Who am I as an Artist?

and
How are the Arts a Part of My Life?
By
Rhoda A. Omar
Spring 2017
What role do the arts play in my life?
Whether consciously or subconsciously, I believe the arts have
always played an important role in my life! For me, art is much
more than aesthetically appealing. Art is a form of expression; an
escape from reality, and stress. Art is my therapy!

Being a young bilingual/English language learner, the arts are an

opportunity for me to communicate my thoughts and emotions
without feeling inferior, judged, or even misunderstood.

We don't realize how much the arts are a part of our everyday
lives, from the choices we make in how we decorate our home to
the choices we make in how we dress.
What are my strengths as a performing
artist, visual artist and or arts educator?
I believe one of my strengths as an artist is my ability to take something
ordinary and transform it into something extraordinary. I think I have the
ability to see potential and greatness in what others may find insignificant
or worthless.

Being a mother, I believe I have mastered the ability to use exaggerated

facial expressions, voice inflections, and dramatized movement to
communicate stories, concepts, or simply get a child's attention. I also
have the ability to use humor to gain the attention of my students and to
activate curiosity. Creativity is key. I can create experiences that are
engaging, interesting, and exciting!

Never give up! One of my greatest strengths as an artist is my

willingness to keep trying, and my desire for excellence, no matter how
difficult the project or task may be for me to accomplish..
My goals as a visual artist and arts educator...

To integrate the arts in a way that enhances student creativity

and self expression, while also promoting understanding.

To engage students in art activities that encourage deep and

meaningful discussions, ultimately, strengthening their
communication skills, their confidence, and feelings of self
worth.

To increase my repertoire of art integrated activities and

strategies, so that at least one form of the arts, whether
dance, music, drama or visual art, is incorporated in each day,
and in the lessons I create. .
 Steps I plan to take to achieve these goals...

Through classroom observations, research, and knowledge gained

during my time in the Elementary Education Program, I hope to
master the ability to prepare arts integration lessons that are both
meaningful and engaging in every subject area.

To help me choose or create appropriate arts integration

experiences, I plan to gain as much knowledge as I can about my
intended audience, my students.

To overcome my fears! To be open to trying new things no matter

how unfamiliar or ridiculous I may find it, so I can become more
comfortable with using strategies that engage my students.
 Artifact #1
Lego Mania
The first artifact I chose to include is a Star Wars
inspired lego creation built by my son Zain. I chose this child
crafted piece because of the symbolic representation it
holds and the memories it brings back for me. I remember
as a little girl sitting for hours, with just a few old lego
pieces and my imagination. There was no holding me back,
with a little creativity, the places I could go and the things I
could create were endless. Whether I was creating
something from the real-world or something I made up in
my head, it was always an enjoyable and relaxing process.
Today, my son and I enjoy lego building together. He loves it
when we can sit together, discuss our thoughts regarding
what and how we can build something. We make up stories,
with characters, a problem, and sometimes a solution. The
ability to assemble, and reassemble something into infinite
forms is exciting and magical, especially for children. Lego
building is an activity/an art form that allows one's creative
juices to flow endlessly.
 Artifact #2
Therapeutic Ornament Display
The second artifact I chose to include is what I like to call
my "glass of glitter therapy". I made this item by recycling a
bag of old ornaments I found at the thrift store a few
years back. With a little bit of elmer's glue and some colorful
shimmer I was able to cover the rusty and damaged look of
the ornaments and transform them into something beautiful. I
later placed them in a little champagne glass for display,
which I now keep in my bedroom. I chose this item because it
represents my love for taking old or damaged items and
transforming them into something special. While I mostly
recycle for the purpose of creating visually appealing
decorative items, I also enjoy transforming old things into
useful items.
 Artifact #3
Painting and Drawing
For my third artifact I chose to include two pieces of artwork,
which I did a few years ago. The first one is a light and shade painting I
completed in my introduction to watercolor class while attending Boise
State University. The second is a portrait of my first born niece I
completed a few years back using charcoal pencil. I chose these two
pieces because they both represent my passion for the visual arts;
more specifically, my love for realistic figurative and portrait
drawings. I was first introduced to the visual arts by my grandmother,
who had a talent for creating beautiful landscape paintings using
watercolor and glitter (I will include a photograph soon). I used to
watch her as she transformed a blank canvas into a captivating work
of art. Her effortless ability to manipulate colors, intuitively with a
free flowing rhythm is a gift I can only hope to possess someday.
Inspired by my grandmother, I decided to take art classes to learn as
much as I can about the visual arts, including techniques I can use in
watercolor/acrylic/oil painting, and drawing. While taking courses did
not transform me into Picasso or Deviance, my love and appreciation
for the arts was ignited. Today, I enjoy working with different
mediums, experimenting with colors, and manipulating perspective,
shadows, and depth. Most of all I enjoy capturing a moment, a feeling,
or a mood through the process of drawing facial expressions, and
figurative postures.
Needs Improvement (N)
Online posting:
__ Candidate needs
reminder to complete the
project to meet expectations
__ Candidate needs
reminder to proofread for
spelling and grammar
__ Candidate needs
reminder to assess their
own work using the rubric
__ Candidate needs
reminder to include the
names of three peers they
responded to in Forums
__Candidate needs
reminder to place their
name on their work
__Candidate needs
reminder to submit their
work as a .ppt; or .pptx;
.doc; or .docx or use
Google Tools
Meets Expectations (M) Exceeds (E)
Online posting: In addition to Meets
_x_ Include your name on your project file and on your work Expectations
_x_ Attach this rubric and assess your own work
_x_ Proofread your work for spelling and grammar __Provide written
evidence below of how
Include an analysis that lists: you think you exceeded
_x_Your strengths as a performing artist and/or as a visual artist and/or arts educator the expectations listed to
_x_Three goals you are setting for yourself as an arts educator in the elementary classroom produce an extremely
_x_ Steps to meet the goals you have established high quality professional
product.
Images of three artifacts that:
_x_ Includes a description of each artifact
_x_ Includes why you chose the item
_x_ Describes what the item tells about the arts in your life or about you as an artist.
_x_ Post your work in Forums for peer review
_x_ Share a statement of validation to three or more of your peers that indicates that you have read
his/her entire posting and that you appreciate something specific about his/her work. Be sure your
validations refer to specific statements made by your peer. Provide substantial feedback.
_x_Name:_Jovon_Lauriano__ _x_Name:_Corey _Gushikuma___ _x_Name:_Amber Lopes_
_x_ Post your work in Assignments for instructor review