Art N' You - Highlights from various students -2022!

Lots of changes have happened during the Covid lockdown and restrictions that challenged my usual teaching venues at public schools. I wasn’t sure if I would be joining the exodus of Californians to another freer state or not. I still have my eye on Utah as it has beautiful mountains for skiing and hiking!

Homeschool groups and private tutoring groups opened up where doors were shut in the public schools. I also obtained a small kiln, that opened up the doors to teaching ceramic classes this past summer. So proud of the various outstanding work these students did in one week! All their smiles give me encouragement and joy to continue teaching art here in Ventura County.

Two new homeschool groups reached out to me: ACHEV and CASA. Both groups are geared towards Christians seeking an alternative to the values taught in the public school system. I offered basics in art to a high school group, as well as a few Art History classes so students would create pieces as well as understand what was occurring during the time of the artists masterpiece. I wonder what representations would take place here in California. . . perhaps, “The Scream”?!

Ceramics has always been a joy of mine. I remember getting a scholarship and award in high school. Working 3 dimensionally is challenging, but very rewarding. My students this past summer did incredible work learning concepts in only one week! I am very proud of them.

Plein Aire Class Inspirations

Amidst the restrictions here in CA, I decided to take some friends to Yosemite and teach a Plein Aire class. What fun, can I just stay there?? So I thought, why not enjoy some of the outstanding landmarks we have here in Camarillo and paint, or at least draw outside in the beautiful fresh air? These young students are doing an outstanding job drawing Plein aire (fancy word in French for outside) and painting back in the studio. What a wonderful experience and way to capture the beauty aroung where we live. Enjoy the pictures from Yosemite and from Camarillo!

Walking away with $100!

You can imagine the surprise on these two young artists as they came for a nice evening out to see their artwork on the wall and enjoy dinner in Ventura.  Both Syna and her brother Aayan went to the art show and walked away with a ribbon and cash award's!   Now that's encouragement to keep on doing well in art class!  Many of my other students took ribbons as well in pastels and in mixed media.  You can see many of their art pieces and the talented art they are creating.  Thank you to D.A. Davidson Investments in Ventura for making this possible to showcase the art in Ventura County.

Enriching Students at Cam Heights!

I just finished an art enrichment program at Cam Heights Elementary School bringing a variety of projects to help these 4th and 5th graders learn about art history, various artists like Klimt, Georgia O' Keeffe, and create great pieces of art.  It has been a delight to see students accomplish goals in art, express their creativity, as well as learn about real artists.  I still have to help students learn art terms as most teachers refer to a landscape direction of paper as "hotdog" and "portrait" as "hamburger", UGGH.  It reminds me when I heard kids talking about Michaelangelo and Donatello, just to find out it was regarding ninja turtles and not the real artists!!! 

I also am able to help students from a professional eye, adust a picture to make it more appealing with the use of either complementary colors or how to fine tune a picture with a stroke or two of a line.    And many students do not know how to use brushes, as they don't get to paint much in schools.  So these students learn the difference between watercolor and tempera/ or acrylic brushes, how to properly clean and store them,  and how proper tools are used.  

Many of the pieces of art you see now will be on display at the school's art show held yearly at Studio Channel Islands Art Gallery this coming February.

Learning to see Value in Objects

In this exercise, I had the students focus on the value of objects and really notice the shadows and highlights in  various objects. I helped them shoot black and white pictures of their still-life subjects to notice where the darkest values were without the confusion of colors. This helps the students with their future colored pieces. It also helps them to use the entire gradation scale and not just the middle values as many do. I think they did a great job, wouldn't you agree?!