Tuesday, June 8, 2010


So, here we are, three days of students left, one exam down, four to go. The bell is about to ring and the two students I have had hanging out drawing with me for the last two hours are about to go home.My drawing students are going to do something they have never tried before, as an exam activity. I borrowed plaster casts of facial parts from our Lynchburg Academy of Fine Arts and we are going to draw cast drawings using charcoal and white chalk. I thought something academy-like might be a good way to draw a long year to a close, so we are going to try it. Here's a sample I did today using a 2H pencil, a HB pencil, a white conte stick and a white stick of soft pastel on some cheap, cheap chipboard. It was actually fun to do but really requires the artist to keep his/her focus on the model. This is one of the first times I have tried to draw from a cast, but it won't be the last. Hannah is in her math exam for about two more minutes and as soon as the students leave the building, we will leave for lunch. My printmaker has sent me a link to all the prints he has done for me. They are beautiful. You cannot tell them from the real thing. Check them out here. http://www.tetragraphicsinc.co
m/Clients/Jon_Roark_Art/JonRoa
Just e-mail me if you are interested in any of them. So far, end of semester is going very well. I think this will be a short comment today, not really feeling the need to blast anyone but BP ("Beachy Petroleum") but why bother? No one's reading this anyway.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Well, only about eight days of school left. I'm going to miss this group. I must have 35-40 seniors leaving this year and they have produced some truly beautiful artwork. I have a few still trying to find their way, a few really in love with art and one who decided to detour into a GED program, but all in all it will end up a pretty decent year in the classroom. The kids have won some awards, a few have reached outside their normal comfort zone to try some things I'd have said they weren't ready to try, but which have proven to be excellent efforts in new media for each of them. I think I am looking forward to graduation as much as my seniors are. Today I had a visit from Marco Mosely, a 2008 graduate who is now a member of the USMC. Marco has visited Germany and Iraq in his two years out of school and today he just wanted to sit down and draw with some of our students. What a fine young man in so many ways. I hope he is protected during his tour of duty. He is one of Heritage's hidden treasures. well, enough of this, no one is reading it anyway!