Spudtacular art show
Super Mario Bros. came to life with fourth grader Aiden Bal’s newly-learned sewing skills. Aiden stitched and filled a faux potato to create “Mario,” using nylon, polyester fiberfill and yarn. Aiden colored the stage of the video game in the background.
The recent “Spudtacular” art show at American Academy was an inventive idea to incorporate the theme of potatoes into art.
When asked how she chose the theme, art teacher Melissa Lopez replied, “I had one student challenge me to make an art show about potatoes. I thought it was funny and a great challenge.” The student artists, kindergarten through fifth grade, agreed; therefore, Spudtacular sprouted.
The students used acrylics, canvas, watercolors, sharpies, yarn and polyester fiberfill for their projects. Using Mr. and Mrs. Potato head as inspirations gave students the opportunity to focus on proportion without the pressure of drawing human details.
Students also received a lesson in sewing, Andy Warhol’s pop art and the art of Picasso. The end results, presented to the entire school, included colorful and creative character potatoes, pop art portraits and more.
Ribbons were awarded to students with exceptional artwork for their creativity, craftsmanship and exceeding the project’s expectations. Select pieces were shown at the Douglas County School District’s Visual Arts Show last month.
First-grade student Eloise Weis received a ribbon for her Pablo Picasso-inspired art piece. She used sharpies, watercolors and paint.
Potato head portraits by fifth graders: Bob Ross, created by Delaney Gozdzialski, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, created by Addy Williams. Each portrait was inspired by Mr. Potato Head.
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of Melissa Lopez
