Friday, November 8, 2013

Art & Design: Desks, personality and two-point perspective

After reading an article about what a messy or clean desk says about your personality, the art & design students were asked to design a desk in 2 point perspective thinking about how they would draw their desk if they were creating an illustration for the article we read.  The students had to include at least 6 details, a chair, and fill in the colors with watercolor.

After their drawing and painting was completed, we scanned the pieces and did some tweaking in photoshop using the new drawing tablets the art department has for the graphic design classes.  It seemed like they had fun with the new tools!

The desks below are the drawings -- nothing has been altered digitally...yet.

Alexia Saavedra

Allie Lang

Ben Smogard

Brooke Stanley

Carson Knoer

Colby Clinton

Daniel McMenamy

Dario Orr

Grace Szymanski

Jake Farrey

James Libbey

Jesus Machuca

John Stone

Jordan Sims

Kameron Herndon

Kippin Keller

Lucian Parece

NaHyeon Lee

Stefan Garcia

Ty Hansen
Tyler Matson


Friday, April 12, 2013

Painting I: Landscape and Pattern

To begin our next assignment, Painting I students looked at different artists who paint in landscapes while using pattern to create parts of the foreground, middle ground, or background.  Artists such as Gustav Klimt, David Hockney, Grant Wood, and Emily Carr were examples we looked at.  Of course, each student could go in any direction of hyper-realistic to more expressive or abstract.  See their choices below!

Abby Moroz, 9th grade
Alyssa Borsch, 9th grade
Amanda Kautzer, 9th grade

Anna Von Kampen

Bailey Johnson, 9th grade

Emma Froseth, 9th grade

Kim Pollard, 9th grade

Sarah Letcher, 9th grade

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Painting II: Gesture and Emotion


In hopes of acquiring some figure drawing skills, the Painting II students were given an assignment that used figure to convey emotion -- without using the face to support that emotion.  The students were asked to find a way to show how the person was feeling based on how the figure held their body.  Actions can speak louder than words sometimes (or faces)!

Anna McGinn, 11th grade

Kaylee Druk, 10th grade


Jacqui Theisen, 10th grade
Everett Waldon, 10th grade

Samantha Ochs, 10th grade

Emma VanderHeide, 10th grade



Painting II: Minnesota Landscape

Painting II was assigned to paint a familiar landscape -- a scene from Minnesota.  If not Minnesota, at least a midwest landscape.  The only other requirement was something brand new.  The students would be painting in oil.  I think I converted a few of them to oil paint for good!

Shannon O'Connor, 10th grade

Albi Beaird, 12th grade

Anna McGinn, 11th grade

Everett Waldon, 10th grade

Lexi Press, 12th grade

Jacqui Thiesen, 10th grade

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

AP Painting: Concentrations

We're getting close to AP portfolio submissions and the Painting students concentrations are coming together nicely!  Check out the first few:

Franny Peck:


         Antigua, Guatemala












Dana Buckhorn: Ideal Body






Maggie Langford: Vision Quest








Mackenzie Matthews: Meat









Jenny Krane: Portraits