Published: May 19, 2008 05:14 pm            

Plainfield art students aim high

PLAINFIELD, Ind. — Plainfield High School hallways are undoubtedly full of activity on a typical school day, but PHS art students are breathing additional life into the halls by using an unusual canvas — the ceiling.

Passersby need only look up to see student-created works based on paintings by classic artists such as Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, and Vincent Van Gogh. The ceiling painting project was started six years ago by PHS art teacher Laurie Gatlin and has since become a yearly tradition for students in Painting II classes.

“It was all her idea,” Plainfield art teacher Heather Armstrong said. “She’s been teaching the painting class probably for as long as she’s been here. Students have really enjoyed being a part of this tradition and leaving their mark on the school.”

Students choose artworks from different periods of art history by a variety of artists. For every well-known Monet and Matisse is a painting from lesser-known artists such as Rene Magritte and Wassily Kandinsky.

“They do a lot of the artworks that people traditionally think of when they think of famous artworks,” Armstrong said. “But then it’s been neat to see artworks that kids might not have known as well.”

Armstrong said the purpose of the project is to show students the rules of art before they can break them. They are encouraged to study the techniques of classic artists to help decide whether they want to pursue art in the future.

“With this particular assignment, one of the goals was to appreciate the masters of painting,” Armstrong said. “We also want the students to become more comfortable with things like using the paintbrush and color mixing.”

Paintings were first placed on the hallway ceiling outside the art rooms, but have since spread to other areas of the building. The unique location of the paintings has caused students who would normally rush to the next class to occasionally stop and stare skyward.

“The funniest thing is to just watch people with their head up in the air,” Armstrong said. “They even walk into people sometimes.”

Efforts have already begun to move the ceiling paintings to the new Plainfield High School on Hadley Road. Armstrong said the temporary removal of the paintings has conveyed just how much Plainfield students and faculty value their presence.

“We’ve been removing them for the move to the new high school and people get very upset because they don’t know why we’re taking them down,” Armstrong said. “They really enjoy the extra color that it has added to the school.”



Kevin Leibrock writes for the Hendricks County Flyer in Avon, Ind.

        

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