Examples of Students' Art
Watercolor + Ink Animals
7th & 8th Grade
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Students created symbolic animal artworks that reflect their own personalities using watercolor and ink. They chose an animal that represents them, then identified three personal traits it symbolizes. They researched traditional patterns from the animal’s country or region and layered those patterns in ink over their watercolor compositions. This project was inspired by the work of a visiting artist who shared their own process of combining symbolism, animals, and cultural patterns in art.
Funky Faces
3D
7th Grade & 8th Grade
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Students were shown the works by artist Kimmy Cantrell. Talked about culture and identity. They were given the task to create a face out of cardboard that was inspired by his work. They were required to have thumbnail sketches as well as one detailed sketch with notes of their plan. They provide an artist statement.
Colored Pencils Eyes Self--portrait
8th Grade
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Students were taught how to draw from a grid. They took photos under different colored light sources, cropped their eyes, created a grid overlay and then drew their self portrait.
Ceramic Fairy Houses
7th & 8th Grade
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Students designed and built whimsical gnome or fairy houses out of clay, using slab and hand-building techniques. They added imaginative details such as tiny doors, windows, vines, and textures to bring their magical dwellings to life.
Floral Oil Pastels on Black Paper
7th Grade
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Students were shown different techniques for applying oil pastels. Then they created a composition that showed selective cropping and applied at least two different techniques in their work.
Positive & Negative Space
Students learned about positive and negative space in art. The drew a silhouette of an animal and cut it out to provide the positive and negative space. They created a watercolor background based on a color theory and filled in the white space with entangles.
