Highland Art Students Get Their Falc-ON

Tables and chairs were pushed aside in G105 last Friday a few minutes before the first  bell rang to accept a special visitor. Tera hunter’s advanced art class had drawn models from life before, but nothing like this. Goose, a female peregrine falcon, was on display in the front of the room. Attentive students throughout the classroom used different artistic media to create a lifelike  drawing of the beautiful raptor. With inspiration from the living bird each created a masterwork of art.

Tera’s mother, Tana Hunter, was the one who brought Goose to model for the class. She has the opportunity to work with raptors and participate in conservation efforts through volunteer work with Hawkwatch International, a conservation group whose headquarters is only a few blocks west of Highland High School, in Sugar House.

“I thought it would be an interesting opportunity for life drawing,” Tera said. “Since I work with Hawkwatch, I thought I’d take advantage of that connection and get a peregrine falcon to come in.”

Peregrine falcons are not only nice to look at, but are also the fastest animals in the world, diving at upwards of 240 miles an hour to catch prey. Contrary to her speedy nature, Goose the falcon kept relatively still during her modeling show.

“I’m hoping we can get the great horned owl in too.” Tera said “But he is much more active: harder to draw.”

It’s not often that art students at Highland have live models to draw from, and even less common for them to be wild animals. Drawing from life is a valuable art skill that Tera wishes to foster in her students.

“I’m not really used to Drawing any live things.” Highland Senior, Piper Stewart said. “I couldn’t get the right shape for the eye. They kept looking like human eyes.”

The curriculum of the advanced art class that Goose visited is meant to expose students to many ways to create and design their artwork. Basic drawing skills are a key part of the daily class routine.

“Advanced drawing is all about the challenges of drawing from life.” Tera said. “I think it advances our open curriculum.”

Tera Hunter’s job is to urge young art students to realise their artistic ability and learn to embrace personal challenges and improve their skill. Opportunities like this give students a chance to try something new.

“I wasn’t sure what the result would be but I think that they did an excellent job.” Tera said

Tera and her mother are planning on working to bring in more bird models like goose for students to draw in the near future. The success of this experimental run has opened artistic doors for the students of G105.

“I love doing this,” Tana Hunter said. “I love taking a bird in and showing it to kids so that they can see how amazing it is because most of the time people don’t have the chance to see that.”