Art

As a student in both Ceramics III and Painting IV, senior Taesung Spencer has had to bring the usual hands-on environment of art to his own home. However, Spencer said that there are many benefits that come with online learning. 

“I think [online] is a lot easier for kids who are more self-paced with the addition of flextime,” Spencer said. “I have a lot more variability with my schedule because I typically finish core class assignments earlier so I have more time to work on art.” 

For some students, obtaining the necessary supplies while working from home can be difficult. However, as a regular painter, Spencer said that he has been able to enjoy art online because he already has the supplies. 

“I think [online] takes away from community aspects of the class, such as constructive criticism, and of course there’s the issue of some students not having the proper supplies,” Spencer said. “But for me, it’s been a good environment because I already paint a lot at home.” 

Currently, students in Ceramics have the class time to work on their portfolios, along with different projects using mixed materials. As an online student, senior Mackenzie Thompson said that the different projects can sometimes be difficult to do at home. 

“It is very hard if I need certain materials especially doing mixed media, and you don’t really know all the stuff you need,” Thompson said. “You can’t really explore the art closet to brainstorm and see what you can make with the plethora of supplies. But it is possible to work from home.” 

Despite the difficulties that come with attaining art supplies, senior Sarah Lailson said that online learning does come with specific advantages. 

“A benefit to the virtual Zoom is that [the teacher] is able to get a really good one-on-one with the student without being distracted by other kids in class,” Lailson said. “This year, other people leave to go do their own time and then you can have the entire time to talk with [the teacher].”

Overall, Lailson said that she has enjoyed her art courses this year due to the focused environment that comes with working from home. 

“[Online] has actually been really good for art courses because I already have all my supplies at home,” Lailson said. “I get to really just focus on my work. It’s really fun because I just get to sit down, do my work, and not be distracted.”