These paintings were inspired by nature—the ultimate source of beauty and spirituality for artists throughout the centuries. The students whose work was exhibited ranged from kindergarten through sixth grade. Students began their creative journeys by focusing on the structure of the still life. Then, they examined the uniqueness of each flower with its petals, stems, colors, textures, and leaves. Their instructor, Ms. Aktas, then encouraged her students to render what they saw in front of them and to create flowers from their imagination. After completing their drawings, students filled in both natural and imagined colors. Since all of the students have had basic art training, they were able to make informed choices about composition, light, and space. They worked in groups of two or five depending of the size of the finished work. Each artwork took about five weeks to complete. This challenging learning experience helped the Alphonsus students to understand the process of making art as well as learning to work as a team.
Image: Student artwork from Alphonsus Academy, 2006