A Cast of Characters

Aaron Parcak

Aaron Parcak posed this week for my Mixed Media Portraiture class at MECA. As I've mentioned here before, the models are invited to bring in personal items and to share a bit about themselves with the class. This provides the students with a rich mine of visual, emotional, and symbolic content - grist for the portrait making mill. The models happily embrace this opportunity for performance, and some even arrive in full costume. Aaron brought a whole table full of costume changes! I am always thrilled with the imagination and energy that each model brings to the group, and Aaron brought it in times four as he donned his outfits and changed from one persona to the next. LOTS of fun was had by all. And as you can see here, some terrific portraits churned off the drawing boards!

Stupendous Students

Janet LeDoux

Hannah McInness

l-r: Lesley Corbett, Jenna Simmons, Jo Goiran, Laura Bicherl, Kate Henderson, Elizabeth Chapman, Hannah McInnes

Jo Goiran

Jenna Simmons

Laura Bicherl

Lesley Corbett

Elizabeth Chapman

Kate Henderson

A few images from Monday's final crit for my Mixed Media Self-Portrait class at MECA. Some remarkable, potent work emerged from the group over the past twelve weeks, as many of the students used this space to tell their personal stories and to process difficult emotions and trauma. I feel so honored to have been a witness to their process! It was a powerfully moving and rewarding teaching experience.