To start the year off, I have students do a great deal of planning for their portfolio. I encourage students to find the purpose behind why they create art to help them stay motivated. If students can identify that bigger idea and understand the purpose, it will connect with them as an artist as well as the viewer. In her portfolio, Claire wanted to provide a voice to the children she works with in Africa. She wanted to tell their stories. In doing that, she wanted to convey the essence of who these children are and to capture the love within each of their hearts.

I tell my students to embrace the process. Try crazy, new things that may seem weird to others. Art is about experimenting and problem-solving.

Every part of Claire’s portfolio was so well thought out. The materials used were all purposefully selected. A lot of the materials were brought back from her trips to Africa. Before each piece, she would create a thumbnail rendering that included the materials to be used in her artwork. Experimentation and planning are so important! Taking notes and annotating throughout the planning process is key. I tell students to write down EVERYTHING that goes through their head when thinking through their pieces. Ask questions. Write random words and phrases. Do the research upfront. This will make everything else go so much smoother down the road.