This story was written by Journalism I students, Addison Miller and Mia Nenadic.

Having to incorporate nine organic components, Ms. Rachel Meadows’ eighth-period Art I class had to draw portraits and give the hair different patterns. Students completed the project in order to show their knowledge of what they have been learning in class regarding different elements of art.

“This project is a good way for them to practice and put all of those elements into one project instead of doing separate projects for each element,” freshman Akizcha Unating said.

Every student individually discovered ways of incorporating nature, interpreting from the assignment their own stories, just like Unating did.

“I wanted my drawing to symbolize childhood memories, so I decided to make the patterns childish and fun,” Unating said. “I just imagined a child running through the woods and getting sticks stuck in their hair, so I added things like twigs.”

Some students took another approach to this art piece. Freshman Mancao’s portrait represented other aspects of nature aside from the forest related theme her classmates were working with.

“I did marine life because it’s different and it’s more challenging compared to flowers and leaves,” Mancao said.

The individual impact of this assignment was meant to be presented through different designs in the hair, but others like senior Natalie Hsiao were focused on the facial expression of the portrait.

“She’s sleeping,” Hsiao said. “She looks like she’s dreaming of nature and other places.”

The focus of this piece differed for a handful of students. Some even were concerned more so with the neatness of the final product rather than the hair itself and what it contained.

“I wanted to add a flower crown instead,” Makenna said. “ Adding to the hair would have made it look messy.”