[ot-caption title= “A student working on a surfboard for an assignment Mrs. Theoharis hopes lets students learn while not feeling limited. (via Jessica Gross, freshman)”]

A lot of people take art classes in the Upper School, whether it’s to earn credits or simply because they love to create. Either way, art is a great opportunity to discover one’s inner creativity. Upper School art teacher, Mrs. Theoharis has been creating prompts for students to find that creativity within themselves.

When asked about upcoming projects in her courses, Mrs. Theoharis brought up some interesting assignments from the Drawing and Painting and Sculpture I classes. “The Sculpture I classes just finished making coil pots, and we’ll be glazing those up when they’re finished. We’ll also be making clay speaker-type structures for phones. One fun project in my Drawing and Painting classes that students are currently working on is designing their own surfboards.”  

Giving students the ability to create their own unique artwork, like the surfboard project, comes with a lot of responsibility.  Mrs. Theoharis must create assignments that both address the lesson and allow students to have fun while not feeling limited. “I try to create projects that are fun, that incorporate functional, non-functional and aesthetic art,” said Mrs. Theoharis. Students have also been learning about the elements of art and principles of design, as well as building techniques and color theory, which Mrs. Theoharis hopes they can incorporate into their works.

One of the beauties of art is knowing that there are so many ways to go about creating, and that making a piece unique to one’s personality is what makes it the artist’s original work. Putting the effort in to make something and having it come out like the artist intended is just as, or even more so, rewarding as getting an A on a really hard test. Mrs. Theoharis seems to acknowledge this beauty and harnesses it when teaching her students.

Since she puts so much of her time into thinking of prompts for all of her classes, I asked Mrs. Theoharis what she would like students to take away from the experience and from their own work. “I hope students have pride in their artwork and enjoy the process. They should take pride in knowing they created something of their own. It’s not just about the final product looking ‘good’.”  Type One looks forward to showcasing Pine Crest students’ art throughout the school year.