Darcy Herrett wants her eighth-grade students to understand just two things about art.

First, it’s a lot about self-expression. Second, there is a possibility of making a career, not just a hobby, out of it.

So Herrett, an art teacher at Woodward Middle School, invited four local artists – Bob Lucas, Patty Rogers, Terri Samilson and Diane Walker – into her classroom to discuss and share their artwork and inspirational words.

“I wanted my students to see how rich of an art community Bainbridge has and get them interested if they weren’t already,” Herrett said.

“It was also beneficial to them to get to ask questions and get feedback from people other than me.”

Walker, a photographer, elected to teach the students about the composition of photos rather than the technical side. She had the class look at the photos and talk about what they saw, and how each photo made them feel.

“It was intriguing to go in and talk with these kids that are filled with wisdom and charm,” Walker said. “But what I really wanted to stress was the point that there is beauty in anything, like a bug on the floor; they just need to look at things a little harder or a little differently.”

Harrett feels that the enthusiasm with which the students came away from each lecture leads to stronger artwork, more class participation and different perspectives and considerations for their art.

Eighth-grader Andrew Stewart said, “I got really inspired after I heard Diane talk. I took my digital camera and shot all afternoon. I was also really surprised by how good my other class projects turned out that were inspired by the other artists.”

Gamut of ‘isms’

Harrett said she chose lecturers who would expose the students to four major approaches to art.

Walker and her photos represented instrumentalism – the artist’s manipulation of how a viewer sees or feels the art. Rogers’ collages were an example of formalism – the use of shapes and color.

Samilson’s work represented realism – in her watercolors, objects appear as they would in the “real world.” Lucas’ dream imagery with magazine cutouts, by contrast, offered an example of expressionism – the artist is directly reflected in the artwork.

While each artist was at Woodward, Harrett’s students imitated that artists’ particular art form. Now the students are working on final projects reflecting on everything they’ve heard and seen.

“Some of them had a hard time getting started, but once they did they were really aligned with themselves,” Herrett said.

It was the work of Walker and Lucas that attracted eighth-grader Georgia Gilbert.

“I normally just do my own thing, but after hearing and seeing the different artists I’ve considered some new possibilities,” Gilbert said. “I’ve been trying enlarging like Diane showed us, and Bob’s stuff was really cool.”

Stewart said he found inspiration in each of the artists’ work: Rogers made him realize that collages could be made out of materials with different textures and thicknesses, while Lucas’ dream imagery made him look at art more critically and actually see the artist in the work.

Samilson’s true-to-life watercolor flowers were particularly impressive, said Stuart.

“I drew a lot from her tips and they really helped me create more realistic-looking art,” he said.

It’s a lesson in self-expression that Herrett hopes all her students will find in the lectures. “Each student is an individual with a message to be heard,” she said. “Art is a way to empower and support them.”