Anxiety Beehive

There is this great show hosted by Nazareth College (my alma mater!) in which high school art teachers are invited to show a piece of their work alongside a piece of their student's work.  The participants usually take one of two approaches: create two separate pieces that are independent of one another in concept, or create two pieces that relate to one another in some way; a diptych of sorts.  I love the tie and take of collaboration, so my chosen student and I decided to tackle the later. 

After watching me work through the crystals on my last piece, my student, Casey, wanted to try some as well.  We talked through concepts and discussed symbolism and materials.  True to Casey's artistry, she chose to create a humorous depiction of herself as a "magical narwal with a necklace of crystals", while I chose to stick with my theme of exploring overcoming anxiety.  We unified our pieces with colored pencil and pattern. The result was made me proudly happy. 

I am so thankful for the opportunity to be a high school art teacher.  I love that I am able to work with students like Casey for four years; to watch their progression from student to artist, and to build a relationship of mutual respect that allows for collaboration such as this.  


Anxiety Beehive | 11" x 14"  Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil, Le Plume Alcohol Markers, and Gilding Paint on Strathmore 400 Series Grey Toned Paper.  

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