P S Art 2016 Exhibition Schedule www.nyc.gov/schools/artseducation

A Reaching Mind
Ramisa Azad
Grade: 8
School: MS 127, Bronx
Art Teacher: Brian McKenzie
Colored pencil and graphite
on paper
STUDENT: Through his
own creativity, Mr.
McKenzie inspired me
to push myself beyond
what I thought were
limitations. He taught
me that limitations
are only opportunities
to grow. I now see art
as an opportunity to
express myself through a
language unbound by the
limitations in my spoken
language. When I am
unable to express myself,
art has also provided a
world to which I can escape and be
me — if only for a short amount of
time. I had to pay a lot more attention
to details than I’d ever had to before.
I thought I had finished the work but
I looked closer and added details. It
made me define the work more than
I had. I had to keep going back to
the work, in hopes of improving and
developing it.
TEACHER: A Reaching Mind was the
result of an illustration project.
Students were encouraged to choose
any topic or object to illustrate. The
subject could be realistic or imaginary,
but students had to demonstrate
a facility in using colored pencils.
Ramisa chose a fantasy subject and
applied her skill in the medium to
create a range of tones and values
that enhanced the work. The drawing
performance indicators for grade
eight are reflected in this work.
Ramisa represented a subject in
a novel way and demonstrated a
purposeful use of drawing tools to
create varied line quality and visual
textures. Ramisa is a talented artist
and this work, as well her entire
portfolio, is outstanding. I believe
that talent is discovered and then
nurtured through the instruction at
school, the support of parents, and the
encouragement of the community.
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