Café in Bird Rock hosts engaging student art project

By Jane Wheeler

Bird Rock artist and High Tech High School art teacher Jeff Robin created an art show exhibiting his students’ works titled, “Master to Master,” which is on display at Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, 5627 La Jolla Blvd. until May 1.

Seniors Lila Galvez and Kai Wells, whose work is featured, said they had never painted anything of this magnitude, and furthermore, most of the students involved had never taken an art class before.

Robin teamed up with English teacher Kelly Williams for an integration of art and English project that strengthened both the written and art pieces the students produced. The assignment was to choose two master artists (one Old Master and one Contemporary) and pick a painting from the first artist and re-create it in the style of the second.

In addition, students had to research both artists and write a narrative about what would happen if they met and interacted. This dialogue had to be written in the voice/style of the artist to gain insight into their personalities.

Williams said the project worked well because the research gave the student art and writing a deeper substance. Galvez observed that the artists from the earlier period painted what they saw, while the later period artists painted what they felt.

— To learn more about the project, visit

www.jeffrobin.com

, click on Master to Master.