The Feather Featured Art series is chosen by art teacher Vickey Belmont from her classes and/or independent art students. Belmont picks the best work during current units and encourages students to participate in these occasional posts. Other students are encouraged to submit art pieces as well. Please contact the editors directly or via adviser Greg Stobbe for submissions.

Description by art teacher Vickey Belmont:

The color wheel is an important tool used by artists, you may not know other professions such as interior designers, floral designers, fashion designers, painters, and bakers also use a color wheel.  These professions rely on choosing and creating the perfect color for their needs. 

Art 1 students are asked to create a color wheel displaying primary, secondary and tertiary colors. Primary colors are the basis of all other colors, mixing them in a ratio of 1:1 will create secondary colors, mixing a secondary color with a primary color creates the tertiary colors. This site shows you a color wheel, a few color schemes and color theory.  

Students find a design either a repeating pattern or an overall design and draw it on their color wheel. They start with the primary colors and proceed to mix the remaining colors to create a finished wheel. This site gives an example of how to mix colors together.

Sophomore Natalie Johnson and New Orleans Saints fan, created a color wheel reflecting her passion. Her design of a fleur-de-lis is unique; the mixed colors are displayed and painted well. She shows her understanding of this project and how to mix colors and place them on the color wheel.

Color Wheel by Natalie Johnson

At the time of the art project, the Color Wheel, everyone including myself seemed to be having the most absolute stressful and exhausting week. Either Newsies (high school drama performances this week), honors classes, or sports overwhelmed us all. However, this project, given by Vickey Belmont, provided a fresh mix of relief to the stated above anxieties. 

While working on this project, many concepts were able to be incorporated. We not only got to learn and infuse many colors–primary and secondary–, but also put a variety of thought and ideas into the project. So many designs were able to come about. Classmates did anything from cute elephants and fish, to stars and brilliant designed floral structures. 

This assignment was something that was intended to be stress free. To make sure I stuck to this ideal, I wanted to put something in it that represented me. Yes, I am absolutely a New Orleans Saints fan….so the fleur-de-lis symbol is what I set in for. In a weird way to think about it, it represents my personality. It is a unique design, and a symbol for loyalty and continuity.

In this way, when looking deeper, you can possibly learn more about people by their art. It might not conform to the same matter for everyone, but gives a unique hint for maybe their talent or even lifestyle. Art is a way to express yourself, and Mrs. Belmont’s class really gives that opportunity to all students!

For a previous art post, read Feature art No. 6, 2019-20 — Mandala. For an article from the opinions section, read COLUMN: Architecture focus drives service dreams, reflects social change or a Feather theatre review article, Something Rotten explores journey of self-discovery, offers comical atmosphere.