Still Life with Falling Books

As part of my training to become an art teacher, I had the opportunity to shadow experienced art educators and teach a six-week class at nearby middle and high schools before graduating. During this time, my mentor at the middle school encouraged me to create “teacher examples” for future classes while designing a still life art project for my students. Embracing her advice, I gathered a diverse array of materials from the classroom, including books, magazines, cardstock scraps, markers, and modeling materials, and blended them together to craft my own unique still life composition.

In this image, my aim was to visually capture the dynamic and organic nature of a bustling classroom environment through this classroom still life example. To convey the sense of movement and energy, I meticulously depicted each object as it was being placed and rearranged between classes. This representation reflects the ever-changing nature of a classroom, where objects often shift and overlap, creating a continuously evolving still life tableau. Through this artwork, I sought to showcase the vibrant and fluid atmosphere of a classroom setting, serving as an inspiration to my future students and capturing the essence of the dynamic learning environment we create together.