Carl's confidence in himself as an artist is growing as he gains experience working in both two and three-dimensional materials. This was evident in the last in depth project we did on campus, which was an animal study, for which Carl made a paper mache sculpture of a red panda and a shadow box of a barbary sheep. The sculptural process was challenging for Carl, but drawing and painting came more naturally. When creating the sheep for his shadow box, Carl took his time and made sure that every detail was right. He also gained a clear understanding of the concepts of background, foreground and middleground. The piece is beautifully rendered! Although Carl didn’t attend any virtual art classes, he did a lot of drawing at home this spring. He illustrated his own original comic books, creating many characters that survive dramatic plot twists! It’s been a pleasure getting to know Carl this year.

Isla is an enthusiastic artist, eager to participate in every assignment. She delights in exploring both two and three-dimensional materials and approaches each assignment with an open mind. For the last in depth project we did on campus, students chose to research an animal. For this assignment Isla made a lovely pencil and watercolor study of a sand cat which she surrounded by hand written facts about their lifestyle and habitat. Isla then made a whimsical shadow box depicting the cat, in which she gained a clear understanding of how the concepts of foreground, middle-ground and background function in relief sculptures. Her dedication and interest in making art continued as classes went virtual. Isla participated in all of the live zoom art classes, eager to complete each assignment to the best of her ability. She made another cat sculpture out of cardboard, which is beautifully constructed and painted, that also serves as a pencil holder. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Isla this year.

Kip is a hands-on artist who loves experimenting with both two and three-dimensional materials, discovering their possibilities and limitations. When we were on campus and during virtual classes Kip often needed to be reminded by a teacher to stay on task. He is learning how to stay focussed. This was evident in the last in depth project we did on campus, for which students chose to research an animal. For this assignment Kip made a shadow box of a velvet monkey and a European wild cat sculpture in paper mache. In both projects Kip worked in short bursts of energy. He would then leave his seat to socialize and need a reminder from a teacher to get back to work, five or six times a class. Getting the wire armature and newspaper to be the shape of the cat and to be proportionally accurate was challenging for Kip, who sometimes became discouraged. Yet, the process of drawing and painting came more naturally for him. When creating the monkey for his shadow box, Kip took his time and made sure that every detail was right. He also gained a clear understanding of the concepts of background, foreground and middleground. The piece is beautifully rendered! Kip participated in most of the live zoom sessions when classes went virtual and his ability to stay on task improved throughout the spring semester. He successfully completed the studies of wetlands, estuaries and mountain streams by making lovely paintings of each ecosystem. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Kip this year.

Maya is a quiet and attentive artist. She listens to directions, follows instructions and enjoys exploring both two and three-dimensional materials. She is good-natured, and when we were on campus, kind to her classmates and always willing to lend a hand cleaning up.This was evident in the last in depth project we did in the art room. For this assignment Maya chose to study the gray fox. She made a lovely pencil and watercolor drawing of the fox in a forest, and hand wrote several facts about the fox’s lifestyle and habitat. She then created a whimsical paper mache replica of the animal, complete with whiskers. Finally, Maya wrapped yarn around the body and limbs of the fox to create the texture of the fur! Maya also made two shadow boxes depicting a short-eared owl and a green turtle. Both pieces highlight Maya’s attention to detail when making observational drawings. Maya’s dedication and interest in making art continued as classes went virtual. She participated in all of the live zoom art classes, and was eager to complete each assignment to the best of her ability. During virtual classes she worked independently and stayed focussed for long periods of time. Her mandala drawings stand out! Maya’s father, who is an artist, spoke about Buhdist mandalas to the class explaining how every mandals is like a temple, with all that we love at the center and guards at each gate, protecting the sacred. Maya made two lovely mandala paintings using symbolic colors, one depicting her own home and hearth and the other with an elephant in the center. She also successfully completed the studies of wetlands, estuaries and mountain streams by making paintings of each ecosystem. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Maya this year.

Nico is an independent artist who usually has a clear vision of what he intends to create before he begins. He listens closely to directions and is a hard worker; he’s able to focus for long periods of time. This was evident in the last in depth project we did on campus, for which students chose to research an animal. For this assignment Nico made a pencil and watercolor sketch and a shadow box of a common chameleon. The shadow box is magnificent! He gathered a stick from the woods outside to use as a tree branch upon which he carefully placed the chameleon, whose long red tongue is stretched out, ready to strike. Nico then made a tiny fly and placed it on the branch... within striking distance. The piece is beautifully constructed and funny! Through this project Nico gained a clear understanding of how the concepts of foreground, middleground and background function in reliefs. Nico’s dedication and interest in making art continued as classes went virtual. He participated in almost all of the live zoom art classes, and was eager to complete each assignment to the best of his ability. During virtual classes he worked independently and stayed focussed for long periods of time. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Nico this year.

Tedi is a quiet and introspective artist. She has high standards for herself and is a perfectionist. Tedi works slowly, taking the time she needs to make the art materials match the ideas she sees in her mind’s eye. Yet when we were on campus, at times she would get discouraged and need encouragement from the teacher to re-engage and complete her work. This was evident in the last in depth project we did on campus, for which students chose to research an animal. For this assignment Tedi chose to study a snow leopard. She made an exquisite pencil and watercolor picture of the leopard, and was very proud of her drawing and the inventive detail of adding spots to the lettering. Yet, working in paper mache to make a three-dimensional version of a leopard was more challenging for Tedi. She viewed suggestions from the teacher as criticism and insisted on working independently, even though she was frustrated. While working from home, Tedi’s confidence in herself as an artist has grown and her work continues to flourish. Her dedication and interest in making art solidified and grew as classes went virtual. She participated in all of the live zoom art classes, and was eager to complete each assignment to the best of her ability. During virtual classes she worked independently and stayed focussed. Her studies of wetlands, estuaries and mountain streams were beautifully rendered. Tedi made images of each ecosystem that illustrate her knowledge and understanding of the delicate balance of life. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Tedi this year.

Alfie is a precise and curious artist who asks probing questions at every turn. He delights in understanding the concepts behind making art; yet at times he finds it challenging to work with the art materials themselves. His participation in each project improved greatly over the year. Last fall when we were on campus, Alfie often left class for long periods of time, causing him to miss instructions and valuable studio time. However, his comfort level with being in the art room, familiarity with the art teacher and his interest in the assignments grew over time. In the paper relief sculpture inspired by artist Ed Ruscha, Alfie made a sculpture of the word, spirit, in cursive. He created each letter by folding long, thin strips of green paper, without cutting it, into the shape of each letter. He then taped the letters upright to the base. This was challenging, yet with support from a teacher, Alfie persevered. Once Alfie adjusted to virtual classes, he joined many of the live zoom lessons and successfully completed most of the assignments, he also did many other art projects with the support of his family. His mandala painting stands out! It has a symmetrical design and is painted with reds, deep ultramarine blues and purples. The center is orange and green. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Alfie this year.

Brianna is a good-natured artist. She enjoys art, is a hard worker and wants to do well. When we were still on campus and Brianna had difficulty making the art materials do what she wanted them to, she learned how to speak up and ask for help. In the paper relief project inspired by artist Ed Ruscha, Brianna learned resilience. She made a relief sculpture of the word positivity! and it presented a few challenges. Folding long, thin strips of green paper without cutting it, to create letters and then taping them upright to the base was challenging. Yet, she stuck with it and moved through her frustration without getting too discouraged. When art classes went virtual, Brianna’s confidence in herself as an artist continued to grow and her work flourished. Her dedication and interest in making art solidified and grew as she worked from home. Brianna participated in all of the live zoom art classes, and was eager to complete each assignment. She made sure she had all the necessary supplies for each project and worked independently. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Brianna this year.

Kara is an enthusiastic, independent artist who jumps into each assignment with a positive attitude and lots of energy! She is a fast worker who is able to concentrate and stay on task for long periods of time. When we were on campus, despite missing many art classes throughout the year, Kara resiliently completed each project. This was evident in the paper relief sculpture inspired by artist Ed Ruscha, for which Kara made a sculpture of the word, serve. She created 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 paper. Kara even experimented with creating a wavy font by bending the strips back and forth accordion style. While working from home, Kara’s confidence in herself as an artist has grown and her work continues to flourish. Her dedication and interest in making art solidified and grew as classes went virtual. She participated in almost all of the live zoom art classes, and was eager to complete each assignment to the best of her ability. The pieces she made for Mother’s and Father’s day stand out as particularly well painted and beautifully rendered. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Kara this year.

Lark is a good-natured, independent artist who approaches each assignment with quiet enthusiasm. He enjoys working with both two and three dimensional materials and takes the time he needs to problem-solve for each assignment. When we were on campus, Lark enjoyed talking with his friends, but this was sometimes disruptive. He was learning how to find a balance between socializing and staying focussed on his artwork when classes went virtual. While working from home, Lark’s dedication and interest in making art solidified as he participated in almost all of the live zoom art classes. Lark worked independently, stayed focussed and was eager to complete each assignment to the best of his ability. This was evident in the memory game he made, for which he invented a completely original format. It’s been a pleasure getting to know Lark this year.

May is an independent artist who is a perfectionist. She usually has a clear vision of what she intends to create before she begins and takes the time she needs to get started. May has high standards for herself and listens closely to directions. She’s a hard worker and able to focus for long periods of time. Earlier in the year when we were on campus and May was painting, she delighted in mixing colors and made many detailed paintings including the silhouette of a red cardinal on a tree branch in front of the full moon. After May adjusted to virtual classes she participated in almost all of the live zoom sessions, and was eager to complete each assignment to the best of her ability. Ultimately, May’s confidence in herself as an artist has grown while she’s been working from home and her work continues to flourish. Her nature mandala stands out! She made a giant one in the woods with her sister using pine needles, pinecones, sticks and earth. The attention to detail and use of materials in this piece is exquisite! It’s been a pleasure getting to know May this year.

Pace brings curiosity and enthusiasm to each project. Earlier in the year when we were on campus and Pace was painting, he delighted in mixing colors and made many pieces of which he was proud. Both on campus and in virtual classes, Pace has been eager to participate in class discussions and share his ideas; he was working on remembering to raise his hand so as not to interrupt anyone. When classes went virtual, Pace was finding a balance between socializing and staying focussed on his artwork. Throughout the year his ability to self-regulate has improved greatly. While working from home, his dedication and interest in making art has also continued. Pace participated in all of the live zoom art classes. He worked independently and stayed focussed! It’s been a pleasure getting to know Pace this year.