School news

 
Aidan Anthony

 

As long as he can remember, Aidan Anthony has enjoyed creating art. The sixth-grade student at Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS) says every new project starts as an unknown, with no clear idea of how it will turn out.

“I feel like I’m looking into another world,” Anthony said of his creations. “Each piece is a new adventure; you don’t always know where it’s going to take you.”

Anthony especially enjoys working on a small scale, typically using colored pencils. He creates art cards that are easy to transport, trade, or give away.

“I feel like in a tiny piece of art, the quality and detail come out better,” he said.

He was introduced to the concept of Artist Trading Cards (ATC) by Wilchester Elementary art teacher Stephanie Walton. These small, self-made cards are signed by the artist and traded—not sold—with others involved in the conceptual art project that was first started in 1997 by Swiss artist M. Vänçi Stirnemann.

“She also taught me a lot about color patterns, strokes, and blending,” Anthony said of Walton. “She always went above and beyond with fun projects and decorating the school hallways with bright colors. Ms. Walton really helped me get to where I am today.”

At WAIS, Anthony’s current art teacher, Cindy Cisneros, enjoys having him in class.

“Aidan is highly motivated and enthusiastic in art class,” Cisneros said. “He’s creative, has an eye for detail, and always has a smile. He’s also caring and respectful toward his classmates.”

Educational and Personal Growth Through Art

In Spring Branch ISD (SBISD), the visual arts program offers students opportunities for a wide range of artistic expressions, and it remains an essential part of educational and personal development for Every Child.

Creative materials and a dedicated art space at home also support Anthony’s growth as an artist.

“From a very young age, we knew we needed a dedicated art area with supplies always available,” said his mother, Kara Anthony. “For his fifth birthday, we created a large desk for him to keep his projects out and drawers for an assortment of supplies.”

Pleasing Results

One assignment Anthony particularly enjoyed was a landscape project.

“I chose a scene of the Grand Canyon for my landscape,” he said. “When I started the draft and put the pastels to the paper, they started to blend together. It became one of my favorite pieces. The blending of the pastels with the natural color of the paper really made it amazing.”

His mother sees how art teaches her son, and other students, valuable life lessons.

“I’ve seen Aidan learn not to be too focused on perfection,” she said. “He’s learned that things don’t always happen on the first try and that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be great. Sometimes it’s just about the process and doing the project for fun.”

In the Anthony household, the kids are encouraged to carry a sketchbook wherever they go, so they can capture ideas as soon as inspiration strikes—whether in a restaurant, in the car, or even in a deer blind with their dad.

“I think some of the ideas they’re most proud of come from these notebooks,” said Kara Anthony.

Solving Problems, One Step at a Time

In SBISD, the development of six Core Characteristics of a T-2-4 Graduate has been identified by district leadership, along with input from the community, as essential for current and future success.

When asked which of the six characteristics he most identifies with, Anthony pointed to becoming a resourceful problem-solver through art.

“When I’m presented with new or different styles of art, I sometimes get stumped and don’t know how to proceed,” he said. “I take a deep breath and try to solve the problems one step at a time.”

He’s learned that struggles and perseverance often improve the final result—valuable lessons that extend beyond art.

“Sometimes, when I start a project, I feel like it’s going badly and will turn out wrong,” Anthony said. “But then when I give it a chance, it turns itself around. It shows that you just have to have faith and keep going.”

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