MIXING YOUR MEDIA

This last school year I had the pleasure of working once again with junior Annie Oh.

I had Annie in the 7th Grade Art Wheel

 and also in the 8th grade for the Beginning 2-D art class,

& then this last year in Ceramics I.

She was a stand-out in all the classes for her sophisticated skills, designs and sculptures.

Sadly for me,

 she had a choice this year between art (me) and Student Council.

Student Council won out.

She told me she wanted to give back to the school as a senior.

OK,

 I gotta respect that.

Wow,

what a kid!

So anyways,

 last year she told me she has been taking outside art lessons at a local academy,

and I was curious about what she was creating.

This was one of many pieces she brought in to share with me.

I loved it from the moment I laid eyes on it,;

her asymmetrical design,

 her color choices, 

the sense of movement that kept my eye engaged,

the magical subject matter.

It was the whole package.

But what truly impressed me was the way she mixed her media.

From watercolor to colored pencil,

 pen& ink to acrylics,

wow!!!

This piece packs such a powerful punch that I just had to share it and her.

Shape of Shadow Drawing - Student Work

Every year these drawings seem to get more and more lovely.  This year my T.A. senior Gisel Zabala graciously volunteered to be our model for my Intermediate 2-d students.  I set her up in the corner of the art room in a comfy chair and turned off the main lights then put a spotlight on the side of her face.  This created wonderful cast shadows.  On a smooth piece of Bristol board the kids were only allowed to draw the shapes of her shadows lightly in pencil then later India ink them in.  They were also required to bring in one additional medium.

So let's see what junior Megan Yeu did with the assignment.  Besides drawing a beautiful portrait of Gisel... 

she brought in a touch of Prismacolor pencil right over top the India ink.  Here is a close up above for you to see the subtle and almost shimmery effect this brings to the work.  She also did some gorgeous paper cut-out work and mounted the piece on top of silver poster board to show it off, again in a very subtle way.  Plus she watercolored in the background.  Really brilliant work Megan!

In this next piece above, senior Belinda Wu has once again show us her extraordinary skills in this very detailed piece.  Belinda chose to bring in watercolor in a very unique way.  She dabbed it on with her fingers, so that when you look up close you see her fingerprints.  It's so much fun!  Sorry I didn't think to get a close up of this.  I also really like how she bordered her piece out, it really pulls it all together. 

Junior Michaela Platt has brought in so much sensitivity to her work thru paper collage and watercolor.  The paper she chose also brings in some great looking texture.  The monochromatic color scheme ties it all together.  

And lastly we have senior Halah Elsahhar, who I honestly felt captured Gisel's likeness the best, as well as her very relaxed pose.  Halah brought in watercolor for her extra medium.  I really like how she painted birds flying thru Gisel's face. Super cool woman!

If you would like to see these pieces as well as all the other work I've been posting and more to come, our Annual Open House Art Show and Sale is going to be held on April 17th, so please mark your calenders.  More details to come.    

Prismacolor Metamorphasis - Student Work

Senior Laura Kadi is my sole 3rd year 2-D student, a very difficult class to make it into.  Laura just finished this lovely prismacolor piece in which she had to morph two unlike objects.  she choose a young girl and a hilltop waterfall.  Prismacolor is a waxy colored pencil and a bit challenging to learn to use.  I feel that Laura did an excellent job with both the morph and the pencils.  But what I especially love is how she framed out her piece which was her final assignment for 1st quarter.  She began with corrugated cardboard and collected a bunch of vegetation to embellish the top with, as well as bringing it into the work itself.  

Brilliant piece Laura!  I'm so proud of you!    

Samantha Arias and her Prismacolor Metamorphasis

Junior Samantha Arias, who left us a couple of weeks ago to go to Gahr High School, and who I have been teaching art to since she was in the 7th grade, did me a favor and left her nicest art pieces for me to put out at our Open House coming up in April.  This piece below was probably one of my favorites she created this year.  

The assignment was to morph two unlike objects together and then put it into a setting that made sense, kind of a surrealistic type composition.  The medium is Prismacolor, a waxy colored pencil.  Sam's grandmother had just passed away right before we started the assignment, so she was inspired to morph a skeleton with a butterfly.  As part of her final she was to take the piece and make an interesting frame to compliment the work.  Sam had saved and pressed several flowers from her grandmother's funeral and she incorporated them into her frame for a very special tribute to her Nana.

One of her best friends, junor Marison Arcille sent me this photo that she had taken of Sam and I .  Thank you Marison.  

Go to school Sam!!  Behave yourself....

Metamorphosis - Student Art

I am also very late in posting this work that belongs to junior Jason Kwon. He is one of my strongest drawing/painting/design students this year and is looking into art schools for college. He is one of a very few that can pull images out of his head and draw them. That kind of drawing cannot be taught, it is simply a gift. Jason can sit and sketch for hours doing this. Currently he is in my 3rd year Advanced 2-d art class, and I'm hoping to have him back next year in at least two of my other classes. In this assignment the students were asked to bring in two unlike objects and figure out a way to morph them into each other, and then to build an environment around them that made sense. I thought Jason's idea of a spilled ice cream cone was brilliant. You can see senior Jullian Kho's morph that I posted earlier this year if you click under labels on right under Prismancolor or Metamorphosis.

Creative Framing Solutions - Student Art

Wanted to show off my 3rd year drawing/painting kids 1st Quarter Finals. They were to choose from either their color pointillism or prismacolor metamorphosis to frame up in a creative way that visually flowed without taking attention away from their original art work. So above we have junior Jason Kwon's piece and below is senior Jullian Kho's work. I think both the kids came up with wonderfully creative solutions.

Mindy Cho - Student Art

Senior Mindy Cho created this piece for my Intermediate 2-d drawing class during our unit on perspective. The assignment was to build a simple 2-point perspective box construction with an added twist. I always hope for something out of the ordinary and very creative. Well Mindy did not disappoint, she came up with a truly remarkable piece that is headed for the District Art Show in May to compete against the other high schools in our district. I also really like how she framed out her piece. Very unusual and fun!