Micaela Allen

In what ways did your confidence in art making grow during AP Art and Design?

My confidence grew every time I finished a new art piece. At the beginning of the school year, the amount of artwork that was due seemed intimidating, but by focusing on each individual drawing and enjoying the process of making it, I realized I was capable of more than what I once believed. It felt extremely rewarding to see my portfolio all together at the end of the year.

What kinds of critiques and feedback did you receive in AP Art and Design, and how did they help you strengthen your use of design and/or drawing skills?

While working on a piece, I would always make sure to take breaks from it and ask many people for their opinion. I would have friends and family view my drawing for the first time and have them tell me their initial thoughts on it, which helped me understand what viewers would focus their attention on. I would also consult my art teacher and she would help me know which elements needed a bit more work.

What advice would you share with future AP Art and Design students about building drawing and/or design skills?

I would advise future AP Art and Design students to take this class as an opportunity to explore different art techniques and expand their skills beyond their comfort zone. Be open to making mistakes in the process and learning from them to grow as an artist.

How often did your class meet?

This was from an advanced mixed-media class, which met every day for 50 minutes for the entire year.

AP Art and Design students are those having taken prior advanced-level art studio classes. The AP students are mixed into other advanced classes where it works in their schedules. I try to keep them grouped together just for the ease of giving them instructions that are different from those given to the other students in the classroom. Both juniors and seniors are eligible to take the AP Art and Design course, but it is mostly seniors working on a portfolio.

How did you help students strengthen technical skills and apply design knowledge (elements and principles) while also developing creative problem-solving habits?

Micaela’s artwork was a Selected Works piece. She completed the artwork in an advanced-level mixed-media course. The assignment prompt was to complete a self-portrait with an interesting composition, using three mediums: colored pencil, pen and ink lines, and collage. There were multiple problem-solving challenges in this assignment, involving strong composition, variety in line quality, cut paper shapes in the collage portion, and realistic rendering in the use of layering colored pencil. The students had to make the decision about how and where to incorporate the media within the composition.

In what ways did you structure opportunities for practice, experimentation, and revision into your curriculum?

The students begin with thumbnail sketches in their sketchbooks, practicing composition first and then experimenting with media. Often, brainstorming ideas is the first step, and there are many occasions in which their first ideas are tried, they don’t like the results, and they abandon those first ideas for another direction.

How did you scaffold writing into students’ art making and thinking processes?

When foundation students are required to do sketchbook assignments from drawing prompts, they get used to working in their sketchbooks. In advanced classes, they begin to brainstorm ideas and writing becomes a part of that brainstorming process. By the time they are working on an AP portfolio, writing out ideas has become an important part of their planning process. I have AP students complete “due date sheets” when an AP piece is due. This includes the components that are required in the final AP writing. They get practice in putting their thoughts on paper and reflecting on each piece.

I am fortunate to be in an academic, visual, and performing arts magnet school. My program is divided into classes that emphasize media and technical skills. I have foundation classes and advanced-level mixed-media, drawing, painting, and AP Art and Design classes. We are fortunate to have the supplies we need, and we have the support from both the school and district levels to provide what we need.

What did you learn from working with your students, and how did you connect their learning to real-world opportunities or creative careers?

Micaela came to our school and my classroom as a junior from south Texas and before that from Peru. She was one of those students who enriched our school, my program, and everyone who watched her hard work and talent. She approached every assignment with enthusiasm and connected with everyone. She did her Sustained Investigation on her Peruvian heritage, and it was a wonderful learning experience for us all. She won “best of show” and “portfolio” awards for her work at our annual regional arts festivals and had her work featured in print in The Sampler, our annual school literary and art publication. I am so blessed to have had her in my classes for those two years.

What advice would you offer to other AP Art and Design teachers?

Prior to AP Art and Design, I would advise teachers to encourage students to experiment with media, learn as many skills as possible, and then try to find their direction in what they love. The AP course challenges them to think and create. Guide them, but allow them the freedom to reach their goals.