Perspective Final - Student Work

These stunning works belong to my 2nd year 2-d kids.  These were the culmination of the 1 and 2-point perspective units.  Their assignment was to choose a location from either the inside or outside of the school, and then draw it in either 1 or 2-point.  

Senior Jessica Liu above choose to sit outside in the wind and rain to draw this fabulous depiction of the front of our school.  The students were required to use artistic lisence to bring in a surreal element.  Jessica's gorilla's captured everyone's attention including the superintentant of our district.  It now hangs in his office.  You didn't know that did you Jessica??  Surprise! 

Senior Michelle Lee brought in some very cool textural elements, her signature style, in the area behind the band room.  Michelle placed the bird's head where they are currently building our new multipurpose theater/computer lab building.  We got to meet the lovely Grace Hu today who donated much of the funds that are going into this new complex.  She was given a piece of art, a monoprint, done by alumni Hyun Yoo.  I'm pretty sure Hyun graduated in 2001.  I hope you like it Mrs. Hu.

Check out these close-ups of all Michelle's sweet details including bringing in a bit of watercolor below.

Senior Crislyn Ogawa brings us her diagonal horizon with her sensitive watercolor backdrop.  And senior Michael Chen gives us his favorite subject, video gaming, in his interior hallway.

It is a pleasure to display your artwork.  You young ones make me so proud!

Slab Footed Bowls - Student Work

Aren't these spectacular???  These belong to my beginning ceramics kids and were done in the 1st quarter of school.  It's a slab technique using a mold to drape the slab over.  The students had to add a foot to elevate the piece, and also had to include at least 2 surface design techniques in the plastic or leatherhard clay.

I love how this first one turned out after glazing.  It was made by senior Jaimee Chirico and she used a couple different glazes as well as various oxides to achieve this multicolored piece.

This gorgeous pot above was created by senior Kelsey Chang...

and this cool piece was done by senior Tim Chai.

And then we have senior Alice Cho who created this very complex and amazing work.

I also threw in this fun extra credit piece below by Kelsey.  She does at least 3 pieces in the time it takes the other kids to complete their first one.  She's really something!

Happy Valentine's Day Sweet Man

It was exactly a year ago tonight that you told me how much you loved me and asked me to marry you.  You make my heart so happy Jimmy.  No one has ever loved me like you do.  I'm so glad we found each other and had another chance at love and happiness.

You make me smile and laugh everyday, you keep me safe, you surprise me and bring me roses and chocolate covered strawberries to my classroom in front of all my students, you drive me to the beach to hold my hand and sit with your arms around me as we watch the sun set, you patiently wait while I pull you through a dozen yarn shops in one day, you run countless errands with me for school supplies just so we can spend more time together, you spend hours figuring out my messed up tax situation, you pick up after me, you tuck me in every night...you make me feel cherished, just like I thought it was supposed to be.

But most of all you help me be a better person everyday through your love, care and your supreme understanding of what it's like to be an only child.

Thank you Jimmy, my heart is yours forever.  I love you big time!  5477  xoxoxox  

Stick & Ink Drawings with Collage, Ink and Watercolor Washes - Student Work

Stunning aren't they?  I pulled out some shells from the beach and gave my Intermediate 2-d kids some sharpened dowels and asked them to dip the dowels in ink and draw the shells in modified contour.

Above we have senior Janice Min with her breathtaking landscape.  

After the ink drawings were dry the kids added collage elements along with 3 values of ink washes and some watercolor pigment as well.

Above is senior Crislyn Ogawa and junior Laura Kadi.  I find these works to be highly expressive which is very difficult to achieve with students this young. 

The results were spectacular and showed off the flexibility of these kids moving seamlessly from one medium into another.

And this complex work belongs to highly talented senior Michelle Lee.  I shot a close-p so you can see all the details she brought into this piece.  Do you see the tiny pieces of shredded, dried leaves?  and the lattice work over top?  So well thought out and executed.  All of you make me so very proud. 

 Keep up the great work!

Felt Pouches - Student Work

Jude, these are for you, our future stitchers  :)  These are my Beginning 3-d students and this project was their 1st Quarter Final.  They had to jump thru many hoops to come up with an original design, and then to use their most beautiful craftsmanship to embroider and stitch up these pouches with.  They also learned how to put in a drawstring.  Some great life skills!

Above and below we have junior Julia Chanco, her adorable front and back side.  

These kids put lots of effort and thought into their pieces.  We have senior Daniel Ho.  Look closely at how gorgeous his stitches are!  Oftentimes the boys craftsmanship is better then the girls.  Right Daniel??  :)

And below we have junior Hannah Park who also is one of my talented drawing students.  What an extraordinary piece she has come up with.

This very friendly octopus belongs to senior Isabel Chua.  And below the sweet little lion was created by junior Angela Wan whom I'm hoping is going to be coming back to me next year for the Intermediate class  :)

Below is the very gifted junior Alice Zhang, who always turns in exceptional work.

And then there are juniors Emily Yang and Sheila San Agustin, who are such hard workers, great designers and who absorb every morsel you put out there for them.  The back sides of their pieces are below.   

So, for EXTRA CREDIT, on any color piece of paper, cut out two rectangles and turn them into a paper pouch thru gluing, stapling, stitching, whatever works for you.  Decorate the front with whatever you'd like, the more you do the more extra credit points you earn!  On the backside put your name, period, and the name of the person's pouch from above that you liked the most.  Hand to me when you walk in the door tomorrow.

Karisma Dev - Her English Project

Our English teachers here at Whitney try to do many cross-curricular projects with our students.  So when 9th grader Karisma Dev was walking out of my room the other day to go to her English class she was carrying the most appealing project in her hands.  I liked it so much that I asked if I could get a pix of it.  So check this out, a mixed media, 3-d collage that relates to whatever it is they were studying.  I was so impressed with the effort she put into this piece. Looks like you are a superstar in all your classes Karisma!  

3/4 View Charcoal Portrait - Student Work

These gorgeous pieces belong to my 2nd year 2-d class.  The kids worked in a technique that was new to them.  They used their charcoal stick and turned it on it's side and rubbed the whole paper to completely coat it with charcoal dust.  Then if they wanted to they could use a tissue and in a circular motion blend the charcoal into one perfect dark value.  Everyone used their erasers to draw in their image.  Yes, they drew with their erasers, a novel concept and outside their comfort zone.  :)  And then for the small details and various values they were allowed to use their charcoal pencils.

The top piece belongs to very talented senior Jessica Liu.

Senior Crislyn Ogawa did the sensitive portrait above and senior Sarah Zhang drew her strongest piece to date with the little girl below.

Senior Michelle Lee did the very atmospheric phantom above and we finish off with senior Janice Min who did the expressive child below.  Once again, I'm still struggling with my new camera and the lighting is off in Janice's piece and and in Sarah's we see the date and time.  Sorry!

Farewell 2nd Quarter 7th Graders

I've loved every minute with all of you and I will miss you a lot!  I know I've told you guys many times but you have been the most outstanding group of 7th graders I've ever had.  A great work ethic, follow directions well, good listeners (most of you...haha), good artists, but most of all I will remember your sweetness and how much fun we had, especially when we had David sing for us.  So stop by often to check in with me and say HI.  

These are the linear/textural/pattern assignments with watercolor backgrounds.  The top one was done by superstar Daphne Wang, and was my personal favorite.

The music piece above was created by Zereen Ahmed, and below we have Ryan Madamba with the great looking sun motif design.  Look at how lovely their watercolor wash backdrops are.

The fun happy face above was made by  Shreya Havaldar, and another favorite was done by Heewon Choi below.  Love how she listed all the names of the kids in the class plus some of my favorite sayings like noob sauce.  That cracks me up Heewon!!

So be good for Ms. Improta, I know she's going to love you as much as I did.  And come take more art classes with me as soon as you can!

For EXTRA CREDIT FOR MY NEW 7TH GRADERS ONLY:  on a multi-colored piece of paper (use those critical thinking skills of yours to figure out how to get a piece of paper many colors) cut out in the shape of a sun motif, put your name and period on the front side of the paper, and on the back side of the paper tell me which of the pieces from above was your personal favorite.  I had two, Daphne's and Heewon's.  Can you have more then one favorite.  Of course you can  :)

More Student Ceramics

These lovely vases were done by my 2nd year Ceramics group.  Their assignment was to make a 2 sided, very thin slab vase form that was asymmetrical.

Senior Alyssa Olea above and senior Tiffany Liu below

While the pieces were still plastic (wet) they were instructed in the art of Mishima, an oxide tinted porcelain is inlayed into the clay body.  Then when the clay becomes leather-hard (semi-moist) a flexible metal rib is used to scrap off the outer layer of colored porcelain to reveal the design below.  After bisque firing, we used transparent glaze over top.  These are very delicate, small pieces, non larger then 4-5" tall, and 3" wide.

Above we have senior David Hyun.

And these are the two views of senior Melissa Garcia's lovely piece.  

I apologize for the dates showing in the shots, I just had to get a new camera, the old one died over Xmas break, and I haven't quite figured out all the technical stuff yet.  LOL

Sgraffito Rattle - Student Work

A new assignment I tried this year with my Ceramics II kids was to make sculptural clay rattles and then cover them with oxide tinted porcelain slips.  Senior David Hyun made this wonderful clay form and tinted his porcelain with cobalt carbonate.  When that was leather-hard he incised through it to get the linear designs.  Then the piece went through both the bisque and glaze fire.  No glaze was used.  I  especially love the form.  

Favorite Xmas Gifts in 2011

We saw my ex, Inars, weep joyful tears as he looked upon his Xmas gift from me this year.  I commissioned my very talented student, junior Rita Labib, to make me this wood and glass collage with the pix I had saved of Inars and the kids from the kids growing up years.  The family were all so pleased at how much he loved it and how meaningful it was to him.  Thank you Rita for doing such a beautiful job with this piece.  He has it hanging in his study over his desk.

Another favorite present was from juniors Cindy Kim and Samantha Arias.  They got together and baked me this huge, artful cookie that was devoured within minutes of me bringing it home.  I think there might already be a piece missing.  Just had to taste before I took it home.  Girls, it was De--Lish!!!

The Urban Craft Center...

or is the The Urban Art Center?  It's one of those.  Well anyways, over Xmas break Jim took me on an adventure thru Santa Monica looking for this place.  It's at 2433 Main St., really close to the Convention Center.  A little hide to find, tucked behind some other buildings but worth the long drive.  It's really a fiber center, lots of spinning wheels, rovings, knitting supplies, sewing machines and supplies, but it's also about book binding, stamping, mixed media, and so much more.  You can go there just to pick up supplies, or for a monthly fee you can use everything there to make all kinds of Do It Yourself projects.  Sure wish it was closer, I'd be there all the time.  Definitely worth checking out, and a great concept for anyone who is crafty.  And once again, there's Jim fast asleep as I'm looking around LOL. 

Xmas Day at the Ex's (just a bit late)

9:00 a.m. Xmas morning, freshly rolled out of bed in our jams, let the Xmas opening present games begin ...

sweet little Bogey opening his presents...

2:00 p.m., all cleaned up, getting ready to visit Nana and then cook Xmas Dinner...

and baby Lily's first Xmas after she had pulled off and mutilated half the ornaments.