| Student creates portable masterpiece (11/07) | | Print | |
| Written by Heejin Hwang | |
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On one side, St. Anthony of Padua carries the baby Jesus in his arms. On the other, St. Francis of Assisi prays in front of San Francisco landmarks — like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Palace of Fine Arts and the Transamerica Tower. These images are painted in vivid detail on the panels of a suitcase, a project social studies teacher Steve Schmidt commissioned to senior art student Casey Martinez in May. “I got the idea when teaching about Renaissance patrons of the arts to my Modern World history class last year,” said Schmidt, who enjoys collecting art and is considering commissioning more projects to student artists but with a slight twist. “Next time, it may be a competition with various prize amounts for my favorite three pieces.” Schmidt’s inspiration for the project came from an artist friend who had also used a simple suitcase as an expression of art. “I found a suitcase upstairs at my parents’ ranch and thought that it would make a nice canvas,” he said. Schmidt then shared his idea with art teacher Karen Joyce. “Since I have so much respect for the artistic talent of Lowell students and the art that comes out of Ms. Joyce’s classes, I wanted to commission a one-of-a-kind piece,” he said. After offering the project to all of her advanced art students, Joyce gave Martinez the job. “Casey’s been with me for quite a few semesters,” Joyce explained. “She also showed the most interest.” Together, Martinez and Schmidt collaborated on the design. Schmidt drew Martinez the general design, suggesting specific buildings and a “Mona Lisa feel” for the St. Anthony panel, and checked with Martinez periodically. Martinez found pictures of the saints online to use as references and decided where to put them. “It was different doing something for someone else,” she said. “When I do something in art class, I do it mostly for myself, and I do it because I like it.” Martinez painted the images, including the stained glass-like representation of St. Anthony, Schmidt’s patron saint, with acrylic paint, using a quick dabbing technique. Around the edges of the suitcase she glued multi-colored gems of different shapes and sizes. “If something didn’t work out, I just painted over it,” Martinez said. “It was really nice painting at the end of the day.” Joyce also helped with the project, giving constructive criticism. “If she had any questions, I was there to try and help her,” Joyce said. “The more eyes there are on something, the more you see.” Schmidt is quite pleased with the final suitcase, which currently stands proudly on display in his living room. “I don’t remember the original agreed upon price as every time I saw it and the progress Casey was making, I felt like paying her more,” he said. “The final price was $300, but I tipped her an additional $100 since I loved the piece so much!” Inspired by the project, Joyce now encourages her students to be more creative and go beyond the norm. “A suitcase is a great surface,” she said. “This project inspired me to get students to paint on other things besides paper.” Joyce also thinks commissions are a great opportunity for art students, especially if they plan on pursuing art as a career. “If someone thinks enough of you to pay you to do something you love, that’s great,” Joyce said. “It builds confidence. I really appreciate Mr. Schmidt’s being a patron of the arts and supporting us. I can’t wait to see what he wants next.” |
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