Conclusive research and studies have shown that now more than ever, art programs in schools have a long lasting impact on a person’s growth and development. Not only does it improve activity in the brain and makes other school subjects easier to understand, it also promotes creative and critical thinking skills. In many ways, Orono High School has taken the necessary steps to encourage the arts and help students expand their creative boundaries. The course Independent Art has helped to assist and define the importance of art in the education system.
In Independent Art, students must create their own curriculum; one that revolves around their area of expertise. This involves selecting a medium, or material, in which to construct the student’s respective pieces. Students must then create three major projects, detailing what concepts they hope to explore in-depth. This curriculum allows students to express themselves and explore their creativity at their own pace, while also encouraging the arts and offering its students more learning opportunities in a subject they are interested in.
Among the individuals advanced enough to partake in the class are OHS seniors Camren Notermann, Connor McLaughlin, Alex Thies, Rachel Micoley, Natalie Bonner, Emma Sherman, Ozzie Secundino and junior Graham McKee. Each has their own unique style, preferred medium and extraordinary talent.
Camren Notermann
Medium: Pen and ink. I like using this medium because when you do you are always stuck with your mistakes. It stops me from going back and changing every little detail due my crazy perfectionist personality. Plus after working with this medium for so long I have learned to turn mistakes into amazing designs.
Best piece of artwork: My favorite piece of artwork was the first color piece I’ve ever done. I first traced the outline with pencil then traced the outline with my pens. It is a complex original design put into my favorite contrasting colors. All together this piece must have taken around like fifty to sixty hours to make. “Controlled Contrast” is its name.
Connor McLaughlin
Medium: Sharpies or acrylics. I love the sharp defined lines with the sharpies and the fact that they’re very portable, at the same time I love the fact you can mix your own colors with acrylics, and you can cover up any mistakes. They both take the cake.
Best piece of artwork: I don’t really have a favorite piece that I’ve done, they all are equal and all have the same amount of meaning to me. I never know what I’m going to create when I make something, I usually have a general idea for colors I want to use, and an emotion or expression. I almost always make things up as I go along, I never know how it’s going to turn out.
Alex Thies
Medium: Paint and pencils. I like working with paint because its easy to express what I’m feeling and I can do it in many different ways. I like working with pencils because I can go into great detail and erase it all if I end up not liking it or add to it easily if I want to add more later.
Best piece of artwork: My best piece would have to be “Fate” which is a painting I did in Independent Art. It is of a woman with her back to us and she has one wing extending out, the other by her side. One wing is white the other is black and the background is yellow with pink highlighting.
Rachel Micoley
Medium: Pencils. I enjoy working with pencils, you can go into detail and make things look real by shading and putting a lot of details into it. It just sometimes takes a while depending on what you’re drawing.
Best piece of artwork: I’d have to say that my best piece of artwork was a piece I did for a friend. I drew a flower, and I liked it so much because it looked so realistic.
Graham McKee
Medium: Favorite medium is clay, but I’m good with basically anything. I like to work with clay because its so forgiving, and I’ve always been good at sculpting 3D objects.
Best piece of artwork: For me, all my work is my best work. It’s really hard, for me at least, to judge one piece over another. But out of all the artwork that I have done, my best piece of art was an India ink triplicate that I made for my grandparents 2 years ago. The piece was 3 separate drawings depicting 2 birds falling in love though the night. When I made the piece, I was influenced by the Canadian Northwestern Native Americans.
Ozzie Secundino
Medium: Paint. It’s easy to go in many directions, and I love getting messy and being a part of the painting itself.
Best piece of artwork: “Back to Basics” is formed with lines and colors that appeal to the eye. It’s very abstracted because I wanted people to use their imagination.
Natalie Bonner
Medium: Acrylic paint. I find it easiest to use with colors and shading
Best piece of artwork: My current favorite, depicts a mermaid sleeping in a bubble in an underwater castle.
Taylor Werdel is the Editorial Editor for The Spartan Speaks