Imagine a multi-colored painting. Sure, it’s beautiful but probably not “important” since a kid did it. It’s just a picture. But there is another way to look at student creations. Art adds color to life. Without art, life would be boring and bland. That is why student art is important — their art makes life interesting.

Lisa Thai, 7th, prefers sketching because of its visual appeal and many shades.

“The best thing about creating art is seeing what you created in front of your eyes,” Lisa said. “The moment you pick up the pencil or brush, you’re immediately in the zone. Lifting your hand off the paper and seeing your hand gray is probably another reason that I like sketching.”

Mr. Graham, art teacher, can see Lisa’s talent and appreciates her kind personality.

“Lisa Thai has a beautiful style of drawing,” Mr. Graham said. “Her attitude is one that is so easy to get along with. She is always smiling and having a good time. She is a joy to have in the class.”

She’s not the only 7th grade who prefers pencil sketching.

“What I like about art is letting my imagination speak out by creating what pops up in my brain,” Maura Martinez Garcia, 7th, said. “That way, other people see the creativity that I have. My favorite medium is drawing with pencil because I like sketching and drawing what I see around me.”

Maura’s unique ability to work with shadow is a skill that Mr. Graham respects.

“Maura understands how shadow works and sees the image in all its facets,” Mr. Graham said.

Heather Boone, 8th, also likes working with pencil.

“I can shade with pencil and feel like I have more control over the work,” Heather Boone, 8th, said. “I like being able to just sit down and relax while doing something I enjoy because I try to express how I feel in my art.”

Mr. Graham values Heather’s excellent attitude and how she gives each project her all.

“Heather has a beautiful reproduction of the front of Kimmons that she created this year,” Mr. Graham said “She is excellent with using line in her art.”

Lilyana Ruiz, 8th, uses art as a snapshot of life.

“I like that I can express what I’m feeling and afterwards I have something beautiful to admire,” Lilyana said. “My favorite medium is pencil because it’s easier to sketch with.”

Lilyana’s natural ability to see the details of any picture that is put in front of her is a talent Mr. Graham admires.

“This skill translates into some beautiful pictures and paintings,” Mr. Graham said. “Lilyana’s style is smooth and clean and prodcues a recognizable touch.”

Debra Rajsombath, 9th, uses art to imagine and create beauty.

“What I like best about creating art is creating it with my own imagination because its fun to create my own world and variety of characters I made,” Debra said. “My favorite medium for art is watercolor paint because it’s very pretty, and I want to practice more on water color.”

Mr. Graham believes that Debra is a steady talent in art class and gets better every year.

“Debra is unafraid to experiment with mixing color in her paintings drawings,” Mr. Graham said. “Debra created an amazing painting of a seascape. She also has a sweet attitude and will probably be a ‘painting doctor’ one day!”

Janean Llanes, 9th, feels that art is a way to reveal inner emotions.

“I like the creativity and how people express their feelings into art because I think every piece of art shows who they are,” Janean said. “My favorite medium is painting because I enjoy making a wide variety of colors to fit into a colorful or maybe dull painting.”

Mr. Graham cites Janean and her sister Jalessa as two of the best artists he has seen in his four years at Kimmons.

“There isn’t a medium that Janean and Jalessa can’t work in,” Mr. Graham said. “They were both born with a wonderful gift!”

Dejay Phattong, 9th, has taken art class since 7th grade. Mr. Graham likes how Dejay always signs his work since “that’s what the pro’s do.”

“Dejay recently added something to his assignment that made the art his own,” Mr. Graham said. “This impressed me from a creative standpoint! When you improve on a piece of still life, you are living out what it means to be an artist!”