Catalina

A few photos from a trip to Catalina Island.  It was cold and rainy when we were there, but we made the best of it.

Deconstructed

I had my Advanced and AP students do a project recently, which I titled Destruction Portrait.  The idea was inspired by some artists I had seen who added meaning to their portraits by doing something to them that would otherwise seem destructive-- like burning, tearing, or cutting them up.  In hindsight I think Destruction Portraits isn't the right name, however, because the pictures aren't actually destroyed. Ok, they're destroyed in the traditional sense, but they're much more than they were when they were whole.  I'm thinking De-Construction might be a more accurate title.  By deconstructing their subject the students were able to convey much more than the original photo ever could.  It's definitely way outside of most people's comfort zone, so many students had trouble getting started--they didn't know what to do to their picture. I figured I'd put myself right in their shoes to get a feel for the process so I could better advise them.  Here is my Deconstruction Self Portrait.  I had SO MUCH FUN creating it!  The painting part was created during class with the creative assistance and guidance of several of my students. Here you go... Mrs. V Deconstructed...  see if you can guess the meaning behind it.