Celebrating Frida Kahlo: Our Artist of the Month

We finally finished our Frida Kahlo project, and the results were absolutely amazing! In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we dedicated our “Artist of the Month” project to one of the most inspiring figures in art history: Frida Kahlo.

During the first week, I introduced the students to Frida’s life and artwork. They were fascinated by her story — especially the accident she had when she was young — and deeply inspired by her courage and determination to keep painting despite all the challenges she faced. We talked about her self-portraits and how she created many of them while lying in bed, turning pain into art.

To make it more personal, I showed them my own self-portrait (oil on canvas) from when I was an art student. I had it hidden in a black bag and dramatically revealed it after counting, “One, two, three!” Their reactions were priceless — a collective “Oooohhhh!” filled the room. Some even said, “OMG, you’re a real artist! You could sell that for a thousand dollars!” That moment truly made me proud.

After that, we began learning the basics of portrait drawing. The students explored face proportions and practiced placing eyes, noses, and mouths using pencil guidelines. Once they felt comfortable, they moved on to creating their own self-portraits.

During the second week, each student received a small plastic mirror to observe their own facial features. We discussed how everyone has unique shapes and details that make them who they are. I showed them reference images to help identify different face shapes and encouraged them to embrace their individuality.

By the third week, it was time to work on the backgrounds, inspired by Frida’s colorful and symbolic style. I challenged them to incorporate animals, use secondary colors, and fill the entire page with vibrant details. I even provided handouts with step-by-step guides on how to draw monkeys and birds — Frida’s favorite companions.

Once again, my students amazed me! Their self-portraits were full of life, color, and personality. The final results were astonishing, and I couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and creativity.

This project wasn’t just about learning art techniques — it was about resilience, self-expression, and celebrating culture. Frida would have been proud of them too.

 

Showcasing Our Young Artists at the Town Hall Meeting

On October 14th, we had the wonderful opportunity to participate in the Town Hall Meeting, where numerous schools gathered to share their achievements and creative projects. It was an inspiring event that celebrated the talent and dedication of students across our district.

Our very own Ms. Martinez organized a special artist showcase, where some of our incredibly talented Carver students took part in a live painting session. As visitors walked through the event, they were captivated by the students’ creativity and confidence, watching art come to life right before their eyes. It was a proud moment to see our young artists express themselves so beautifully and represent our school with such grace and enthusiasm.

We were also honored by the visit of Ms. Mari Tere Rojas, the School Board Chairwoman. She was genuinely amazed by the students’ artwork and took the time to congratulate them on their impressive talent and dedication. Her encouraging words meant so much to our budding artists and reminded us all of the importance of supporting the arts in education.

I was there to cheer on and support my little creative Carver artists, and I couldn’t have been prouder. Watching them paint with confidence, interact with visitors, and share their passion for art was truly heartwarming. Moments like these remind me why art education is so meaningful — it gives students a voice, builds confidence, and connects our school community in such a special way.

A huge thank-you to Ms. Martinez for making this opportunity possible and to our amazing students for their hard work and creativity. You continue to inspire us all!

A Wonderful Visit from Ms. Villalba!

A few weeks ago, we had a very special guest in our art room — Ms. Villalba, a colleague, a proud mom of a Carver kid, and a talented member of the Visual Arts Department! She brought with her two wonderful projects that our students absolutely loved: The Nutcracker for 2nd and 3rd grade, and Abstract Watercolors for 4th and 5th grade.

For The Nutcracker project, students used art color sticks in bold and vibrant hues, blending and combining them with their imagination to create truly magical pieces. The results were amazing! Some of our young artists were even selected to participate in the Superintendent’s Christmas Card Competition — such an exciting opportunity!

In the Abstract Watercolors project, Ms. Villalba taught the students how to properly care for their brushes and paints. The kids were thrilled to experiment with watercolors — a medium that can be tricky when teaching art-on-a-cart — but with teamwork and creativity, we made it work beautifully! I’ve honestly never seen the class so quiet, focused, and inspired during an art session.

A huge thank-you to Ms. Villalba for sharing her time, talent, and passion for art with us. It was a day full of color, creativity, and joy!

Learning the Basics: Drawing and Painting at Coral Park Elementary

Last month, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the workshop “Learning the Basics: Drawing and Painting” at Coral Park Elementary. The session was led by Ms. Fraga, an experienced art teacher with many years of inspiring students through creativity.

During the workshop, Ms. Fraga shared a wealth of tips and techniques for teaching art effectively, which I found incredibly valuable. Together, we explored a lesson about the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose vibrant and expressive style captivated everyone in the room. I left with many exciting ideas and plan to incorporate them in February, when I’ll introduce Basquiat to my students as part of our “Artist of the Month” project.

One of the highlights of the day was meeting and connecting with other art teachers from different schools. It was inspiring to see so much talent gathered in one place and to exchange ideas, experiences, and teaching strategies.

The second part of the workshop focused on a hands-on drawing exercise: we were asked to draw the person sitting across from us without lifting our pencils too much. This continuous-line drawing activity was both challenging and fun! Laughter filled the room as we compared our drawings at the end — it was a joyful and creative experience that reminded us of the simple pleasure of making art.

Overall, the workshop was not only educational but also deeply inspiring. I left feeling motivated, refreshed, and eager to bring new ideas into my classroom and share the joy of art with my students.

Celebrating Costa Rica Through Art: Our Hispanic Heritage Project

We officially started our Hispanic Heritage project this week, and I’m so excited to share what we’ve been working on! Every year, we celebrate a different country, and this time, we’re diving into the vibrant culture of Costa Rica.

I began by asking my students what they already knew about Costa Rica. To my surprise (and delight), most of them didn’t know much at all—so I got to introduce them to this beautiful country from the ground up. We talked about its rich biodiversity, how it’s known for being one of the happiest places on Earth, and of course… its world-famous pineapples.  The kids’ eyes lit up when I showed them pictures of the special pink pineapple variety. That detail alone sparked so much curiosity and excitement!

Pink Pineapple

From there, we launched into our art project. I wanted something that was not only fun and colorful but also hands-on to strengthen their fine motor skills. We used scissors and glue—a challenge for some students—but one that was worth it. Parents, if you can, please let your kids practice these tools at home. Cutting and gluing are such simple but essential skills, and the more they practice, the more confident and creative they become.

As always, their imagination took over in the best ways. Some students used what we’ve learned about color theory, carefully choosing complementary or analogous colors to make their pineapples pop. Others ran wild with unique ideas—like turning a pineapple into SpongeBob's house, giving it a face and body, or surrounding it with patterns and phrases inspired by Costa Rica. A few even combined everything: color blending, bold designs, and thoughtful little details.

What I loved most was watching how engaged they were. At first, some struggled with the tools or felt unsure about their designs, but by the end of class, they were confidently creating pieces that reflected their personalities and ideas. Their growth in just one project amazed me.

Choosing just one project from each class to display on the bulletin board was nearly impossible. Every student brought something special, and the effort and dedication they poured into their work warmed my heart. Truly, my little artists are rocking it this year, and I couldn’t be prouder.

This project has been such a joyful start to our Hispanic Heritage celebration, and I can’t wait to see where our Costa Rican journey takes us next. Stay tuned for more updates, and if you visit the school, don’t forget to check out our bulletin board, located next to room 12A—it’s bursting with creativity and color thanks to the kids’ hard work! Pura Vida!