By Valeria Lopez Benitez
Art is not just for people who have the talent but people who want to grow and change. Regardless of how qualified you are, Timber Creek has the luxury of giving you multiple selections to improve or just try it out. Art is a great concept, and Timber Creek is here to welcome them to you.
The programs that Timber Creek offers you in the art department are many. They include many for you to explore and connect with. Though a specific student who is a senior, Coeurin Cadet, has taken AP Art History, Drawing 2 honors, Painting Class, and also Ceramics. She and Ms. Wildermuth, who has been a teacher for about 10 years, explains how important art is to them, how they think this will help others, and how it has helped them. They state points that show to new students, or just curious students and what art has to offer them.
To kick us off, Coeurin Cadet, states that for college these classes are very beneficial if you are looking to major in art, or are just trying to improve. Cadet said, “AP art history class literally is like my favorite class that I have ever taken, because I love art and I love history and they combine the two. Even though it’s pretty extensive, I get to learn about how other artists influence different movements and still do. It is starting to become easier to comprehend why artists do what they do. Painting class helps me experiment a lot more with acrylics and watercolors. Painting aggravates me sometimes, like I am good at art. Why can I not do this? Though it is not how good you are at art, but sometimes you have to break down the mistakes and issues you do and build on it. Painting helps a lot with that. Drawing 2 I think it would help inexperienced students that have always thought they were bad at it. Which is helping me become more precise and specific. Detail oriented.” In other words, she tells us how much she has learned from AP Art History. You get to go into a deeper level to understand the artist and the reasons why they do what they do. Then to explain to us that in painting she gets to experiment and learn a lot with different mediums and techniques which helps her improve on her mistakes that she hasn’t seen before. Lastly, Drawing two seems to help Cadet be more precise and focused, which she thinks this class could truly help students who are experienced in the art field. Ms. Wildermuth explains what students can learn, “I think trying new things, especially in a setting like this, where, like, you’re able to learn multiple different techniques, different mediums. I think that’s the best way to do it, because when you go out into the world, like in order to take art classes, you have to pay.” She states very good points that Timber Creek brings great classes to the table, which in the real world you would have to pay instead of having it right in front of you. Also the fact that she teaches so many mediums truly helps us be creative and know what we need to work on, or new techniques we do not know.
To continue Timber Creek does offer great opportunities and classes, but they also come with great teachers who inspire you and take you seriously. Like Cadet states, these art teachers help a lot with how to vision and see things. They want you to understand and push through so you can not just improve but excel. “They give so much space to grow, but at the same time they don’t leave you by yourself to learn. If you’re stumped or confused, they will give you a step by step detailed explanation. They helped me understand the broad scope of everything, it’s so genuinely easy to talk to them. Like we were talking about how my art can be beneficial and how it can influence and change in movement. I was explaining everything and they weren’t treating me like a child but having a true conversation. Even if you do not think you’re good at art, the teachers are there for a reason. Not everyone in the world knows what 2 + 2 is. The teachers are there to help you, benefit from it, yes I understand there’s a level of embarrassment and many do not want to embarrass themself, or look like a clown. There is still a curve where you learn. You are going to mess up and that’s fine. You just have to learn from that,” said Cadet. She states that many students struggle with the embarrassment of being scared of taking a specific class because they think they aren’t good at what they do but truly the only reason why we have a teacher is so you can advance and change throughout the year in whatever you are learning. It won’t just take you a millisecond to learn something so you shouldn’t be embarrassed of trying something new. As a teacher Ms. Wildermuth has a great point to explain since she works at Timber Creek and we can get the scope of things, she said, “Not every state and every country, like Orange County in particular, has for students to try multiple different kinds of art, like in a public city. I love watching students from the very beginning how well they are trying and how far they have come. I feel like it is very rewarding for me, and I love to be able to create a safe, relaxing, space for students to come and just have a break.” She explains how she tries to create a safe space for students and she tries to teach to the best of her ability, which Cadet also explains. You should be able to relax and not feel judged since you are learning and improving over time.
Last but not least, many students may see art as an inconvenience or a free class to pass the time, students do not know the literal benefits that art has in the future, or even the influence it has on your mindset and the way you think. Cadet explains it better, “Students should take it even if they don’t enjoy it because art influences a lot of things, people think of art as just painting, drawing, but you have architecture, which really influences movements. Like International style or Prairie style, which we learn in our AP art history class. It also just helps with your personal creativity, it genuinely just improves your growth and develops different skills and changes your mindset.” She explains that it is a great influence on your mental health and on your future. Ms. Wildermuth also explains how emotionally helpful being in art class is, she states, “It helps them to be hands on, so when doing ceramics, it’s very therapeutic. It allows you to take the time to relax and just let it kind of flow, without having really strong expectations. Emotionally it’s a pause from their busy day. I know that like when I’m stressed, I’ll start sketching or things like that. Somebody just needs to have a kind of reset and have a calming thing.” She shows how people sometimes just need a break from the pressure or a mind reset, and she is trying to create that environment for everyone especially since school is stressful. She tries to also explain that in art class she doesn’t have huge expectations but, to have a piece you tried on, a piece that calmed you and let you just go with the flow, which is part of being an artist.
Timber Creek offers many classes and programs for you to improve and try out. There are so many different programs that will help you improve, art is not just about how great you are but about what you are willing to do. Art class is a place to relax, and just put what is on your mind onto paper. Creativity leads the way, don’t be afraid to try it out.
