Ninth graders in Advanced Studio Art have been exploring color and composition this month by creating pastel drawings in the style of Paul Cézanne, with a dash of their own originality.

The class began by studying Cézanne’s fruit paintings and the idea that composition can take precedence over objects. “We looked at what is good composition, what kind of artistic license you can take, and what artistic license Cézanne took when composing,” says Arts Department Chair Chris Kimball. Instead of the traditional fruit, apples, and pears that Cézanne used, students collected black walnuts from the tree outside the studio and spent a class period just working on the composition, arranging and placing the walnuts in a way that would be balanced, dynamic, and visually pleasing. For this assignment, students worked with pastels and spent class time exploring how to play with color and line, and how warm colors and cool tones can vary the depth of their composition.

The time allotted encouraged students to work faster and get comfortable incorporating each mark on the paper into their finished product. “That enabled them to depart from stressing about things feeling realistic without that making their work any less impactful or interesting,” notes Chris. The structured nature of this assignment freed students to channel their creativity directly into compelling, expressive composition. As the year progresses, they will continue exploring diverse artist styles and techniques, gradually shifting the focus toward how these experiences shape their identity as creators. The course culminates in a spring capstone project, where students choose their own subject and medium to create a personal piece that reflects their values, ideas, and artistic voice.