Visual Arts Archives - Page 5 of 5

Bewildering Beads: Handcrafts by Lettie

November 11, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

Ashley Zhou, our resident art expert, is taking a look at some of the incredible handcrafts created by Lettie Sun. Lettie, a senior here at Palm Valley, uses beads and fishing wire to create adorable figurines and other products.–Editor Chloe Sweeney

–by Ashley Zhou

Handcraft popularity has risen rapidly in recent years. These days more and more artists are making exquisite handmade crafts and selling them.

Lettie Sun is currently making her own beautiful crafts, and, remarkably, she is creating her own business. From translucent beads sent from China, Lettie makes keychains, ornaments, accessories, pencil boxes, decorative lights, phone-chains, tissue boxes, and artificial flowers. Lettie does all this while studying for several AP classes and applying to colleges. Making a single beaded craft requires several hours of intense concentration, but she believes the effort is worth the smile on her customers’ faces. Lettie’s ideas are inspired by Chinese handcrafts and also similar crafts found on sites like Etsy (which she uses to help estimate the value of her products). Etsy is a popular website for all handcraft lovers and artists around the world. The site provides a stage for people to share their interests and sell their unique products. Lettie’s products are available today at Lulu’s in Old Town La Quinta.

Please contact Lettie Sun if you are interested in purchasing any of her creations. The holidays are coming. They make wonderful gifts and decoration.

The Interview: Jade Edition

October 22, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

–by Ashley Zhou

Ashley Zhou, our Arts Correspondent, sat down with one of PVS’s most respected artists, Jade Yoon. Says AP Art Teacher Ms. Raphael McGrew of her pupil, “Jade is a very talented artist, always finding herself through her art. Jade is a very prolific creator. Painting, drawing or molding a new piece of art daily. She’s not afraid to experiment with different mediums and styles. Her daily mood is reflected in her images created, which makes interesting, inviting and random art.”

Today I am going to interview an artist in our school. She always impresses everyone with her amazing works and professional drawing technics. She is quite modest, but her works are not. She is Jade Yoon. Let’s find out about her art career.

The theme of this piece is children in the holocaust. It is very depressing and gloomy. She approaches this art by using mostly dark and plain colors–white, black, grey. Oil painting and water color make the painting more realistic and complete. Understanding this piece, we have a broader vision of her style–not only technics but also expressions

Ashley: So, Jade, when did you find yourself interested in art?
Jade:Well, I actually started drawing or doodling when I was 3. Then I considered being an artist when I was in elementary school, but I kind of gave up in middle school. It’s hard to be successful as an artist. Then I came to Palm Valley, and, you know, we have actual art classes. I picked up my drawing again and realized this is what I like and what I should do.
A: It’s very nice to hear that you stick with it. So, are your parents also interested in art?
J: My mom is not a professional artist but she really enjoys drawing. So, I guess she influences me in some way.
A: What kind of art are you best at?
J: I like all kinds of arts. I paint lots of oil paintings now because my skills are improving.
A: Will you consider art as a career in the future also?
J: I am definitely going to art schools and will major in art in college. I kinda want to work in somewhere like Universal Studios or Disneyland. I am also interested in computer graphics like digital arts.
A: That’s very nice. So who is your favorite artist?
J: My favorite artist is Modigliani. He is an Italian painter. I really like his style.

A: Very nice to talk to you! Do you have any suggestions for students who enjoy art and are interested in improving?
J: I think you just need to practice a lot and keep drawing all the time.
A: Thank you Jade. Nice talking to you.

This painting is a portrait of Jade’s friend, Karey. Jade uses red, black and white for this one. The colors complement each other. This piece looks very soothing because it reveals the figure’s personality. The girl in the portrait is what she is in reality.

Jade has many other amazing works, and we are not introducing them all today. Her artworks represent her ways of thinking. As a person who loves art, I really enjoy looking at her paintings and getting to know her efforts put into those works. It’s nice to talk to Jade, and I hope everyone gets to know a little bit more about this artist.

Totally Talkative Typography

September 25, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Art reveals students’ talents responding to various subjects and temperaments. Our art class, led by Ms. McGrew, has just finished the first project of the year— a piece on typography. Typography is the aesthetic combination of arts and letters. The assignment was to find a song, a poem, or a quote and incorporate it into an image.

This project presents us the creativity of our students Gaven Li, Ashley Zhou, Amelie Wang, Karey Graves, and Chloé Katz.

–by Ashley Zhou

Artist Gaven Li (Junior) incorporated the song “Empire State of Mind.”

Artis Ashley Zhou (Senior) was inspired by William Yeats’ poem “When You Are Old.”

Artist Amelie Wang (Junior) used the Beatles’ song “She Loves You.”

Artist Karey Graves (Junior) demonstrated Fetty Wap’s “My Way” in her piece.

Artist Chloé Katz (Sophomore) captured “The Great Escape” in her work.

A “Cut”work Orange

September 23, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

Did you know…that peeling an orange is an art?

Senior Amber Zheng finds the beautiful in the seemingly everyday task of peeling an orange.

Five Fashionable Fantastic Fingernails

September 14, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Ashley Zhou

Although the summer vacation is over, summer still continues at PVS. Walking around on our campus, you will see not only the beautiful sight of Palm Valley, but also bright colors on many girls’ nails. They stand out from the dark uniforms.

( Guess whose nails are these. Below are the nails of Ashley Zhou, Irene Guo, Ms. Lee, Karey Graves, Anna Kleckerova. Which nails belong to whose fingers?)

Utopia: from an Eagle Scout’s Point of View

September 11, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Amber Zheng

World Literature class last spring devised their own Utopias. Students drew their ideas from Sir Thomas More’s “Utopia”–agreeing or disagreeing or elaborating upon the model. Of course, “Utopia” translates into “No where.”

Utopia is broadly considered to be the ideally perfect society. However, it’s far from reality. David Kocen, last spring, expressed his own thoughts about Utopia. He believes that Utopia is an idea with flaws. From his perspective, Utopia is not going to work. The following are some excerpts from his World Literature essay.

“I do not condone the creation of a utopian society if it cannot be done without excessive bloodshed and hardship for the people. Since I believe that this is the only way to accomplish the creation of Utopia, we should instead focus our efforts on making what we already have better, instead of completely overhauling all of society.”

David asserts that it is necessary to get rid of people who don’t fit the idea of Utopia. Moreover, certain number of population needs to be removed in order to give all people in the society enough opportunities: “It is my personal belief that the only way to succeed in forming a Utopia is to get absolute support. This would mean exiling or killing those who do not support you.”

Unfortunately, the Utopian society still won’t work even if we remove those who are opposed to it, because: “Humans, by their very nature, tend to be more interested in accomplishing their own goals rather than bettering the whole. We are not to blame for this. It is simply evolution trying to be as efficient as possible in insuring the survival of humans. Sadly, evolution has only one tool and that is survival of the fittest. The fittest could help the week, but unless everyone else helps the weak as well, the fittest will be taken advantage of by those who seek only their own gains. It is sad but true……we are too unstable to create a truly utopian society without negative emotion. It just does not work.”

Having said that the Utopia itself will never be a success, David doesn’t think striving for it is a bad thing: “feelings and thoughts are what make us unique. Everyone responds to different things in their own ways. Without individuality and variability, life would be too bo
ring. What is the purpose of living for eighty something years if it is just false smiles and blissful repetition? …… A Utopia, in the common sense of the word, is just a nation filled with meaningless joy. That does not mean that we should not strive to m
ake the world a better place. One of our main purposes in this life is to create a better habitat for the children that we bring into the world. While complete success is impossible and meaningless, motivation for improvement keeps us going through life. We will never succeed in creating a complete Utopia, but we can strive for it. And, with each success, we will achieve a genuine smile on our faces. If we are lucky, we may even get some other people to smile with us.”

*Introductory graphic by Amelia Wang, for World Literature class.

Chemists as Artists –Mrs. Sackett’s Alchemy

April 21, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

The Chemistry class delved into how science and art are deeply intertwined. After the sophomore chemists learned about the chemistry involved in creating various forms of art, they chose a work of art that represented them, described why they chose this art work, and explained the chemistry behind how the piece of art was created. Their projects were displayed in the Upper School lobby.

Said Mrs. Sackett, “I loved reading them!”

She shared with us the following projects:

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Kyler Deshpande’s project on The Starry Night

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Bryan Johnson’s project on The Starry Night — Contemporary Edition

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Mac Spear’s project on Sketched Meditation

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Gaven Li’s project on Brutal Bruce

Red, Black, & White

March 17, 2015 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

The upper-school art students, under the direction of Art Teacher Mrs. McGrew, each created an individual work incorporating the colors red, black, and white. The subject of the work was entirely left to the student artist’s choice, so long as the colors red, black, and white were featured. These Quarter 3 art assignments are displayed in the Upper School Lobby.

Freshman Sydney Scheck sketches her study of a face and will finish the work with red, black, and white pastels.

Freshman C.J. Chaffins’s study of Red, Black, and White took an automotive form.

This display of the Upper-School Art Class is final product of their Red, Black, and White Project. It is located in the Upper School Lobby across from the Upper School Offices.

–Photo Credit: Trey Lucatero