Looking back on this year of creative arts class, I have learned so much. This was my first year of taking any kind of art class at HTHS, and im really happy i did before I graduated. This class has taught me much more than how to mold clay, or paint in watercolors. It has taught me to be patient with myself, and how to look deeper into my creative side that I really never knew was there. I want to thank my art teacher Ms. Kick for being so patient with all of us, and for somehow finding the time to teach us individually. I feel really lucky that i had the opportunity to explore the arts in hight school because it is something that many students in other schools are deprived of. So in conclusion, This year of art has taught me a lot more than just how to createpieces of art, but how to be a more creative person in everything I do.

Art - slideshows

      Of all the things there are to love about spring time, my favorite part is getting to spend my days down by the lake. To get there, one must travel a few miles from town, down an old forgotten road, and through a vast field of wildflowers about a mile wide. It's a special place to those who are lucky enough to know of it, but im happy that not many do.

     The day the tulips begin to bud is the day that my mother and I take our first walk to the lake of the season. Sometimes we stop and rest under a shade tree to admire the seasons bloom, and other times the anticipation is so great that we practially run the whole way there. To me this palce is more than just a lake, It's my childhood. It brings about happiness, love, and memories of times when the world beyond its shore did not exist. The first time I stumbled upon it was by complete accident. I was taking my dog for a walk when his collar came loose and he managed to maneuver his way out of it before I could catch him. I chased him for what seemed like hours until his path was cut off by the lake that I have come to know. Sometimes I think he knew where it was and just wanted to show me.

     Fate has a funny way of making things work out like that. One minute you're chasing your loose dog, and in the next, you've found yourself standing in the middle of what feels like a painting by Monet. But not even Monet could pait a picture to do this place justice, you'll just have to come see it for yourself.

 Project lantern: We started this project with a long sheet of paper and and inspirstion from one of the four seasons. I chose to do spring and was surprised when I began cutting and realized how much effort it took. It's amazing to see real artists and what they can do with cut paper designs, they are a lot more intricate than my piece, and must have taken forever. After a while my hand started cramping, but I think it was worth it becasue the finished product turned out pretty well.

 Project Empty Bowls dinner: The whole concept of the empty bowls dinner that will be held at HTHS on Feb. 9th is to bring a community together for a dinner of pasta while helping out local people in need of food. All of the proceeds go to the food bank of south jersey which is really a great cause. All of the art classes at HT have been busy making and glazing bowls for the dinner which people will be able to purchase. The variety of bowls people made is incredible and it's awesome to see them all as they come out of the kilm, looking totally different from when they first went in. The bowl above is one that I spent a lot of time on and a really proud of. I hope whoever buys it will give it a good home.

Project blind contour: As you can see with this piece, I am not even close to done. But drawing blind contours has always been fun because no matter what you do, you will end up woth something interesting. These will end up being a reflection of ourselves when we are finished adding personal touches such as "I dream..." and "I love...". I am excited to see what other students chose to write on their pieces and how they are similar or different from the way I looked at the assignment.

Claude Monet
Born on November 14, 1840, in Paris, France. He was the original founder and practitioner of the French Impressionist movement in painting. Monet liked to work outdoors and was sometimes accompanied by Renoir, Sisley, and Bazille. Monet struggled with depression, poverty and illness throughout his life. He died in 1926.

I think the reason Monet appealed to me so much is because when I see his art work, I am immediately reminded of home. I have a number of his paintings in different rooms of my house because my mother likes them so much, but I never really knew that Monet was the artist who created them until I started my research. His paintings are all very pretty and are the kinds of paintings that inspire other things to be created.

The top two images remind me most of home, the first hangs in my bathroom, and the second used to hang in my parent's bedroom and I remember looking at it when I was younger. The third picture is just one that i found beautiful, and I love that the bridge is a real place and can be visited today. Definitely on my bucket list.

Reflection on this marking period

Even in this short amount of time since the year began, I have found that I have learned a lot about art and the techniques used to create it. I have surprised myself with things I thought I would not be capeable of doing, and I have also surprised myself becasue things I thought would come easily have not. I am looking foreward to creating more things and seeing what else i am capeable of.

Next President Collage

This collage was our seond assignment. The objective was to create a piece that brought across a message that had to do with the upcoming election, it could be an issue, a candidate or something else that is relevant. The more you look at it, the more things you will find. I'll leave it up to you to wonder what mine was about, Enjoy!