From Spooky Sketches to Sculpted Pizzas: Inside Introduction Studio Art

Michelle Kasmarek encourages her students to embrace the creepy side of creativity. With their art, that is.

In her Introduction to Studio Art course, Visual Arts teacher Kasmarek welcomes students of all experience levels to experiment with different media, including drawing, painting, photography, and sculpting. One of her favorite fall assignments asked students to create an entry for the Edward Gorey House Museum’s annual envelope contest. Gorey, celebrated for his macabre yet humorous pen-and-ink illustrations, inspires contestants to decorate envelopes in his gothic style. This year, Allegra Alexander ’27 placed first in the age 15-18 category.

“I always wanted to do something really big with my art, so winning was really cool,” Alexander said. “Art is such a great way of expression for me.”

Her teacher was equally thrilled. Calling Alexander’s design “killer,” Kasmarek noted that the Third Former went beyond the contest requirements, creating art for the front as well as the back of the envelope. “She’s consistently thorough – I do a double take when I see what she’s got in her pocket. She’s a very cool kid and I have thoroughly enjoyed having her in my class.”

Lawrentians can take Introduction to Studio Art as either a single or two-term class.  “I like to do new things all the time, so students who take the class for two terms won’t do projects that they’ve done before,” said Kasmarek.

The first project, however, is always the same: students learn simple bookbinding techniques to create sketchbooks they’ll use throughout the term. Each class begins with a prompt for a sketch—one memorable fall assignment was to draw Frankenstein getting a tattoo. “I love Halloween, so the prompts stayed spooky for a while,” Kasmarek said.

She uses this time to check in with her students' work, offering both helpful tips and kudos. “What I love to see is kids stepping out of what my creativity is and really going into whatever perspective they want. You could draw a prompt a thousand different ways - I really don’t stifle the kids if they’re going bananas with an idea,” Kasmarek said.

Students also learned how to create cyanotype photos and ended the term making salt dough and dry clay pizza sculptures. The pizzas required seven toppings, including two unusual ones. “We had some pretty strange toppings show up,” Kasmarek said. “Balloons, lollipops, dentures, spiderwebs – the kids had a blast with that project.”

Alexander, who previously focused on sketching, said the class has “opened her eyes” to other forms of art that are “very expressive, unique, and fun to work with. I love sculpting now.”

While learning new skills can be daunting, Alexander feels encouraged by her teacher. “Ms. K is so supportive and kind. She is always there to help and she gives great, honest feedback. I think that’s really important to hear as an artist looking to improve your work. She always keeps the mood up and brings light and energy into the room, making sure it’s always a positive environment,” said the Third Former.

Alexander is inspired by the work of her fellow Lawrentians. “We all think differently and it is refreshing to see something that’s different from your own work because it really opens your eyes to all the possibilities out there,’ she said.

For Alexander, art also offers a calming escape. When she wants to take a break from class work, she heads over to the Gruss Center for Art and Design (GCAD), home to the School’s Visual Arts Department and Hutchins Galleries. “I’ll just work for an hour or so. It settles my mind down if I’m having a rough day. I just pay attention to only my art at the moment so I can make it the best it can be. It always makes me happy.”

Select work from all of Lawrenceville’s Visual Arts classes will be on display at the annual Student Art Show, taking place on Friday, January 31, beginning at 6 p.m. in GCAD.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.