Beginning art students created paper-mache birds out of plastic eggs, cardboard and paper-mache, painted with bright colors and strung on strings around the exhibit area. Beginning students also created abstract depictions of a flower, bone or shell in the style of the late artist Georgia O’Keeffe.
Intermediate students researched Mother Earth and created a drawing that depicted her or a “life tree” depicting their own past, present, and future, which were displayed on easels in the patio area outside the art classroom or on classroom bulletin boards.
Advanced art students researched Planet Earth and created a drawing or painting based on their research. Advanced students also did a portrait on recycled cardboard, exposing some of the corrugated later to add meaning to the portrait.
The artwork was beautiful and reflected the effort, talent, and creativity of the students.
Art teacher Linda Brown said, “I like to challenge my students to produce artwork that is technically sound, but that also has a ‘heart’ and says something about the world and their place in it. Researching and creating artwork around the concept of the Earth is a good way to achieve this. The broad subject allows students to interpret the research that they do into meaningful and beautiful works of art.”