Julia Sanderl

Kapaa Middle School Art students recently finished a two-part project featuring skeleton drawings that were cut out and mounted on a watercolor background. As an introduction, we studied the Hispanic holiday of Los Dias De Los Muertos and looked at skeleton artwork by the famous Jose Guatelupe Posada.

Students began with a small printed image of a skeleton and instructions to not only draw the image, but to enlarge it by 4 times! This was accomplished by measuring a grid that enabled them to draw the complex figure in small sections while maintaining the correct proportions.

While the process of measuring, drawing, shading and cutting of the bones was painstaking and meticulous, the background allowed students to be more expressive and free-form. Students were introduced to 6 different watercolor painting techniques which they practiced in their sketchbooks. The only requirement for the final background was to incorporate all 6 techniques.

“An artist will sooner and with more certainty, establish the character of skeletons, than the most learned anatomist, whose eye has not been accustomed to seize on every peculiarity.”
- Rembrandt Peale (American Artist & Naturalist)

Kapaa Middle School art students recently finished an oil pastel project after studying the artwork of famous Expressionist artists, including Vincent Van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Franz Marc, and Wassily Kandinsky.

The main requirement for this assignment was to try to express an emotion using Expressionist techniques such as vibrant and intense color, simplified forms, and swirling directional lines.

Middle school years can be an extremely emotional time in one’s life, and our students really connected with the strong emotion and “drama” that is characteristic of the Expressionist style of art!

“We want more than a mere photograph of nature. We do not want to paint pretty pictures to be hung on drawing-room walls. We want to create, or at least lay the foundations of, an art that gives something to humanity. An art that arrests and engages. An art created of one’s innermost heart.” -Edvard Munch

The Kahu Kai Mosaic Mural project was an effort by Carol Yotsuda and the Garden Island Arts Council to involve Kauai’s school-children in the beautification of Lydgate Park’s restored Kamalani Pavilion. KMS Art students took part in the creation of a ceramic mosaic that was unveiled today as the community took part in celebrating the completion of the first phase of murals to be installed.

The afternoon included picnics, theatrical performances, face painting, and live music by Mike Young and Renee Janton. Dr. John Lydgate was there to share his appreciation, along with artists, teachers, students, families, and sponsors. Special guest author Maya Soetoro was also there to introduce and autograph copies of her new children’s book “Ladder to the Moon.” Overall it was a great way to reflect on the work we’ve done and share it with the community!

Thanks again to Carol Yotsuda for involving us in this project, and also to John Wehrheim and Kapaa Middle School’s PTSA for sponsoring our mural!

Recess time, passing periods, and any spare classtime minutes were utilized by artist Zuri Shanklin to complete this extra project for the Humane Society’s student art contest. Unfortunately, the extra time wasn’t enough to complete it by the deadline, but this fantastic watercolor painting still deserves an audience. Zuri, your dedication, creativity, and artistic talent are the admirable qualities that will take you to the top!

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated…I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by people from the cruelty of humankind.” Mahatma Gandhi