Artists have a variety of media to choose from when they are ready to start creating. Paint, charcoal, printmaking, oil pastel, photography, and graphite are just some of many options that are available. We are fortunate to have talented Art Teachers here at RCS who are also Artists! This week in celebration of YAM, we are going to take a look at some artwork created by our Art Teachers!
The RCS Art Department is a passionate group of educators that work hard to provide our community with art education and creative opportunities. Thank you so much, Art Teachers, for all that you do and for inspiring our students! Here is a look at some of their artwork!
Ms. Chriss - Pieter B. Coeymans Art Teacher
Medium: Handmade paper and India Ink
Summary: My love of creating art is the primary reason I wanted to become an art teacher. Albert Einstein said, “Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” One has only to watch an elementary art class to see the truth in Einstein’s words. I watch my students not only learning, growing, and creating, but also continually inspiring one another to try new things and reach new levels.
When I was studying the Visual Arts at the Sorbonne in Paris, France I concentrated mostly on drawing about my daily life. This is shown in my two drawings shared here. These drawings were done on handmade paper in India Ink. One is of the balcony where I lived in France and the other of a Meat Market that was located across the street from my hostel.
As an RCS Art teacher, the time and energy put into my classes is rewarded two-fold: seeing my students shine when they are so proud of their work, as well as my students learning organizational skills, the elements and principles of design, and different media techniques to be successful in everything they do.
Ms. Esmond - A.W. Becker Elementary School Art Teacher
Medium: Oil on Panel
Summary: This painting is titled Steeple in Lee, and it is based on a photograph that Ms. Esmond’s husband took while they were traveling. She loved the perspective and decided to paint it in oils on the top of her coffee table. Once the paint was dry, she put glass over it to protect the painting. In addition to oil painting, Ms. Esmond also enjoys printmaking and costume illustration, and above all painting with her two sons.
Mr. Meservey - Middle School Art Teacher
Medium: Graphite
Summary: Mr. Merservey majored in Illustration at RIT, with a concentration in Psychology. He enjoys drawing pet and people portraits in his free time. Graphite is his favorite medium, but he has experience in painting (Acrylic and Watercolor), ceramics, printmaking, and woodworking. After receiving his bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, he then completed his Master’s degree in Art Education at SUNY New Paltz.
Mrs. Wallace - High School Art Teacher
Medium: Photography
Summary: Mrs. Wallace started photography courses in 10th grade and continued with it through her undergraduate studies at SUNY Plattsburgh and her graduate program at The College of Saint Rose. She has always loved being able to freeze moments in time. This photograph is 1 of 27 from a series titled, The Rural Northeast. This body of work documented the past through present-day ruins. Each of the buildings in this series has an individual uniqueness. It took a few years of traveling to complete this project! Mrs. Wallace continues to take photos almost daily, most often of her family and the different places they visit. She also enjoys printmaking, drawing, watercolor, and graphic design.
Ms. Baker - High School Art Teacher
Medium: Charcoal
Summary: This charcoal drawing is Ms. Baker’s example drawing for her class’s current project, drawing human portraits. She has been working side by side with her students’ progress to show them a multitude of drawing and shading techniques when working with charcoal. Ms. Baker graduated with a concentration in drawing and printmaking from SUNY New Paltz while also having experience with ceramics, photography, woodworking, welding, and painting.
