• This project is taught in fourth quarter and by that point students are ready for a complicated composition like this one. Students create an art piece inspired from Afropunk. Afropunk is a style in music inspired from punk music. Artists were also inspired from Afropunk and created art pieces depicting beautiful people with graffiti lettering and gold paint. In class, I ask that students combine graffiti lettering, gold paint, and unique, detailed shoes. Shoes as subject matter for art is very common for portfolio submission. I think this lesson is a unique take on the idea.

• The variety of ideas from the students is amazing and they execute it so well. When the projects go up, students from the other classes are so impressed. The warm-up prior to this assignment is to draw their name in graffiti lettering with a midground and background in colored pencil and marker.

For this assignment, students have to draw their name or a word that is at least five letters long as graffiti lettering with a midground design and a background. My example has my name in graffiti lettering that looks like balloons with the midground as a cloud that reminds us of sherbet ice cream on a background of waffle cone. It's mostly colored pencil with marker around the lettering.

Traditionally, we see brick as the background. In this assignment students are allowed to have any background. This allows for more creativity and individuality. When the art pieces go up on display, it is so nice to see the variety in ideas. This is always the goal in art education to push for innovation. If the requirements are too strict, then all of the pieces will look the same.

Often, shoe drawings are a requirement for portfolio submissions. So, many years ago, I drew my favorite pair of shoes. They were real snake skin.