Ready to show

Suzie Harrison

Students in Peter Tiner’s Art Studio class have to worry about more

than impressing the teacher. While all the students create pieces and

prepare a detailed portfolio for the class, some will make their work

available for public consumption in city exhibits.

“The Art Studio Honors and AP Art Group represents the height of

the art program,” art director Peter Tiner said. “Most students have

been here two, three and four years at a clip, culminating in the AP

portfolio, which is really a college level art course.”

It has been a busy week for the student artists, they have put

together pieces for the exhibition at City Hall, are getting prepared

for the Art-A-Fair summer show and are putting finishing touches on

their portfolios.

Talia Engelhardt, 18, said that she had been trying to choose a

theme for her portfolio and decided to do cultural women of the

world.

“I’ve always liked drawing people, their character and facial

expressions in different media, watercolors and pastels,” Engelhardt

said. “I’ve applied for a bunch of art scholarships. Peter really

influenced me and helped me discover that I want to major in art. I

enjoy it, it’s my passion and I want to pursue it.”

In her pieces, she tries to use a lot of color to catch people’s

attention.

In the program, the students have the opportunity to work with a

lot of guest artists and they just finished a three-week work session

with Laguna Outreach Community Arts artist Mada Leach, who taught

them Shiburi, a Japanese art technique.

“Leach also talked a lot about design, composition and it was paid

for by LOCA,” Tiner said. “They provide funds every year to help

increase what we do with the art program.”

Part of the learning process is to produce a portfolio of artwork

using slides. There is also a written constituent to their portfolio

in which the students describe the nature of each portion of the

project and the source of inspiration.

Alana Brazelton, 18, is creating mostly linoleum prints for her

portfolio.

“A lot of my concentration is done in linoleum prints,” Brazelton

said. “I like to do hands, it says a lot about a person, as do

people’s faces and expressions -- not beautiful people’s expressions

but real people.”

According to Tiner, the real challenge of this class is to take

the students through the creative process and find their own artistic

expression.

“I try to direct them to be themselves, that’s difficult,” Tiner

said. “When the art student discovers they have a voice in the visual

sense and can visually communicate -- their world opens up, they

realize they can contribute that voice with their own message.”

Cory Westenhaver, 17, said her concentration deals with faces --

predominantly women in some societal theme.

“I like pen and ink mostly, but have some prisma and watercolor as

well,” Westenhaver said. “I designed the cover for the 37th annual

Laguna Beach Patriot’s Day Parade program -- it’s definitely an

honor. My mom had her work on it in ‘79, so it’s kind of a tradition

now.”

The student art exhibit at City Hall will run through June 3 at

505 Forest Ave.

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321 or suzie.harrison@latimes.com.