Havre High students create 3D art amid the pandemic

Students at Havre High School are creating three-dimensional art this quarter, a change necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The students are creating sculptures of all kinds, but most common among them are animals, mythical and otherwise, as well as heroes and villains of media modern and ancient.

Havre High School Art Teacher Kendall Griggs is overseeing the projects and said the students are creating their sculptures' bases out of wire, tin foil and cardboard, which will be covered in a paper mache-based clay which can be sanded and painted.

Some student are still constructing their bases while others are now applying the clay.

Griggs said the students would normally be working on glass mosaics this time of year, but he and his students found glass shards shooting up into their masks when they tried, so they had to change.

"It definitely came out of COVID," he said.

He said he's lead similar projects in more advanced art classes and it seemed like a good substitute for the glasswork they would normally be doing.

"It's fun teaching kids 3D art," he said. "... I think the kids get more success working with their hands than with the paint brush."

Senior Quimn McDonald, 18, said she's been having fun constructing her dragon, despite needing to spend almost an entire day cutting out the triangular cardboard scales that now adorn it.

"I always have fun in art class," McDonald said.

She said she's planning on a black, red and gold color scheme once the layer of clay has been applied.

Freshman Arabella Dabis, 15, is a little further along with her depiction of Maleficent, but it was not without tribulation and a change of plans.

"Getting the base to stand up was difficult," Dabis said. "... It was going to be an angel but there were some missteps."

Griggs said teaching 3D sculpture has been fun and he might keep it around in future years, for practical reasons if nothing else.

"It's really cheap compared to glass," he said.

Students in his class have certainly been busy, he said, having worked with wax dye on cloth and mirror etching, with pottery coming up.

He said he had other classes that he wanted to do stained glass with this year, but now must wait.

Griggs said COVID-19 has been rough for art classes with the first semester of this year being very difficult with students in class two days a week.

"Online has been kind of a nightmare," he said.

He said he's been able to teach using an art theory text book to students at home, which wasn't difficult, but can't compare to hands on learning.

"I taught English for 14 years so it was easy but not exciting at all," Griggs said.