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

A Gardener’s Hand
Dahyeon Jegal
Grade: 9
School: Summer Arts
Institute,
Manhattan
Art Teacher: Laura Blau
Acrylic on canvas
STUDENT: I grew up very
introverted and hid my
secrets. I never stood up
to others because I lacked
courage. I channeled my
emotions and thoughts
through art; I could
express feelings better
on paper than I could
verbally. This realization
changed my life because
my artwork triggered
responses and questions
from others. This
gradually boosted my confidence as
an artist. Ms. Blau helped me develop
my creativity by teaching a variety of
art techniques, and then encouraging
me to expand on them imaginatively.
She helped me with technique,
color choice, and composition. It
was difficult to render something
in a realistic and a surreal manner
and I wondered how viewers would
perceive the end result. Feedback
from peers helped me to overcome
these obstacles, and to be assured of
my visual decisions.
TEACHER: For a unit on Surrealism,
students were invited to explore
various media to execute an image
that looked believable, but was made
up of impossible or improbable
combinations. After an extensive
exploration and discussion of
twentieth-century Surrealist painters
and sculptors, we visited the Museum
of Modern Art. Students then went on
to sketch out their ideas, which were
to be ironic, humorous, or fantastical.
Students conducted peer critiques
and helped each other decide the
ideal paint or drawing medium for
their larger-scale artwork.
Dahyeon’s acrylic painting stood out
because she spent a significant amount
of time using visual references to
develop the bold realism of organic and
man-made objects. The coexistence
of two polar elements within the
frame make her work convincing and
successful. Her color choices also
helped to strengthen the image.
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