By Molly Hawkins

AP Studio Art students explored areas of interest and worked on portfolios Wednesday afternoon to submit to Advanced Placement graders come spring.

The artists worked on their first projects, containing a variety of ideas, media, and themes. By the end of the year, each artist is required to complete 24 projects, some in a chosen area of concentration.

Teacher Kristin Kellenberger  made frequent rounds to students to engage in conversation regarding their projects.

Kellenberger said an important aspect of her class is giving her artists the freedom to focus on what interests them.

“My philosophy is that if a student is following their energy or is engaged in the subject matter of whatever it is that they are learning about, they’ll want to research it and see what the possibilities are and what the limitations are with it,” she said.  

Senior Sarah Lincoln was in the beginning stages of a watercolor that will serve as a piece in her concentration.

“I am exploring the technique and medium of watercolors, and nature and natural expression, including human expression,” Lincoln said. “I paint in detail and I really focus on color palettes to bring attention to details that are typically overlooked and show that everyday life is beautiful.”

Across the room, Senior Lauren Ness delved into her project of creating linoleum stamps of her friends’ faces.

“My concentration is things money can’t buy you. Basically it’s time, happiness, friends, dreams, hope, love,” she said.

She added that her inspiration for this idea came from her desire to “show how people will come into and out of your life and you can’t buy any of them. They’re just there for you.”

Junior Emily Dembinski worked in her sketchbook to generate ideas for her concentration of combining human and insect life, a focus derived from the love of a previous work.

When searching for inspiration, “I flipped back through my work from last year and found a piece that I really liked with Lauren [Ness’] hair as a beehive, and I went from there” Dembinski said.

That work, among others, was recently placed in the display cases next to the creative wing.