The CFISD Teacher Art Exhibit will be held from October 24-29 at the VPAC, showcasing the works of teachers all across the district.
Many teachers here at Langham will be having their work presented. From the 75 works being displayed, Langham has submitted 8. Of those 8 pieces, a diverse array of talents and inspirations will be showcased.
“The title is A Morte, Vite which translates to ‘from death, life’ following the main theme of redemption and new beginnings as shown by the cowboy who has seemingly clawed himself from his eternal grave to ask the priest for another chance at life,” Drawing & Painting teacher, Savanna Taylor, said.
The eclectic array of influences and styles from our teachers’ submissions shows the diversity of creative outlooks within our staff.
“[T]his piece originally spawned from a scene that happened in my weekly Dungeons and Dragons campaign; paired with my interest in Grecian/Renaissance art and inspiration from old paintings of the baptism of Christ.”
The work was produced using digital painting in photoshop on a 16-inch Huion drawing tablet, but was inspired by a broad range of artistic inspirations.
“I usually start with collecting a bunch of references. Everything from color palettes and outfits to images of fabric and general vibes of the piece,” Taylor said. “After that I plan out my canvas and mark where I want bodies to be placed, how my perspective is going to look, and any other pertinent items I want to make sure I make room for.”
Other teachers worked in different styles like photography, pottery, sculpture, and various forms of mixed media.
(Ashley Sheffield)
“I created two bowls with the potter’s wheel and two others with different mold techniques and then alternated them in a stacked form,” Ceramics and Art History teacher Ashley Sheffield said. “I created figures attached to the whole sculpture from a plaster mold I created previously that reflect a style of sculpture from the Greek isles from the prehistoric era.”
Teachers were able to select from any work of theirs produced in the past 5 years. The exhibit will bring together pieces with long trials of revising and reworking.
“At first they were supposed to be indoors in a church with a stained glass effect behind them but after the initial sketch I decided to change the scenery,” Taylor said. “The colors were also completely different, they were more muted and I didn’t like how muddy it started to look so I switched gears and went bright colors instead.”
Within that span, Taylor’s along with many other teachers’ artistic directions have evolved greatly. This exhibit grants them the opportunity to present a screenshot of their progression and talents.
“My art has changed drastically over the course of just a couple years,” Taylor said. “I can especially see it in how I render skin tones and faces. I think it’s one of my favorite things about creating art because you can go back and compare your most recent painting versus one you did two months ago and see the huge differences in techniques and how much you are learning and growing with every artwork you make; It’s so exciting!”
In addition to stylistic evolution, teachers have undergone many shifts in how they view art, which is reflected in their pieces.
“When I first started pottery and ceramics, I was trying to make everything perfect,” Sheffield said. “This, as you can imagine, was frustrating. Later, I was introduced to the Japanese philosophy and aesthetic of Wabi Sabi. It’s a little hard to explain, but the main idea is recognizing and appreciating the beauty in imperfection which actually fits closer to my natural style. After learning this style and philosophy, I enjoy creating that much more.”
Looking forward to the event, teachers are not only excited to present their work, but see each other’s pieces.
“I am so incredibly excited to see my fellow teachers show off their pieces in their respective mediums as we don’t have a lot of time to share personal projects as much,” Taylor said. “I love seeing how passionate we are about what we do and I’m excited to share my digital piece as well.”
Other teachers not presented in this story will be featured at the exhibit that students can attend free of charge, including Margaret Bennet, James Ricks, Joshua Smith, and Elizabeth Martinez.
