Art Inspiration

W
e talked to St. Luke’s Mrs. Cummings, University Campus Art Teacher, about the inspiration behind the art displayed in the lobby of the theater during the “Puffs” performance.

One of the goals this year is to make the students aware of what current artists are doing and how they are inspired. With this goal in mind, Mrs. Cummings was led to her latest inspiration for the auditorium lobby.

Artist Mikaela Anne, who produces videos of her process on her channel Nerdforge, painted a futuristic city at night called "Cyberpunk City" using acrylic and UV paint. This artwork was the springboard for a glow-in-the-dark, black light art show in conjunction with the fall play "Puffs."

Each art class created pieces of art using fluorescent paints or inks to accent areas in their artwork. The middle school printmaking class used fluorescent inks to create prints for their exploding books. Art 1 students created paintings of cityscapes at night using one-point and two-point perspectives. The Art II/III class created fantastical landscapes using fluorescent and glow-in-the-dark paint. Not to be left out of our magical display, the pottery class created candle-lit lanterns with a nod to the book series that inspired the fall play.

Mrs. Cummings says, “It was a perfect way for students to see how their artwork can change according to the lighting, like Mikaela Anne's paintings. Because this was a six to nine-week process, it also gave students the experience of the planning, time, and effort involved when creating a piece of art.”