Project by: Wriley W Hodge (11th Grade)
Project Advisor: James french
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Peggy

While sauntering through the Natural History Museum, I realized that I wanted to make an almost textbook or naturalist journal in which I drew most of the skeletons and taxidermy in the Museum and also some of the ‘backyard wildlife’ I see in New York. I’ve always been captivated by both the Museum and how wildlife thrives in NYC. This project was a culmination of all my two main interests—art and natural sciences being explored simultaneously. As I worked through the project, my focus shifted to be more art based. I spent most of my time drawing and painting the animals at the museum.

Here are pictures of some of the work that I did:

Reflection:

This project was a huge success for me! I went up to the Museum of Natural History whenever I had the opportunity. There are these beautiful dioramas at the Museum within which are expertly taxidermied animals; I would sit as close to the dioramas as possible and draw. I began to learn how to simplify the complex textures that I was able to notice. Being able to sit right to the animals really did offer an amazing opportunity to study them. I was especially entranced by the endangered animals—the elephants, bison, rhinos and more—because those animals barely exist in the wild, and looking at them, taxidermied, 15 feet away from me was a powerful experience.

The first few weeks I went I spent a lot of time drawing the bison, the first drawing I did I spent a lot of time with detail, and I messed up the anatomy. So the next few times I went I worked on the anatomy of the bison, and then later would add detail. Bison used to roam the great plains of what we now know as North America in quantities that are nearly impossible to wrap our heads around. Native people would follow and live off of the herds, however, when white settlers came, they eradicated the bison population. Part of the reason, later on, was because bison would get on the railroads, but the main reason was to destroy native people’s lifelines.

For the next few weeks, I went and drew various animals, including rhinos and caribou, but I spent a lot of time drawing the mountain lions. Getting their anatomy and fur was really tough, but I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with them. The next animal I spent a lot of time with was the moose; the diorama with the moose is really dynamic, it shows two bulls fighting, and it really looks like a frozen snapshot from the wild. I’m quite proud of the colored pencil drawing that came out of studying the moose.

The next two or three times I went I sat with the elephants. Right in the center of the African Mammals room of the Museum stands a beautiful herd of elephants. With the elephants, I was truly able to stand, my eye a mere few feet away from theirs, and draw. I really enjoyed drawing the elephants, they have such a magical aura to them and are riddled with beautiful textures. I spent one of these days trying to do an as realistic drawing of the elephant’s eye as I possibly could (pictured below).

The last animal I spent a considerable amount of time with was the lesser kudu. They have these magnificent spiraling antlers and a slender but powerful looking face. I drew them in a few mediums, first in brush pen, then in colored pencil, and finally in felt-tipped pens.

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T3 Project Proposal

Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?

I am proposing to continue my project where I go to the Natural History Museum. My vision for the project has changed slightly as I’ve been pursuing it—the project has shifted to a more art based project. I’ve been going and drawing and painting the animals at the museum. I’m hoping to continue my education about animals anatomy and rendering those animals.

Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?

I’m drawing on the creative aspect of these important learning values. A huge part of rendering animals is being creative about how you choose to portray the animal—what part of the animal you choose to exaggerate etc. For example, for different animals, I use the medium (pen, watercolor, pencil, charcoal etc) that I think best describes the animal and its essence.

What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?

I’ve been doing this whole project in one large moleskine notebook. So that has all the work that I’ve been doing for the project, and it will have the work I’m planning on doing in the third trimester. I could also potentially make a large poster to show what I’ve been doing.

Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?

I’ve been going and doing different animals that I find anatomically interesting to draw. My goal is to fill out every page in the moleskine, I’m a little more than halfway through my notebook. I’ve been good at being consistent and going every weekend for a long period of time. So I just have to keep that up.

When do you plan on meeting?
I talk to him everyday, but our official meeting time is friday lunch

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T2 PROJECT PROPOSAL

Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?

I was recently sauntering through the Natural History Museum and I realized that I want to make an almost textbook or naturalist journal in which I draw most of the skeletons and taxidermy in the Museum and also some of the ‘backyard wildlife’ I see in New York. I’ve always been captivated by both the Museum and how wildlife thrives in NYC in some ways. I think this is a culmination of all my two main interests—art and natural sciences being explored simultaneously.

Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?

This is definitely a sort of combination of creativity and critical thinking. I think it’s a creative endeavor to think about wildlife and naturalism in a place (NYC) where wildlife isn’t thought about a lot. It will also be a sort of analytical thing too in which I look at the history of mammals and dinosaurs and record and think about a lot of information in the Museum.

What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?

My proposed outcome is a big journal in which I will have drawings of the animals and skeletons alongside with the information about these animals and skeletons and histories. My mediums will be pen and pencil and watercolor.

Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?

I would like to split up my project into the different floors of the Museum by proportion of how much stuff on that floor I want to record through image and words. So I would split the trimester into 4 parts and those would be my benchmarks and deadlines. I want to start on the top floor where the dinosaurs are and make my way down and end with the hall of biodiversity, amassing a collection of drawings, diagrams, and watercolors paired with informational writings.

When do you plan on meeting?
Friday Lunch