Art News
Artfully Yours at Inlet View
The Visual Arts Program is delivered this year by Mrs. Donna Ellis. She comes to Inlet View with 21 years of experience. She has taught in Ohio and Saudi Arabia before teaching for ASD the last 14 years. Mrs. Ellis is married to Bill and they arrived in Alaska in 1985. They have a 20 year old daughter, Adrienne and a 17 year old son, Kaelin. The Ellis family also has three dogs, a cat, and a cockatiel.
Inlet View students receive one hour of art twice a month. The ASD Art curriculum is a breadth approach meaning the students will explore many media. There will be drawing, watercolor and tempera painting, papercutting, paper sculpture, copper embossing, weaving or textiles, paper mache' and Mrs. Ellis' favorite--clay!
Mrs. Ellis believes her art students are like "snowflakes". Each is unique and so is their artwork. Mrs. Ellis also thinks art is like learning to play a musical instrument or a new sport. It takes hours of PRACTICE to improve. If you practice drawing you will get better because you will be training your eyes to look closely for details and secondly, you will get to know what type of art medium will create the effect you want. Your control over the media will improve because you can predict what it will do.
Mrs. Ellis tells the students that she is their "coach". After her lesson on techniques and tools, the students create their artwork 95% of the way themselves, but she looks at it with a knowledgeable eye and makes suggestions (if needed) to make a homerun hit! Her favorite part of her job is seeing the variety of artistic responses and then hanging the finished artwork up for display so the whole school can view it before it goes home.
Mrs. Ellis thanks Inlet View for being so warm and welcoming to her. She liked being part of the fiftieth anniversary celebration and observes that this school has a very involved, caring and supportive community!
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