Newport Harbor High School senior Emma Erickson, 17, did a pencil drawing of Elison Reid, 17.
LEONARD ORTIZ , STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
For Newport Harbor High School senior Emma Erickson, thinking about finishing high school and all the changes that would go along with it made her ponder what she could do to remember and cherish her last year.
As a result, Erickson, an International Baccalaureate visual arts student, began a project that involves creating a series of pencil-drawn portraits of students in the senior class. While the drawings on their own are beautifully executed, the most interesting facet of Erickson’s series lies in how the students are selected.
Inspired by the 1985 movie “The Breakfast Club,” Erickson started the project by thinking of someone in her class whom she admired from afar but never got the chance to know. She then approached the classmate, explained the project and asked to take her photo so a pencil drawing could be completed.
Megan Moricca, Erickson’s first subject, was someone she had met in elementary school but had since lost contact with.
“We ended up in different social circles, and I always wanted to hang out but never did,” Erickson said.
Said Moricca: “When she told me she wanted to draw me, I took it as a really big compliment.”
Erickson said she admires Moricca because her personality is markedly different from her own.
“She’s proud and loud and really strong,” Erickson said. “The way she would react to something is totally different than the way I would.”
Erickson then asked Moricca to choose the next person in the series. Again, it had to be someone Morrica admired from afar but never actually became friends with. That student then chose the next.
As the pattern continues, each person is approached by Erickson. She asks to take a photo to complete the pencil drawing but doesn’t reveal the identity of the person who selected him or her.
“I just want them to be happy in the simple fact that someone out there admires them,” she said.
Erickson has titled her series “The Seating Chart,” and at the end of the year, she plans to invite all who are involved to meet, giving them an opportunity to hang out and get to know someone new.
Ellie Reid, another participant in Erickson’s project, said that because Newport Harbor is such a large school, she doesn’t know most of the student body. She expressed excitement about seeing the outcome of Erickson’s series, saying: “This project is bringing people together. It’s creating a bigger social base and friend group (that) we can rely on.”
A second part of the project involves handwritten letters from the admirer to the person selected. This is Erickson’s favorite part because she thinks it will do people good to hear why someone thinks they are important. “Basically my letter (to Moricca) says thank you for being different, and thank you for being you,” Erickson said.
Because Erickson asked participants to “show their personality” in their photos, each has a different facial expression. From these images Erickson hopes to display outwardly a little of what each student holds within, highlighting how someone’s face and expressions alone can reveal a lot about personality.
“There are so many stereotypical images in high school, and I want to expose the underlying image,” she said.
Her theme, Erickson said, is to “find your way through that maze and your way will be revealed.”
Erickson will showcase “The Seating Chart” at the Newport Harbor High School “Evening of the Arts” on May 20.
Contact the writer: 714-796-2258 or varsityarts@ocregister.com
9 Amazing Works of Art Made Only With a Pencil
The lowly pencil is not an elite or showy artistic medium. It doesn't have oil paint's gravitas, or plaster's endearing gauche. Instead, the pencil is accessible, plebeian and utilitarian. If put in the right hands, it can also produce incredible works of art.
Pencils are often relegated to sketching and drafting. But the work of a new crop of artists is elevating the medium beyond its traditional arenas.
There are a two primary benefits of using pencils: They're inexpensive and require no training. However, like charcoal, they are messy. Drawing precisely in pencil requires intense control. Without it, you might create a silvery graphite puddle on your page. That's part of why the following drawings are so impressive: They showcase the artists' meticulous attention to detail and skill.
1. "Coleman" by Shania McDonagh
Irish artist Shania McDonagh with her award-winning drawing, "Coleman."Source: Irish Times
Many of the artists on this list are masters of photorealism and photorealistic portraiture. Sixteen-year-old Irish artist Shania McDonagh is one of them. She recently won the Texaco Children's Art Competition, as she has every year since she was 12, for this phenomenal portrait.
2. "In the Past" by Christopher Winter
Detail of "In the Past" by Christopher Winter. Image taken by Uwe Walther.Source: Christopher Winter
Christopher Winter, a British artist living in Berlin, is known for his fantastical, densely detailed drawings. The best part about "In the Past," a perfect example of his work and style, is that the more you look, the more you see. Winter's drawings feature repeated motifs, often dealing with sexuality, spirituality and balance; look closely and you'll see it all.
3. "I Can't Sleep on My Back" by Alexander Dolter
One of Alexander Dolter's drawings, called "I Can't Sleep On My Back."Source: Alec Dolter
Alexander Dolter's Tumblr doesn't offer much information about the artist, but it does provide a wealth of incredible pencil drawings. Most of them are drawings of humans or humanoids, all done with that appealing disproportionality so prevalent in graffiti and the so-called outsider art of the '90s. This drawing is a beautiful example of his more realistic drawing skills.
4. "Phare du Petit Minou" by Andreas
Andreas' drawing of the Phare du Petit Minou lighthouse in France.Source: Andreas
Andreas is an accomplished artist and illustrator. Most of his drawings feature race cars, because professionally, he works for automobile tuning companies around the world. However, his portfolio also includes simple, beautiful drawings, like this one, of architectural elements, landscapes and cityscapes.
5. "Pencil vs. Camera - 59" by Ben Heine
An image from artist Ben Heine's "Pencil v Camera" series.Source: Ben Heine
Ben Heine is a Belgian artist who specializes in photography, drawing and multimedia artwork. His images have a graphic, geometric, eye-catching quality that make them perfectly suited for the web. This one is part of his "Pencil vs. Camera" series, which are beautiful 3-D pencil drawings that challenge the eye and the mind. Check out his website to see more of his intricate, playful work.
6. "Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock" by Cassie Tyler
A drawing of Sherlock by Cassie Tyler.Source: Cassie Tyler
Cassie Tyler is a 24-year-old American artist whose artwork has a beautiful, illustrative quality. Her style is vaguely reminiscent of graphic novels and fairy tales. Many of her pieces feature themes and characters from science fiction and fantasy. This portrait of Benedict Cumberbatch is one example. The spatial awareness in this drawing is intriguing.
7. "Alisa" by Monica Lee
An image of Monica Lee's "Alisa" in progress.Source: Monica Lee
Monica Lee is a Malaysian artist whose stunning photorealistic portraits are some of the best examples of this style of pencil drawings. Most of her work features close-up head shots. Her subjects seem to jump off the page, almost alive. For even more of her beautiful work, check out her follow-worthy Instagram.
8. "Heading South" by Marissa Textor
"Heading South" by Marissa Textor.Source: Marissa Textor
Marissa Textor is a Californian artist whose artwork has an almost Ansel Adams-esque focus on contrast and framing. Like Monica Lee, Textor creates amazing photorealistic pencil drawings. Unlike Monica Lee, she focuses her efforts on rugged landscapes and natural elements rather than portraiture.
9. "The Seahorse" by Alex Konahin
Alex Konahin is a Latvian artist and illustrator who works primarily in pen, but has also worked in pencil. He creates intricately detailed drawings that are part twisted fairytale, part steampunk and all astonishing. "The Seahorse," above, is one of his only pieces that is entirely pencil. The piece below, "Little Wings," is more indicative of his current style.
Detail of "Little Wings" by Alex Konahin.Source: Alex Konahin
Small gestures worth the 30 plus years: Bus driver retires after decades in FF
When retiring bus driver Gene Wells was asked what he enjoyed most about his job after working for the Otter Tail Coaches bus service for 30 plus years, he didn’t have an answer.
Instead, Wells reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of regular, lined note paper.
“Stuff like that,” Wells said, unfolding the paper.
The simple piece of paper is a thank-you note from one of the students on his bus route.
“Your the best,” the message reads above a pencil drawing of Otter Tail Coaches Bus No. 31. Misspelling “you’re” was a cute touch, too.
Those expressions of gratitude are an incredibly meaningful part of his work. Wells takes it all in with a sense of humor.
“I got this zucchini cake this morning that was fantastic, along with a card, saying you’re the best” he said, adding with a laugh, “I fooled some of them anyway.”
He has worked as a bus driver longer than some of the students’ parents have been alive.“I’ve been doing this since 1979,” he said.
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