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

Tinik (Fishbone)
Ysabel Simon
Grade: 12
School: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High
School of Music & Art and
Performing Arts, Manhattan
Art Teacher: April Lombardi
Oil on canvas
STUDENT: I had always loved to draw
as a child but I had not considered
myself as an artist until recently.
Though a late bloomer, I feel
that my talent grew by leaps and
bounds in the last three and a half
years. I felt the responsibility of
nurturing something that I was
born with and to push the limits of
what I can create with my hands
and imagination. Critiques and
comments of my teacher helped
me develop my own style in
painting. I have grown as an artist
in large part because my teacher
provides guidance and essential
feedback for me. She allows me to
start a new project and lets me take
the lead in order to take my project
in the direction I wish to take it. She
inspires confidence in me and it is
something that I believe, every artist
should have. In Tinik (Fishbone) I
wanted to reflect a memory I had of
my grandmother from the time I lived
with her, ten years ago. However, the
image that I wanted to paint did not
depict her in the best possible light.
Some would find it funny or strange.
But for me it is a way to remember
a funny moment with her which I
find truly adorable. To connect with
someone who lives more than 8,000
miles away through a painting that
will last for many years, is my way of
paying a tribute to her life.
TEACHER: Starting last September
all students in my eleventh- and
twelfth-grade Elective Painting class
were encouraged to create a series of
works on a related theme, a twelfthgrade
Blueprint benchmark. Daily
lessons explored the global use of
narrative and the universal use of
the elements and principles of art. In
every lesson, the class viewed, read,
analyzed, and discussed series of
works by various artists. Groups of
students researched and presented
narratives from different geographic
areas to the class. This was followed
by discussion, studio time, and
individualized instruction.
This painting by Ysabel Simon is the
second piece in her series of oil paintings
that explore her family’s narratives
and idiosyncrasies. Over time, Ysabel
has developed a personal style as she
continues to work on this series.
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