Poet is an independent artist who usually has a clear vision of what she intends to create before she begins. She has high standards for herself and listens closely to directions. She’s a hard worker and able to focus for long periods of time. Poet is also kind to her classmates and always willing to help a friend. Earlier in the year when we were on campus Poet really enjoyed painting. She delighted in mixing colors and made many detailed paintings. In the paper relief sculpture inspired by artist Ed Ruscha, she made a sculpture of the word, creative. Poet constructed each letter by folding long, thin strips of green paper, without cutting it, into the shape of each letter. She then taped the letters upright to her base. In this project Poet thoughtfully assisted several classmates with their letters, patiently explaining what to do. When we shifted to online virtual classes, Poet attended almost every live zoom session. Her dedication and interest in making art solidified at home and she went above and beyond to make each assignment into an outstanding piece of artwork. One project that stands out is her memory game. Inspired by three Grace Lin books, Poet painted matching sets of cards that illustrate her favorite parts of the stories. The talking goldfish in a bowl and the never-ending mountain with cherry blossoms are painted with exquisite tenderness; the pictures are captivating. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Poet this year.

Chloe is a good-natured artist who approaches each assignment with quiet enthusiasm. She is slow to start each assignment, but once she has a clear vision of what she intends to create, she works hard to achieve her goals. Earlier in the year when we were on campus and Chloe was painting, she loved mixing colors and made many detailed paintings.Yet, her confidence really developed through the cardboard construction project for which Chloe made a three story treehouse. While building this piece she tapped into her imagination and had fun during each class. In the paper relief sculpture inspired by artist Ed Ruscha, Chloe made a sculpture of the word, positive. Folding long, thin strips of green paper without cutting it, to create letters and then taping them upright to the base was challenging. Yet, as Chloe gained experience problem solving and working with the materials, she developed grit and perseverance! When classes went virtual, Chloe took some time to adapt and then participated in all of the live zoom sessions. She was eager to complete each assignment to the best of her ability and worked hard to do so. Chloe has enjoyed working from home and is still working towards building momentum in each project and growing her self confidence. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Chloe this year.

In the beginning of the year, Alba was shy, wide-eyed and reticent to speak. Yet she approached each class with quiet enthusiasm and loved exploring art materials. As she practiced taking risks, Alba started raising her hand to participate in class discussions and she approached the assignments with excitement. This was evident in the last in depth project we did on campus which was a collaborative bird study with the classroom teachers for which Alba embroidered a black-capped lory. Her dedication and interest in making art continued as classes went virtual. Alba attended every live zoom session. She made a sculptural bird’s nest, a mandala for earth day of natural materials and a magical wand, in addition to creating many drawings, paintings and collages from observation and imagination. Alba’s pointillism painting, done on a dark blue ground, stands out. While looking at fresh flowers, Alba used white dots to depict delicate petals which flow gracefully off the page, and with a small brush she made tiny green and yellow stamen. The piece is lovely! Seeing Alba’s self-confidence and creativity grow this year has been inspiring.

Francesca is warm-hearted, kind and a keen observer. She approached each class with quiet enthusiasm and loves exploring art materials. This was evident in the last in depth project we did on campus, which was a collaborative bird study with the classroom teachers for which Francesca embroidered a black-capped lory. Her dedication and interest in making art continued as classes went virtual. Francesca attended almost every live zoom session. She made a sculptural bird’s nest, a mandala for earth day of natural materials and a magical wand, in addition to creating many drawings, paintings and collages from observation and imagination. Francesca’s final collage depicting a tree of hope, stands out. It includes her family as shiny tinfoil birds. Her father is mowing the lawn in the branches of the tree, her mother is carrying Francesca in her claws while Francesca is walking their dog, who is also a bird. All of this takes place in the canopy of the tree! Working from home allowed Francesca’s sense of humor and playfulness to emerge. It’s been wonderful seeing Francesca’s self-confidence and creativity grow this year.

Kia is a good-natured artist who approaches each assignment with quiet enthusiasm. He listens to directions, follows instructions and enjoys working with both two and three-dimensional materials. This was evident in the last in depth project we did on campus, which was a collaborative bird study with the classroom teachers for which Kai embroidered a snowy owl. During the sewing project Kai missed several classes, yet worked with great perseverance to catch up. His dedication and interest in making art continued as classes went virtual. Kai attended every live zoom session. He made a sculptural bird’s nest, a mandala for earth day of natural materials and a magical wand, in addition to creating many drawings, paintings and collages from observation and imagination. Kai’s appreciation for making art has remained steady throughout the year, whether he was working at school or from home. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Kai this year.

Lewis is a good-natured artist who loves the process of making things in both two and three-dimensional materials. When we were on campus in the art room last semester, he was always eager to contribute his ideas during class discussions. This was evident in the bird-study collaboration, during which Lewis shared his extensive knowledge of birds with everyone. Each student chose a bird to first draw and then embroider on an 8”x10” piece of burlap. It was difficult for Lewis to narrow it down but after some debate, he picked a peregrine falcon. His keen observation skills resulted in an accurate drawing of the bird, and Lewis quickly gained a sound understanding of how to embroider. Throughout the project his stitching skills improved greatly. The finished piece is lovely; it depicts a black and white contour of a falcon, complete with yellow talons and beak. Lewis willingly practiced making knots and threading his needle, difficult tasks which he approached with perseverance and a positive attitude, only asking a teacher for help when he needed it. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Lewis this year.

Madeline loves art and approaches each assignment with excitement. While on campus last semester, she worked diligently on embroidering a flamingo. This project was part of a bird study in collaboration with the classroom teachers. Each student chose a bird to first draw and then embroider on an 8”x10” piece of burlap. Madeline carefully matched the yarn to the colors of the flamingo, choosing just the right shades of white, fuschia and peach to represent each part of the bird. She gained a sound understanding of how to embroider and throughout the project her stitching skills improved. Madeline willingly practiced making knots and threading her needle, difficult tasks which she approached with perseverance and a positive attitude, only asking a teacher for help when she needed it. This spring Madeline joined a few of the live zoom sessions when we went virtual, and she made art independently at home. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Madeline this year.

Robert is a hard worker and a perfectionist who has a clear idea of how he wants his finished pieces to look before he begins working. He enjoys art and is always eager to share his ideas. In the beginning of the year Robert needed reminders to raise his hand during lessons rather than call out. As the year progressed his patience improved, and Robert became better at sharing “airtime” with his classmates. This was evident in the last in depth project we did on campus which was a collaborative bird study with the classroom teachers for which Robert embroidered a secretary bird. His dedication and interest in making art continued as classes went virtual. Robert took the time he needed to adjust to live zoom classes, and attended when he was comfortable. He made many drawings, paintings and collages from observation and imagination outside of class, including several wonderful paintings of chickens! It’s been a pleasure getting to know Robert this year.