Value Studies/Right Brain Drawing Review - Student Art

My 3rd year drawing students just completed these combination value study/realism drawing reviews using the right brain skills they have in place learned in 1st and 2nd year 2-d art. I gave each student a kernel of popcorn and they were instructed to enlarge it to at least 3" by 3", to draw it as realistically as possible and then to shade it in and include a cast shadow. In the top piece done 3 years ago by alum Rebecca Chung (probably the most talented art student I've ever worked with in the 30 years I've been teaching here) her kernel is morphing into a cobra ready to strike along with some other dark and frightening imagery. The bottom 3 were done this year by seniors Hannah Chang and Jullian Kho, and junior Jason Kwon.

Handmade Knitting Needles w/ PolymerClay Knobs & Hand Dyed Yarns - Student Art

These colorful yarns and whimsical knitting needles were just finished yesterday by my Intermediate 3-d students, all 6 of them :) They hand dyed the wool yarns (Lamb's Pride Worsted) with food colors (Wilton's Icing Colors). I had asked them to achieve a variegated yarn in color as well as value. At the same time they each sawed off 2 dowel sticks to 12 inches long each, sanded and waxed the sticks (shoe polish from the grocery store) then made fun little polymer clay knobs for the tops. I especially love the hot dog and hamburger done by senior Christi Connors. The lady bugs were done by senior Alma Gudino, piggies by senior Trisha Shah, bear and shark by senior Jullian Kho, space ship and moon by junior Angeline Tran, and stripped & beaded balls by junior Olivia Hill. And the best part is that today we started our knitting unit with these yarns and needles. How good is that? God, I love my job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1-Point Box Constuctions - Student Art

My Intermediate 2-d students are currently working on these 1-point box constructions. These two are from last school year and were done by alum Regina T. and Amanda Garcia. Both pieces are highly creative and beautifully crafted. Regina and Amanda, if either of you are following my blog, I miss you guys and hope all is going well at college.

Color Theory/Tempera - Student Art

Last school year I posted these four remarkable color theory assignments done by my Beginning 2-d art students. Since my new 2-d kids are working on the same assignment I wanted them to see these as well as the two other posts below, also done in tempera (if interested in names on the four pieces above, please see side panel and click on color theory)

I've honestly forgotten who did these three gorgeous prelims in tempera for our realistic unit last year so I'm gonna take a guess here. The top two I believe belong to seniors this year, Brandon Liao and Esther Lee, and the one below belongs to alum Krystal Rodriguez. I forgot to write it down, so I apologize for my guesses. It's a bitch getting old! For 1 point of EXTRA CREDIT on a piece of green paper put your name, period and answer this question:What would someone close to you describe as your best and worst traits?

My Summer Art Projects

Every summer when I'm not teaching I love to try out new assignment ideas as well as finish off projects that I've started and never finished (way too many to count), and to prep new fibers for my Beginning 3-d class. Then at the beginning of the new school year I like to hang them all on the board and share them with my new and returning students so they can actually see that I am a working artist and craftswoman. So this is my 2009 collection :) The brown and plastic bags are filled with hand dyed raw wool fibers from Capistrano Fiber Arts and above each bag I've spun and plied up all the color ways that Lori Lawson dyed for me so my Beginning 3-d students can see what the finished yarn looks like. I take these students through a hand spinning unit in the spring. Instead of using a spinning wheel or drop spindle I teach them on a hooked coat hanger end. Works Great!


In the lower mid section here I've finished up a couple sawdust fired clay masks by adding some bead embellishments. Can't even begin to remember how many years those masks have been sitting in my studio. I do a mask a year when I demo them to my Beginning 3-d kids.

The pillow above was started in a crazy wonderful workshop with Valentine Devine many years ago and I just finally got back to it. The workshop was a free form knitting extravaganza with a bit of crochet embellishment. I love how this piece turned out with the bas relief front face.

These last two pillows were crocheted from the hand dyed, hand spun yarns that I made as the samples for the 3-d kids to choose from that were in those bags in the first pix. This first one was made from the 2008 yarn samples and the one below was crocheted from the 2009 samples. I gave the one below to one of my favorite people, Suzanne in our college center. She has helped me so very much over the years and was especially good to me last school year when she set up the art work for the senior awards banquet nite when I wasn't able to. Thank you again Suzanne! The backing fabric for both these pillows was hand dyed by nationally known quilt artist Ricky Tims, so the back sides are just as vibrant as the fronts.

USS Midway - San Diego

Over Labor Day weekend my friend and I drove down to Encinitas and San Diego. We stayed with her parents in the hills of downtown San Diego and her dad, who was a Korean War Veteran, was also serving as a docent on the aircraft carrier the USS Midway where he was able to give us a personal tour. These are some of the pix I shot along the way. I was completely overwhelmed by the scale of the ship and the personnel that it would take to operate this beast. Above is a shot from the flight deck overlooking the bay and the Coronado Bridge that takes you to Coronado Island and the infamous Del Coronado Hotel. And below is a huge sculpture of the famous photo from the 1945 cover of Life Magazine of the sailor coming home from war.

The interior of the carrier was humongous and had a variety of planes and interactive activities. Many of the planes in this area where from WWII, and still had their pilots names written under the windows and the pilots pictures posted next to the planes. It made the experience more personal and realistic.

Back up on the flight deck were many more aircraft. These were more modern planes, bombers, and helicopters from the Korean, Vietnam and Gulf Wars. It was possible to go into the interiors of many of these planes. Very cool but very hot inside. That weekend had record breaking heat going on in San Diego.

Really wanted to go inside the tower area but we ran out of time. But it sure was nice to get away.

7th Grade Charcoal Cones

My sweet little 7th graders continue to work their hearts out for me. I introduced them to charcoal and turning a 2-D triangle into a 3-D cone form. By the end of the assignment many of their faces were covered in charcoal. It's such a messy medium, but I think they really enjoyed it. From top to bottom: Grace Han, Matthew Chou, and Rachel Zhang. Once again Matthew told me he had nothing better to do the night before we turned these in so he was able to fill up the whole paper. I love that! EXTRA CREDIT On a piece of purple paper with your name and period attached, write down what makes you nervous.

Intermediate & Advanced 2-D Art Value Scales- Student Art

Been focusing so much on my 7th graders lately, so now I'd like to show off what my 2nd and 3rd year drawing students are starting off with. They too had to do value scales as a drawing review, but unlike my 7th graders who only had to achieve 5 values of grey, my 2nd year had to get 8 to 10 and my 3rd year had to come up with 13 (which is really hard to do). This top piece was done by 3rd year junior Jason Kwon who has the most beautifully sensitive drawing skills, and the 2 below where done by 2nd year seniors Anne Guu and Kate Lee. I love how Anne brought a little color work into hers and I'm thrilled to have Kate back in the fold. She hasn't been able to fit me into her schedule since she was a 7th grader. Welcome Back Woman! :)

Graphite Spheres - 7th Grade Art Wheel

Just loving my sweet new 7th graders and how hard they are working for me. These three spheres were a one day assignment but many of the kids took them home to spend a little extra time perfecting them. The one above done by Matthew Chou blew me out of the water because he went so far above and beyond what I asked them to do. He simply said he was bored :) Lucky me! The one below was done by Smruthi Maganti and she has given it such a nice rounded feeling plus she has a lovely shading style as well.

And this last one was done by Grace Han, who has also achieved a wonderful 3-D feel. For one EXTRA CREDIT point how would you describe yourself in one word only. Please use a blue piece of paper to put your answer on along with your name and period.

Bored Children and a Farewell to Summer

My son and his friends are so bored right now because most of their group has gone back to college, and they don't have to be back till next week. And they have just run out of things to do and money to do them with, so last night they broke out the Monopoly game and probably laughed more and had the most fun that they've had all summer. They even let my daughter Dani play and they were there for hours. It was so cool to watch them go back to this game after so many years and still enjoy it so much! Good-bye summer. Hello school, homework and studying :)

Value Scales - 7th Grade Art Wheel

We are experimenting this school year with a 7th grade wheel rotation that includes an art component. So every 8 weeks I get a new crop of 7th graders to teach art fundamentals to. I am loving my first group of kids. They are a little scared and a lot excited to be doing art and I'm really enjoying their enthusiasm and energy. Their first assignment was to create a 5 step value scale in graphite. The one above was done by Eduardo Jacinto, and the one beneath was made by Karisma Dev.


These next two were done by Sergio Garcia and Clarisa Marie Bloemnof. I am so impressed with these kids, and I feel so lucky to be working with such talent! Can you imagine what they will be producing with me by 4th level art in their senior year!!!!

Lump Boxes - Student Art

Have a few more posts to go from my students from last year and then I'm bringing up the new art students that started last week. These are some fun little boxes from last year that start from a solid block of clay. The outside shaping is done by throwing the lump on the board from various directions, and the insides are carved out and then some type of lid closure is usually attached on the inside lip so lid won't slide off. The kids were also required to put some outside surface decoration on the piece. Some chose to embellish their pieces like this fabulous one done by senior Cynthia Tsai.


This sweet box was done by senior Estelle Hong. Look at her attention to detail, not only in the surface decoration but in the glazing as well!


Juniors Steven Ebalobor and Jarvie Elpedes came up with some very cool solutions.

These three were also noteworthy, done by seniors Jessica Song, Jessica Su and Eaning Woo. What I especially love with all these pieces is that no two are alike!

I especially liked this middle one done by junior Crystal Valino, and senior Rikaya Obilo made the adorable one on the left. I'm sorry to say I can't remember who did the one on the right, but I think the shaping on the outside is very cool with the angle and it still manages to stand up.

Suzanne Singing her Heart Out!

Suzanne and Mary, from our library college center, along with their husbands Mike and Gary, joined me in Yorba Linda last Friday night at Java Joe's to listen and sing along with my favorite live band The Rockits and the High Lites. Suzanne was even brave enough to get up and sing along with bass guitarist Jim. The place was packed and we had so much fun singing and dancing! Attention all art students: here is your second opportunity to collect those extra credit points on Monday when you walk in my door. Just read the post below this one and follow the directions with just one change, find a piece of brown paper to do it on (can be any size). Be creative where you find the brown paper at, think outside the box :) You should probably be able to find it in your kitchen.

Art Students Grades 7 -12 Take Advantage of this Extra Credit Opportunity

After looking at these beginning of the year assignment examples please put your name, the name of your class, and the period of your class on a small piece of paper and hand it to me as you walk in my door tomorrow. That will be your only opportunity to get these 3 extra credit points. Enjoy the pictures.

Beginning 3-D art- Beads and Buttons out of Polymer Clay


Intermediate and Advanced 3-D Art - Handmade Knitting Needles, Hand dyed Yarns, Hand Dyed and Handspun Yarns, Felted Bags, Handknit Scarfs



Ceramics I - Moonbabies (Abstracted Figure Sculptures)


Ceramics II - Decorative Mounted Sculptures

Intermediate & Advanced 2-D Art - Value Studies

Beginning 2-D Art - Color Theory

Advanced 2-D Art - Color Pointillism

Mosaic Faces

This is a piece just finished by Gail from Katherine England's mosaics class of her daughter Jessica. And I understand that her daughter drew the flowers that her mom put into the piece. I really like the black and white checker border that frames the work. Really makes it pop!

Solar Pillows - Student Art

These solar printed pillows were the final assignment for my Beginning 3-d class and they always turn out so well. Plus the solar printing is always fun for the kids to watch as their images develop. I order chemically treated cotton fabric from a place in Washington state called Blueprints on Fabric (http://www.blueprintsonfabric.com/) These pillows showcase the student's design, sewing and embellishment skills that they have picked up throughout the year. The top four belong to from left to right, top to bottom: senior Shahnaz Khandoker, junior Jessica Lee, and seniors Emily Choh and Jenny Ham.


This is one of my all time favorite solar pillows done by the very talented senior Ivy Hu.


And this outstanding piece was done by 8th grade perfectionist :) Lilith Huang.


And lastly this pillow was done by one of the sweetest 7th grade boys I've ever worked with, Aman Patel, who also proved to be a very talented designer. Hopefully, you'll be coming back to me Aman in your junior or senior year!