison wonderland, and more. Once he left high school, he thought it was over.
All the teachers asked him to pursue theatre. Dunn has gone through working retail, a gasket manufacturing plant, and more. During his work at the factory, Dunn found out his dad had cancer. His dad was already into speed painting and doing gigs still. In fact, his dad went viral for painting Ray Charles back in 2008.
Dunn said that when his dad started his chemo treatment, and after he recovered, his dad realized that it was time to stop painting.
Dunn stated that his dad “wanted to begin training another painter and eventually take his place.”
Dunn began practicing with his dad to show that he can do it. Dunn was not familiar with painting, but he knew sculpting and drawing. According to Dunn, he has been sculpting his whole life, and he also had seen his dad’s painting from paint jam.
“I painted my dad’s signature piece, Ray Charles,” Dunn said.
After participating in NAPCA, a few times, COVID-19 hit the nation. Dunn and his dad then tried to find a way to still do paint jam virtually. They tried to paint one painting a day and had twenty-eight paintings at the end of the month and it didn’t go well, Dunn said.
They also experienced technical difficulties. The only good camera angle they could get was one with their backs facing it. On top of that, there was a bad internet connection, bad audio, and not a lot of people joined.
“Live videos weren’t for him and that pre-recorded videos were the best way to go,” Dunn said.
Dunn also built a green screen so that when he reveals his paintings, he can have effects in the background. Dunn said that his dad is a huge inspiration for him doing paint jam.
