Student Artwork through the Years - click on images to enlarge
Hoping this gallery of images provides fun, unexpected memories for past students and parents. And, for teachers, I hope this serves as a place for generating lesson ideas. Click on the images to enlarge. Enjoy!
2023-2024
An 8th-grade coil pottery project came together nicely with the inclusion of a little dirt and greenery! When repotting my aloe plants at the end of the summer I had several baby aloes that I hated to see wasted. It occurred to me while my students were working on this project that I could put them to use and perhaps find them a new home. Initially I had planned for the students to pot the plants but I imagined my room covered in dirt so I opted to do it myself. I am really happy with the end-results.
2022-23
This video captures some highlights from last year's student work in the art room. Hope you enjoy!
2021-22
A slight return to normalcy. One half the year in masks and the other, optional. Admittedly, I was reserved at first to jump back into a routine of familiar lessons and materials; uncertain of how the year would unfold. But, just a few months into the school year I was diving into my cabinets for materials that had not been touched for almost 2 years due to COVID lockdown and restrictions.
One thing was clear, the students missed being in a socially creative environment and at times, it was hard for me to keep up with their energy. More to the point, the challenge was getting them to slow down and work through the problems they encountered. No doubt, this was the most productive year we have had in the Art room in some time.
One thing was clear, the students missed being in a socially creative environment and at times, it was hard for me to keep up with their energy. More to the point, the challenge was getting them to slow down and work through the problems they encountered. No doubt, this was the most productive year we have had in the Art room in some time.
In April, thanks to relaxed COVID restrictions, the eighth-grade students were treated to a field trip to visit the Vincent Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience exhibit in DC. The exhibit was an excellent supplement to the Foreign Language and Art curriculums.
In addition, we explored many of DC's monuments and memorials. The students were surprised to learn that 39 past Gilman students and one faculty member* lost their lives during World War IIand, that the memorial includes an inscription from Gilman alumnus and author, Walter Lord.
*As noted on a dedication page of the 1946 Cynosure
In addition, we explored many of DC's monuments and memorials. The students were surprised to learn that 39 past Gilman students and one faculty member* lost their lives during World War IIand, that the memorial includes an inscription from Gilman alumnus and author, Walter Lord.
*As noted on a dedication page of the 1946 Cynosure
2020-21
The year of COVID restrictions and "art on a cart". In effort to minimize the spread of the COVID, students were separated through the building by grade level. Instead of the students coming to the Art room for class, I was traveling to their location. The one exception was the eighth grade. Both of my eighth grade classes met virtually, for 30-40 minutes, every two weeks. An unfortunate situation to be in but giving the circumstances, they still produced wonderful work. Shared materials were not an option this year. So, like many schools, I spent the many weeks before the start of school creating "goodie bags" of materials. And in typical middle school-aged fashion, many students who did not have Art until later in the school year, could not remember where they placed the material bag they received from me back in September! Nothing to do but roll with it. 🙂
Highlight: 7th-grade Lighthouse – Unit Overview
We examined Edward Hopper’s collective work and had conversations about the themes of isolation found throughout his work. This guided conversation was designed to help them connect art and artmaking to the current state of being in lockdown or seclusion. They completed an artist statement reflecting on the questions below.
Highlight: 7th-grade Lighthouse – Unit Overview
We examined Edward Hopper’s collective work and had conversations about the themes of isolation found throughout his work. This guided conversation was designed to help them connect art and artmaking to the current state of being in lockdown or seclusion. They completed an artist statement reflecting on the questions below.
- What is the purpose of a lighthouse? Consider a lighthouse as a symbol of guidance (light) during times of trouble (rough seas, fog, loss of direction).
- Who or what is the lighthouse in your life?
- What difficulties does this person or thing guide you away from or protect you?
Highlight: 8th grade Art students were asked to create a conceptual work using the human eye. There were lessons that preceded this project that focused on the anatomy of the eye.
Questions asked:
Questions asked:
- How do you SEE the world?
- Do you like what you see? Or not?
- How do you want others to SEE you? Do you like how people SEE you?
- What would you like others to know about you that perhaps they don’t SEE at first glance?
2019-20
This student gallery art page grew out of the absence of this year's annual art show due to the covid-19 epidemic. The collection of work I had been holding on to for this year's exhibit is sitting in cabinets, in my classroom, in school that has been closed since March 13th. The work will eventually be returned, and I know it will be displayed proudly at home, but until that time, it is presented here to celebrate the hard work and creative talents of our middle school boys. Enjoy!
2018-19
This year I revisited a project with my 8th-graders that focused on contour lines through the study of silhouettes. Their cut-paper drawings were layered and displayed on old shelving boards, with painted black edges. Unfortunately...I made an ill-informed decision of layering the completed works with a varnish in hopes that it would keep the paper from curling up over time. In theory this made sense, but what it did was leave staines on certain parts of the paper. The best I could surmise is that it had to do with where the glue was applied. You can see this in the first two images; one before the varnish and the same work after the varnish. So much time put into this by the students and I felt terribly guilty. It really felt like such a rookie mistake. :(
2017-18
In line with our annual 8th-grade unit of study of portraiture, I asked the students to consider the following statement; "How do you see yourself and how do others see or perceive you?" My students came up with some wonderful, thoughtful concepts that considered ideas of religion, race, sexuality, the environment, school work and so much more!
This was also the year I was able to salvage a couch from storage for my classroom. We had a great time painting it!
This was also the year I was able to salvage a couch from storage for my classroom. We had a great time painting it!
2016-17
Some fun candid shots here from our annual 8th-grade trip to the Baltimore Museum of Art. The story of Claribel and Etta Cone aka, The Cones Sisters, is wonderful told in the book, The Art of Enquiring - I highly recommend it!
Also noted here is the first time a student took a homework assignment above and beyond. The directions for this 6th-grade homework was to design the front and back of a children's cereal box...in your sketchbook. This student applied it to an actually cereal box!! I loved it of course...an easy "A"!
Also noted here is the first time a student took a homework assignment above and beyond. The directions for this 6th-grade homework was to design the front and back of a children's cereal box...in your sketchbook. This student applied it to an actually cereal box!! I loved it of course...an easy "A"!
Select Student Work from Middle School through Upper School
These are students who really started to express/show an interest in Art during their 6th, 7th and 8th-grade years, and then followed through with our Upper School Art program, 9-12th grade.
2014-2015
I will reserve this space for referencing my Blog posts on Finland. This was the year I was awarded a sabbatical from Jan.-June. It was a true gift, an honor, that I am forever grateful, and one that I am still reaping the rewards from many years on.
2013-14
Projects - 6th-grade oil pastel abstract tree drawings, 6th-grade warm/cool abstract animal paintings, 7th-grade Edgar Allan Poe pen & ink illustrations, 8th-grade distorted homes referencing William H. Johnson and Van Gogh. Highlights include my son entering the 6th grade :) that's he's golden retriever watercolor painting!
2012-13
Projects - 8th-grade watercolor tree studies, linoleum self-portrait prints, and still life studies. I seem to remember this being the year when I really started to focus on skill-based lessons with my 8th-grade students; many of whom went on to pursue art for all fours years of Upper School.
2011-12
Projects: I remember this year being particularly eclectic in terms - lots of motivated young artists all feeding off of each other. I was giving the boys a lot more freedom with their projects. They were absorbing everything I threw out there for ideas. The watercolor fish and sunflower paintings are 7th grade. The rest are individual projects completed during Art Club.
2010-11
Projects: 7th-grade sunflower painting, 7th -grade designer clay ties, 8th-grade chalk pastel animal, shell watercolor studies, and surrealistic oil pastel self-portraits
2009-10
Projects: 6th-grade watercolor, 7th-grade oil pastel vegetable and fruit, 8th-grade chalk pastel flower studies
2008-2009
Projects: 6th-grade space paintings, 6th-grade clay lighthouses and watercolor paintings, 6th-grade acrylic paintings using song lyrics as inspiration, 7th-grade clay birdhouses, 8th-grade chalk pastel vegetable and animal drawings. Click on the hummingbird image for info :)
2007-08
Projects: 7th-grade monochromatic pastel portraits, 7th-Grade paintings from photos inspired by William H. Johnson's work, 7th-grade mosaics collaboration with Woods hop teacher where the students made the frames, 8th-grade plaster figure figure studies,
2006-07
Projects: 6th-grade Senufo cloth painting, 7th-grade Faith Ringgold paintings, 7th-grade clay garden lanterns. I was a bit ambitious with clay this year :).8th-grade ,mutation drawings, 8th-grade clay tile engravings using song lyrics by the Beatles.
2005-2006
Not a big year for student art photos. I was finishing up my thesis for my Master's degree in Art Education this year.
This was also the year of the CRAB sculpture, which saw many exhausting versions. Baltimore was on its second round of mass-produced public sculptures, the first being FISH sculptures. These pre-fab CRABS sculptures were purchased by businesses, who then commissioned an artist(s) to design the piece. The completed work was put on display and then sold at auction to raise money for local organizations in need. Businesses could also purchase the sculpture outright from the get-go, which meant after it was displayed, it would come back to the purchaser.
My school purchased one of these crabs, and I worked collaboratively with our lower school art teacher to generate ideas. Our idea was to create a background that looked like a steamed crab on a newspaper-covered table - as most Marylanders eat their crabs. The text within the paper included words and phrases related to a person who was "coming out of their shell." I added faces, shaped in fiberglass to accentuate this concept. Kinda of creepy in retrospect.
When completed, it was delivered to Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and displayed during the high-traffic summer season along with the other crab sculptures. Unbeknownst to me at the time, our school had purchased the CRAB sculpture outright. I returned to school in September to find the CRAB sculpture lying on my classroom tables, like an injured patient, with holes punched in each of the faces! The story I like to tell is that the Orioles did not have a great season that year, and a disgruntled fan likely walked away from a summer night game and took his frustrations out on our crab. Either way, I was now faced with the reality of repairing and redesigning another CRAB sculpture to be displayed this time on our school's campus.
I had LOTS of glass mosaic pieces stored away in one of my closets. I came up with the idea of a mosaic that depicted the MD flag, books (education), arts (music, paintbrush), the bay bridge, etc. At one point, during the construction phase, I remember a student kneeling on the dried, pre-laid glass panel to put down the next layer of glass, and he cut his knee through his pants (yikes!). It was too bad, but enough that it ripped his pants and drew blood. At that point, I resolved to finished it up myself. This version of the CRAB sculpture was in place for at least a year before the elements of time and weather took over.
This was also the year of the CRAB sculpture, which saw many exhausting versions. Baltimore was on its second round of mass-produced public sculptures, the first being FISH sculptures. These pre-fab CRABS sculptures were purchased by businesses, who then commissioned an artist(s) to design the piece. The completed work was put on display and then sold at auction to raise money for local organizations in need. Businesses could also purchase the sculpture outright from the get-go, which meant after it was displayed, it would come back to the purchaser.
My school purchased one of these crabs, and I worked collaboratively with our lower school art teacher to generate ideas. Our idea was to create a background that looked like a steamed crab on a newspaper-covered table - as most Marylanders eat their crabs. The text within the paper included words and phrases related to a person who was "coming out of their shell." I added faces, shaped in fiberglass to accentuate this concept. Kinda of creepy in retrospect.
When completed, it was delivered to Baltimore's Inner Harbor, and displayed during the high-traffic summer season along with the other crab sculptures. Unbeknownst to me at the time, our school had purchased the CRAB sculpture outright. I returned to school in September to find the CRAB sculpture lying on my classroom tables, like an injured patient, with holes punched in each of the faces! The story I like to tell is that the Orioles did not have a great season that year, and a disgruntled fan likely walked away from a summer night game and took his frustrations out on our crab. Either way, I was now faced with the reality of repairing and redesigning another CRAB sculpture to be displayed this time on our school's campus.
I had LOTS of glass mosaic pieces stored away in one of my closets. I came up with the idea of a mosaic that depicted the MD flag, books (education), arts (music, paintbrush), the bay bridge, etc. At one point, during the construction phase, I remember a student kneeling on the dried, pre-laid glass panel to put down the next layer of glass, and he cut his knee through his pants (yikes!). It was too bad, but enough that it ripped his pants and drew blood. At that point, I resolved to finished it up myself. This version of the CRAB sculpture was in place for at least a year before the elements of time and weather took over.
2004-2005
Projects: When school resumed from winter break in 2005, there was a sense of emptiness looming in the hallways following the news of the Tsunami in Sri Lanka that killed 35,000+ people. I sat down with my sketchbook and considered ideas about what this could look like as a memorial. When I proposed the idea to the students I immediately secured a dedicated group of boys who helped see it through to completion. We finished just under two weeks. I wanted to incorporate lights as a symbolic gesture of hope and remembrance. If I recall correctly, there is one hole (point of light) for every 1,000 deaths. The memorial stayed in the lobby of our middle school through the end of the school year.
Other Projects this year included - 7th-grade plaster masks focusing on personal themes, 8th-grade box portraits
Other Projects this year included - 7th-grade plaster masks focusing on personal themes, 8th-grade box portraits
2003-2004
Projects: 8th-grade multi-media (clay) masks that focused on social justice issues, 8th-grade oil pastel facial features studies