Lori Galicia Hendersons Artist Statement

Students attending my Studio Art class will be introduced with the following mixed media:
pencil (HB, H, etc.) color pencil (prisma and Crayola), pastels (oil, chalk), markers
(Crayola/sharpie and etc.), charcoal (vine, compressed), ink, paint (oil, water, acrylic), printing
(easy cut, Styrofoam, potato, eraser, cardboard and etc.), collages (magazines, literature,
cardboard, cereal boxes, fabric, etc.), as well as other mix media. As I introduce the media to the
class I will show them various techniques in which they may try to integrate into their own
works. Most significantly, I will introduce the cultural and historical context (past and present)
behind the techniques, styles, genre, and theme to my students.
While encouraging a safe place for students to explore different forms of media it is my desire to
give my students a voice to channel their passions, desires and platform into their works of art. I
want to engage my students through their modes of inspiration. I dont want to get in the way of
the creative process by placing a limit on what they can & cannot do. Artists like Van Gough and
Leonid Afremov inspired my exploration of color application in my art works. How I barrowed
their visual aesthetic to suit my own color exploration is an approach that infused the ideas of a
late artist with a contemporary artist. Similarly, I would like to find artists that can be seen in the
past and bridge their ideas to a contemporary artist and create an art activity that transforms these
artists ideas into a new concept that becomes relatable and engaging for my students via
material choice exploration. It is my desire to make resources accessible in order for my
students to be successful and self-empowered within and outside of the classroom.
What I bring to the class is an understanding that every student is at their own pace. I will not
grade a student based on the performance of their peers. Rather, I will grade them individually at
the level they enter the class with and evaluate how much they have progressed since day 1. I
take Art incredibly seriously. I am not the kind of educator that makes the class easy to keep As.
Receiving an A is one thing. Maintaining it will be entirely up to each individual student. Art is
not a joke and I want my students to realize that they need to take their participation and
willingness to explore media seriously. My personal preference or aesthetic will not be reflected
in my grading. However, the students ability to meet and follow the studio requirements,
instructions, and class standards will be reflected in their individual grades. Art should never be a
chore. I want them to draw upon their own desires and inspirations and be able to mentally
connect with their works.
I want to make a difference in peoples lives. I want Art to mean something for my class. Even
if its just through finding their self-confidence, voice, aesthetic, material preference, style
preference, color pallet preference and etc. At the end of the day I just want them to take
something from my class and apply it in their life ( mentally, emotionally or physically).