Art Archives - the bird on fire

The Favorite Things Museum

April 17, 2025 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Blog Staff has set out to log some of Palm Valley School’s favorite things. It’s what we talk about, think about, dream of, hoard, share, give to one another. 6th-grade Mark shares here his favorite things.

A Google Drawing created by Middle-School Blogger Mark Huber

In the parallel universe of pigs, there is a house that belongs to the pig version of Mark Huber. You’ll see that Pig Mark has created an addition to his house, and that addition is a relatively small museum of all of Mark’s favorite things. The Google Drawing below is a picture of Pig Mark and his brother, Pig David, in the museum studying the things in it.

The paint bucket and paintbrush representing the color green were copied from a Google Slides presentation that thanked Human Mark’s dad for bringing his Chromebook to school when he had forgotten it at home. The two pigs studying the things in the museum, Pig Mark (left) and Pig David (right) are the two main characters in any fictional story Human Mark writes, Pig Mark being the mainest character of the two.

A Vampire’s Suite

February 14, 2025 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

It’s Modernism Week here in the desert. So, the Blogging Staff has given thought to Architecture. Soleil (because we can’t always explain where Soleil’s mind goes) designs in verse a dream house for a . . . vampire. It might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but the macabre-minded will find it gangrene and cozy.

By Middle-School Blogger-Poet Soleil Antle

My raging heart of murder–destruction,

self pity, and loneliness long for a home:

Dark colors and intense textures;

A big black castle house, blood-sucking turrets;

Ash stains on the floors, a blood red carpet;

Arched door frames filled with bugs,

Ceilings up high, with chandeliers of rust;

Eight open caskets for lounging comfort,

Gut-stained floors with a dome-shaped mural,

A resting place for my fangs,

A blazing untamed fire pit,

A hole so deep only death is an option,

Shelves of books written about gangrene and pain,

Skull-embedded comforters, pillows of teeth;

Eyeballs at the breakfast table, a nice sweet treat.

The sun comes out and suffocates me;

May my bats rest in peace.

The Concept of the Quentin Tarantino Movie

March 6, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By 8th-Grader Jack Edelstein

If you were to ask me what my favorite movie genre is, I would say action. If you were to then ask me who’s my favorite director in the action genre, I would say Quentin Tarantino. Quentin Tarantino or Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director. Quentin Tarantino is known for his “stylized neo-noir violence, razor-sharp dialogue, and fascination with film and pop culture” (Britannica.com). Here are the movies that I think represent the Tarantino directing style.

Reservoir Dogs

Tarantino has been in show business since his debut in 1992 with his blockbuster Reservoir Dogs. Reservoir Dogs is about a gang of crooks committing a jewelry store heist, and it goes terribly wrong. In my opinion, I do not think it is his best, but it is definitely worth watching. It was a great way to start a career of becoming a topnotch director.

Pulp Fiction

Then, two years later, 1994, Tarantino released an absolute classic, Pulp Fiction. Some argue it’s his best movie–it isn’t, but it’s definitely close. Pulp Fiction is, to sum it up shortly, “The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine[d] in four tales of violence and redemption” (IMDb.com). Pulp Fiction is in my top 10 favorite movies of all time, and it is a great example of the distinct and famed Tarantino directing method described by Britannica–neo-noir violent scenes and quick get-to-the-point dialogue.

Inglourious Basterds

Then in 2009, Tarantino made my second favorite of his films, Inglourious Basterds. Inglourious Basterds is about, according to IMDb.com, “Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers” and “a theatre owner’s vengeful plans for the same.” This movie is really great. It shows the noir of Tarantino’s films. We see Aldo Raine and his crew sneaking into a Nazi Theatre; we get trademark Tarantino funny and interesting dialogue; and we witness the Tarantino brutal and famous violence. The stars of this movie are Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine, Daine Kruger as Bridget, and Christopher Waltz as Hans Landa, who is an exemplary villain. This is a perfect movie for historical fiction lovers.

Django Unchained

Then in 2012, Tarantino released an absolute masterpiece of cinema film making, Django Unchained. Django Unchained is summarized by IMDb.com as follows: “With the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.” In four words–This. Movie. Is. Amazing. What makes this movie so great is that it isn’t a slow and boring Western; Tarantino gives us fight scenes and battles that show the iconic “neo-noir” style of Tarantino, as well as its comical dialogue (especially between Django and Dr. King Schultz). And, its actors–Leonardo DiCapro (Calvin Candie), Samuel L. Jackson (Stephen), Jamie Foxx (Django), and the consistently amazing Christopher Waltz (Dr. King Schultz)–are exemplary. With fast brutal fights and humorous dialogue, this is the perfect example of a Tarantino movie.

Words from Mr. Griffin

I asked PVS Film Connoisseur, Mr. Griffin, about his thoughts on Quentin Tarantino and the concepts and elements of his films. He said…

“I’m a great admirer of Quentin Tarantino. He has been extraordinarily influential on the craft of filmmaking: it’s hard to imagine movies (and television) today without the impact of his style, which at one time was considered controversial and revolutionary. Every major director nominated for an Oscar this year would surely admit to a Tarantino influence. Accelerated action sequences, non-linear and fractured narratives, startlingly brutal violence wedded to a romantic visual panache, deeply ironic and wryly humorous undertones, super-fast dialogue filled with pop-culture references conveyed through rapid-fire crosscutting – all of these are recognized hallmarks of the Tarantino style. He brought to his work an encyclopedic knowledge of world cinema and a glee in upsetting the Hollywood apple cart with stories challenging in their violence and brutality and innovative in their subjects as well as their technique. He took on some of the most iconic American movie making genres – crime thriller (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill), gumshoe detective movie (Pulp Fiction), Blaxploitation film (Jackie Brown), World War II Nazi drama (Inglourious Basterds), Western (The Hateful Eight) – and turned them on their heads, reinventing and revitalizing these old cinema styles in the process. He took the well-worn “solitary cowpoke in the Old West ”concept, combined its DNA with that of the chain-gang movies of the 40s and 50s, and produced one of the most powerfully anti-racist films of the 2000s, Django Unchained. He was deeply influenced by Korean and Chinese movie making long before the films of those countries became commonly known to American audiences. Tarantino is the Bad Boy of American cinema – his methods and techniques remain controversial, but he’s arguably had as much if not more impact on filmmakers and audiences alike as any other director of the last 40 years.” — Mr. Griffin

If you couldn’t tell, Tarantino is my favorite director. If you do watch a Tarantino movie, let us know in the comments.

Mirabelle Lee is Riverside County Poetry Out Loud Champion!

February 15, 2024 by szachik@pvs.org 5 Comments

On Thursday, February 8th, junior Mirabelle Lee, her parents, the family dog, Ms. Zachik, and Mr. Koehler traveled to downtown Riverside where the Riverside Arts Council hosted the Riverside County Poetry Out Loud Competition. On stage, Mirabelle recited, in Round I, “My Dad and Sardines” by Toi Derricotte. She followed up with “To The Ladies” by Lady Mary Chudleigh in Round II. Before a panel of four judges, Mirabelle won! She advances to State Poetry Out Loud on March 17 and 18 in Sacramento. If Mirabelle wins there, she heads to Washington, D.C., for national Poetry Out Loud competition.

Palm Valley has been fortunate. We’ve sent half a dozen recitators to Poetry Out Loud State Competition. Jackson Dean (Class of ’19) went so far as to place 3rd in the state. Mirabelle continues this fine tradition.

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”

December 8, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

Gone. Romeo’s gone–at least the PVS version of Romeo is gone. If you missed last week’s PVS Drama Department enactment of Romeo and Juliet, here’s guest blogger Lily Jones with the recap.

By Junior Lily Jones

This play really exceeded my expectations. I thought it was really good. Abby, Anais, Mirabelle, and I went on Saturday night, and it was a really nice night to hang out with friends and watch some good Shakespeare. I like the idea of having the play in the little amphitheater outside; it has a nice atmosphere (even if I was freezing to death). I kind’ve felt like I was at a drive-in movie with my friends on a Friday night, so the vibes were really nice. The set looked really, really cool. The shading on the columns was on point (shoutout Rylie Conway). I liked the ladder as Juliet’s window, I thought that was very creative.

I also thought it was cool that the art classes helped create the sets; I liked the collaboration and sense of community. Anais, Abby, and Mirabelle pointed out which parts of the set they had helped paint, which was fun. I also think it’s fun that they collaborate with outside companies for food; it makes it feel like a really nice event. The tacos were really, really good.

I remember a critique I had from last year’s play was that I could barely hear anything. This time, that wasn’t a problem. There were microphones, and I could hear everyone perfectly!

The costumes were beautiful. I especially liked Mel’s dress; it looked really pretty. Shayan’s costume was also really cool. I thought that the fight scenes were super cool, and the choreography looked very realistic. Zander did an amazing job. His emotions and the way he said his lines was just amazing. I thought his death scene was super good. Lorelai’s death scene was also crazy. She actually just face-planted into the floor, and Anais, Abby, Mirabelle, and I were very impressed with her commitment to the scene (but we were also a little scared because it looked like it hurt.) Matteo and Emerson did a really great job as Romeo and Juliet. There were a lot of sweet and cute scenes. Indy also did an amazing job as the friar. I loved the passion and emotion that he said his lines with. I also think Shayan did a great job. Mel did a good job with her emotions when Emerson “died.” Even though Abby, Anais, Mirabelle, and I know what happens in Romeo and Juliet, we still found ourselves being sad and gasping when someone died. Alex was amazing as the nurse. We all noticed his makeup, and it looked really good, so whoever was on hair and makeup absolutely slayed his makeup.

Overall, the play was a great community event. I was really happy to see so many people in the audience. This play was amazing, and I think it’s definitely something for the drama students to be proud of because it was really good.

Lily’s Beautifying the World

December 1, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Junior Lily Jones and PVS Art Teacher Mr. Wendt-West

PVS Art Teacher Mr. Wendt-West announced that the SunLine Transit’s 8^th Annual Student Art Contest recently announced their finalists for this year, which includes our very own Lily Jones representing Palm Valley School!

Says Mr. Wendt-West, “This is truly a great honor and achievement as this is the 2nd year in a row that Lily has been selected as a finalist in the Sunline Annual Art Contest! Incredible!”

He continues, “There were many amazing submissions this year from throughout the Coachella Valley and we want to congratulate Lily Jones for the artwork she submitted. Please join us in recognizing the participation and creative talents of Lily sharing her artwork with the broader community.”

On Tuesday November 21st there was an event at Sunline for the unveiling of the winners. Sunline Board members, community members, and sponsors presented the awards to the finalists. The winning student artwork was on display. Below is Lily’s award-winning graphic work.

Congratulations, Poet Lily

November 24, 2023 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

PVS Junior Lily Jones was selected–second year in a row–as a Finalist for Riverside County Teen Poet Laureate. As well, Lily was the recipient of the Jane Block Prize for Environmentalist Teen Poetry. Jane Block is a celebrated environmentalist, feminist, and children’s services activist in the Inland Empire. Below is a picture of Lily with Ms. Block at the November 14th ceremony. The recognition of teen poets is hosted by the Riverside County Office of Education and the Inlandia Institute. Together, the two publish a chapbook of the winning poems. Lily’s poem “The Miner’s Song” is included in that chapbook. You can find the chapbook with Lily’s poem in county libraries, or read it here at thebirdonfire.org.

Christa Jones, mother of Lily, said of the celebration of young county poets, “As a parent, the event filled me with hope for the future.”

Lily with Ms. Block.jpg — Lily is the 2023 recipient of the **Jane Block Prize for Environmentalist Teen Poetry**. She is pictured here with Ms. Block at Riverside County’s Teen Poet Laureate awards ceremony.

The Miner’s Song

by Lily Jones

If pressure creates diamonds

then I hope my mind is a coal mine,

filled with twisting dark tunnels.

A place where soot coats my fingers as I

sift through the rocks,

the thoughts that are crowded together,

clumped by feeling,

left to wilt quietly within deep tunnels.

I’m left alone to find the gem,

to dig deep and mine

the thought in the rough.

The words covered in soot

that will bleed silver when extracted.

Let this thought spill out,

overflowing with my forgotten spoken voice,

a diamond from a void of coal,

the shards cutting my heart deeply.

The greatest exchange of all is words,

so please give me your heart

and I will lay mine bare,

stripped from barriers and lies,

splayed out only through paper and ink as

my words build friends out of paragraphs,

and I build safe houses out of poems.

The Only Real Artist in the Family–My Grandmother

November 9, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Junior Levi Kassinove

Our PVS bloggers explored art and artists. Levi went close to home with his favorite artist, . . . his grandmother.

I know my writings are usually pretty…avant garde–and not exactly in ways that have clear merit, either. (See “A Clam Thanksgiving.”) My grandma, on the other hand, possesses an artist gene that she clearly refused to pass on. Nobody else in my family is even good at drawing. Working as an art therapist for 23 years in a community mental health clinic gave my grandmother a unique, empathetic perspective on people with mental illnesses. I interviewed her recently about how her experiences in the clinic shaped the way she painted, and this is what she had to say.

Me: Let’s start from the beginning. Who are you besides my grandma?

Tina: My name is Tina Kassinove, and I have been painting for over 50 years. I lived in New York for most of my life and moved out here to the desert around five years ago.

Me: Why did you become an artist?

Tina: I’ve always loved art, even as a young child and more so around the age of seven. As I went into elementary school and to higher grades, I was always asked to go down to the lower grades to teach kids art. It was always something I loved. Maybe I’ve always felt the need to express myself through art because expressing myself verbally was not my skill.

Me: What kinds of paintings were you originally making?

Tina: Early on in my career, I did hardline acrylics. There is no blurring of one area into another. Every aspect of the painting is clearly defined. Mentally, I was very rigid in my application of the art, and I was not allowing myself to freely paint what I wanted. I was not comfortable with who I was as an artist. Later on, working as an art therapist for the mentally ill just…freed me up. It really did. It gave so much more dimension to my life and to who I was. When I moved here, to [the Coachella Valley], I immediately embraced the beauty of the mountains and the colors of the foliage, which freed me up even further. I’ve allowed myself to not let the concepts that I come up with control my art, but let the canvases control my concepts.

Me: You’ve done a lot of paintings about mental health; can you talk about those?

Tina: Working as an art therapist gave me such insight into the pain and suffering of those that grow up with mental illness. Everytime I completed a work, I would see something that reflects one of those patients and their struggles in that artwork. I also think that during my time working at the community mental health center, I gained insight into the workings of the mind and how nothing is black and white. There are so many grays and colors in between that really transformed who I am as an artist today.

Me: Did you have any famous artists that you looked up to?

Tina: I absolutely did. I loved Mondrian, for instance. Some of my paintings earlier on, even now, reflect Mondrian. When I graduated from college and was developing my skills, I also liked Picasso and Lichtenstein.

Me: If you had to pick a favorite painting, what would you choose?

Tina: If I had to pick? Honestly, I think that one over there, “Coexistence.” I think the reason why is because of how the painting developed, and how I saw difficulties with it and just went with them. And, it turned out to be successful. I allowed the shapes to guide me.

(Side note, this is what she meant by the canvases controlling her concepts.)

Me: Lastly, if you had advice for young aspiring artists, what would it be?

Tina: Have faith in yourself, and never give up, and…let the experiences in your life guide you. Just allow yourself to be free and express yourself.

I don’t know, that doesn’t sound so good. Help me out here. You can tweak it, you know? Make me sound real good, kiddo.

Truly, it is difficult for artists to define why they do what they do. It is also difficult for them to give advice. Anyone who plays with emotion, color, and philosophy is bound to be somewhat mystifying. It seems that artists have a unique approach to life, in that they let it wash over them without thinking too much about the logistics. With Covid, most people would complain and lie in their beds all day. At the end of the ordeal they’d complain more about it to their friends and family. My grandma would choose to make a painting to express how she felt. How exactly a painting captures her experience is up to your interpretation. Also, you can find more of her art at https://www.tinakassinove.com/.

“Weathering my storm” by Tina Kassinove, the Covid painting

Alyna’s Favorite Artist

October 13, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Alyna Rei

The Blog Staff is highlighting local, familial, and world-renowned artists. Alyna shares with us her favorite painting–Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.”

I’m not a person who is a big fan of paintings and other artwork. Mine is sort of a one-second appreciation, and then I would forget about the artwork. But, there is one painting that really stands out to me. I’m pretty sure everyone has heard of the “Starry Night” painting by Vincent Van Gogh. This painting is really popular to many people, and since it captivates me so much, I decided to write about it.

What is the history of “The Starry Night” painting?

The painting first started when Van Gogh was in a mental hospital getting treatment. He grew stronger, but, sadly, he had a relapse of instability. He fell into sadness and started having hallucinations and suicidal thoughts (vangoghgallery.com). As a result, the tone of his work changed. His use of the darker hues from the beginning of his work was reinstated, and Starry Night is a superb illustration of that change. The picture is dominated by blue, which melds the hills with the sky. The small settlement is depicted at the bottom of the painting in shades of brown, gray, and blue. The yellow and white of the stars and the moon stand out against the sky, attracting the eyes to the sky, even though each building is clearly highlighted in black. The buildings are one of the painting’s main focal points and one of the main draws.

Why do I like this painting so much?

I like this painting mostly because of the way it presents itself. The colors and the ambience match each other, which is what made me like this painting even more. For some reason, this painting reminds me of “Claire De Lune” by Claude Debussy. Both the song and the painting convey a calm peaceful night to me. Listening to the music and observing the painting, the atmosphere puts me at ease.

Where is this painting held?

This painting is being held in The Museum Of Modern Art in New York. This painting has been a permanent piece at the museum since 1941, and it is one of the most recognizable pieces in Western Art.

I love this piece so much that I have a Lego set of The Starry Night. This piece doesn’t really look like the real painting, but it’s a pretty similar comparison–in the medium of Lego.

This Lego set of The Starry Night was constructed by Alyna and now sits on her shelf in her room.

Comedy Tonight at PVS

May 3, 2022 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Oliver Martinez, Middle-School Correspondent

Comedy tonight was a theater show where students at PVS performed multiple plays that aimed to bring a smile to whomever was watching. The PVS theater classes prepared for over a month for this show. The show played Wednesday, April 6th, Thursday the 7th, and Friday the 8th. Some plays or songs that were part of the show included the beginning scene of the Wizard of Oz, Pure Imagination, Good Morning Baltimore, The Gold Rush, The Cat in the Hat and so much more!

I have interviewed students who acted in the play compilation.

I asked them what role they played and if they enjoyed it.

“In Comedy Tonight I was one of the MC speakers, and I was also the Pawn Shop Man/Frankie in Gold Rush, written by Oliver, Tal and Zander. I did really enjoy both of these parts, especially Frankie in Gold Rush.”
Sherwin Hemmati

“I was part of the opening quartet, Jeff in Gold Rush, Tin Man in Wizard of Oz and solo singing ‘My Favorite Things.’ I really enjoyed all of them.”
Tal Maruvada

“I was part of the sonnets and of the MC. I didn’t really like doing the sonnets, but I liked doing the MC.”
Michael Pete

The Production Team’s Perspective:

As part of the Production Team, I was helping in lights and was stage manager. I’d say this was a really successful play because we got laughs from the audience, everyone remembered their lines, and the production team made few errors.

Fellow Production Team member Kayliee Augustine-Sails agrees:

“I’m part of the lights, and I think it went well. The actors did their job.”

I have also interviewed members of the audience:

“My favorite part of the play was Good Morning Baltimore. But everything else was good, too.”
Timothy Reed

“I liked Comedy Tonight, but it took a long time to finish. My favorite play was Gold Rush.”
Donavan Knott

*Gold Rush* actors in this scene include, from left to right, Oliver Martinez, Zander Eaton, Tal Maruvada, and Sherwin Hemmati.

Lastly, here are a few words from our director Mr. Hilbert:

“I liked how we had different types of comedy. The acting was good; the singing was good. I’m really proud of all the actors.”
Mr. Hilbert

Comedy Tonight was an amazing experience, hopefully we see more people in future plays. Like . . . High School Musical! PVS’s next production, High School Musical, premieres next week, May 10th and plays through the 13th. Get your tickets now with Ms. Greer at the Middle-School Desk.