It was my favorite time of day. I hurriedly plopped myself on my assigned chair at the back table and began rummaging through my bag for my colored pencils. I was halfway through putting my headphones in when Mrs. Pedersen began to announce the new Art 3 assignment. 

   As a current AP Art student and a former Art 3 veteran, I eagerly listened in for the next artistic hurdle my peers had in store for them. The students were assigned to paint a portrait of a teacher of their choice. The art teachers wanted students to learn about portrait techniques. When asked about the inspiration behind the project, Mrs. Jodi Pedersen, art teacher, mentioned that the assignment, which was initially Art teacher Mrs. Taylor Hughes’ idea, was inspired by the artist Chuck Close. 

   Chuck Close was an American painter and artist whose primary work consisted of exceedingly large and hyper-realistic portraits. Drawing references from his friends and family, Close enjoyed painting his loved ones. 

   What distinguished Close from the thousands of other portrait artists was his unique medical condition: being paralyzed by occlusion of the anterior spinal artery. His condition resulted in an unexpected blessing: a unique perspective that would shape the way he viewed people. He often used a pixelated technique where a portrait would be constructed by millions of colored squares. 

   Adopting Close’s art style and desire to often work on portraits of those who are important or inspirational to him, Mrs. Pedersen and Mrs. Hughes found it suitable for Art 3 students to draw portraits of those who are integral to the Eastern community: Teachers. 

   The project has not only succeeded in unearthing novel artistic skills, but it has also made students reflect on the teachers who have been an inspiration to them. 

   Leah Jurado ‘23 is doing a portrait of her sports coach Miss Jacqueline Cook. Jessica Wangsa ‘23 is creating a textured portrait in pen of a teacher she admires: Spanish teacher, Miss Sara Reina-Nieves. 

   Iris Smith ‘23, who is drawing a portrait of Mrs. Pedersen in a pixelated style, expressed that she was inspired by a person whom she feels played an integral part in her growth as an artist. She says, “[Mrs. Pedersen]  helped me grow as an artist a lot. Art is what I want to do in my future and having a teacher that supports you is very important.”  

   As an artist, your work often speaks for itself. It speaks louder than you ever could, and it says more than you could ever say. So, Art 3 students work patiently, meticulously painting square by square on their enormous grids in the hopes of reflecting, and thus thanking, the people who have positively impacted them.