Abstract
This monthly column features an digital self-portrait by student Avery Simmons and a portrait combining digital painting and photography by teacher Kristina Brown.
Grade 8
Miller South School for the Visual & Performing Arts Akron, OH
This is a digital portrait, and I chose the medium because of the circumstances in 2020. A lot of the things people would normally do in their everyday lives had moved online, so I decided to take my inspiration from that and stray away from “traditional” art.
My goal was to inspire others to look at themselves and appreciate what they see, instead of focusing on what they wish they saw. I wanted to make people realize that it’s OK to appreciate the things you love about yourself.
My plans for developing as an artist are unclear, since my dreams lie more in the medical field. But I’ll always make sure I have time for art. It’s an important part of my life and one of my favorite things to do in my free time.
Visual Arts Educator
Boswell High School/Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Fort Worth, Texas
For this piece, I used a combination of digital photography and digital painting. This has been my medium of choice recently, as it combines my background in photography with my newer digital skills. My iPad makes it convenient to create art wherever I am, with no mess or tools to lug around.
When I was creating this particular series, my daughter was intrigued with dressing up and acting like characters from movies. This day in particular, she wanted to be Anna from the movie Frozen, and her look inspired me to create a portrait in the style of a Renaissance painting.
My plans are to keep improving my current techniques and skills, to learn some new ones, and eventually to illustrate a children’s book.
For these and many other jury-selected works, please visit the virtual galleries of the National Honors Arts Societies (bit.ly/NAHSstudentArt) and the NAEA member exhibitions (bit.ly/NAEAeducatorArt).