Summer art sparks first semester work

Being an artist does not take a break even over summer vacation as students taking advanced art classes this year were given multiple assignments to complete over the summer to get them ready for the upcoming school year.

“For Pre-AP Art 2, we had to do 10 sketches, photography, an altered book, and visit an art museum,” senior Rabita Rahman said. “The assignments helped me practice my art skills over the summer and were actually a nice way to relax during the summer.”

Even though they had the same assignment, everybody came up with a unique approach and solution,

— art teacher Pernie Fallon

The assignments gave students an idea of the expectations in a higher level art course and prepared them for the challenges the class can offer.

“These assignments prepared me for the upcoming year by sampling the increased rigor that Pre-Ap Art 2 offers over the prior art classes I’ve taken,” senior Nathen Sabapathy said. “They also revealed the heightened expectations Mrs. Fallon now holds for us as ‘experienced’ artists.”

Art teacher Pernie Fallon hopes the assignments gave students a chance to consider different artistic techniques and explore their unique interests in art.

“I think the assignments help to discover something that students enjoy doing that they didn’t know how to do before or to try a new direction that they’ve never really taken in art because the summer gives them the time to explore and discover different tools that they can use,” Fallon said. “What I like best about it is when everybody comes back at the beginning of the year to show each other and compare that even though they had the same assignment, everybody came up with a unique approach and solution.”

The assignments helped me practice my art skills over the summer and were actually a nice way to relax during the summer,

— senior Rabita Rahman

Ultimately, the artwork students did over the summer helped them broaden their horizons and got them to work outside of their comfort zones.

“My favorite assignment was definitely the altered book because it was a piece that really tested our creativity and it was also a way to show not only the class but Mrs. Fallon as well what my personal interests are,” Sabapathy said. “I think the assignments helped me widen the techniques I can use to create a piece of art but also to appreciate pieces of art to a greater extent than I previously held.”