Wild times at the National Zoo

     It has become a tradition to take the Photography One students to the National Zoo in the Spring! This year marks the fourth year. It was by far the best!

  This year we began our journey to the National Zoo via the Vienna Metro with 112 students and 11 fearless chaperones. 

The weather was perfect and the enthusiasm was outstanding!

Students searched the Zoo high and low for their doppelgangers,  the ambiguities of man interacting with beast, inspired by Garry Winogrand, animals in their surroundings and also free of their enclosures, and finally textures and patterns that are found in abundance when you have such magnificent beasts!

Wild times were had by all!

On the road again...Baltimore

2016 OHS Art Students

The best way to usher in Spring, even if there is one last tease of snow, is to get out and experience new ideas! 

There was much inspiration to be found at the American Visionary Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art in Charm City! It was a brisk day full of visual delicacies! 

Cosmic Egg

We toured the Visionary Art Museum exhibition celebrating it's 20 years: Big Hope! The exhibition focuses on Hope and Community. These are ideas we have been looking at all year as an Art Department in our classes!
The students also participated in a workshop. They looked at the work of  Gregory Warmack, Mr. Imagination,  and his amazing portraits created from everyday upcycled objects. 

We also toured the Baltimore Museum of Art. Their featured exhibition was Imagining Home.  We explored a variety of perceptions of home and belonging. 

 There were a plethora of meaningful conversations and observations! 

Bring back Spring!

Spring...where did you go? 

It was 70 degrees on Monday...

today is Wednesday and it is suddenly dipped to the 30's....

Let's shake off that chill and  bring back Spring!

DC at Night in the Spring...

Spring has sprung in the District! The tulip trees are taking over...

so delightfully elegant and pretty!

Can't stay away!

Last night I returned to Handi-Hour at the Renwick! 

The craft du jour was felting.

I am creating a killer voodoo lady.

She needs details and beads...so I will share her when she is fully realized.

What I do want to share are the photos I took at the close of the evening as I strolled again through the Wonder exhibition...I love the transitions from room to room. The delightful surprises that greet you and every turn!

This Greek Slave was 3-D scanned and then printed with a 3-D printer! There is a QR code posted as well, so if you desire your very own copy of a Greek Slave sculpture you too can print one!

Gold!!!

Incredible teacher moment for me today!!! 

      My student Razan Elbaba was recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her visual art portfolio. She was awarded a GOLD KEY PORTFOLIO at the Regional level and then, today, Gold Medal at the NATIONAL level! She is one of eight in the nation to receive this award in 2016! This is a tremendous honor and I am proud of her!

   

   

   Razan is the 4th student in the history of FCPS to receive this award and the first FEMALE!  She has an exemplary creative and tireless work ethic, this could not have happened to a more deserving student! 

   These students are identified by panels of creative professionals as the most talented young artists and writers in the nation! This year, nearly 320,000 works of art and writing were submitted. Only the top 1% were recognized at the national level! We will be traveling to New York City in June to attend an awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall!

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, presented by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, is the largest, longest-running recognition program of its kind in the United States. Established in 1923, the awards have recognized students who have become some of our nation’s most celebrated artists, including Richard Avedon, Robert Indiana, Phillip Pearlstein, and Andy Warhol. Visual arts categories include architecture, art portfolio, ceramics and glass, comic art, design, digital art, drawing, editorial cartoon, fashion, film and animation, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and video game design. More than 300,000 students participate in the program across the country.  

   

Boys day off...

March 1st was Virginia's Primary election...our school district closed 

in anticipation of high voter turn out!

So, the boys and I had the day off...

I voted early, and then we spent the day in D.C.

Enjoying a little feast for the eyes!