Scott Shepherd portrays Monet

Scott Shepherd is holding the French flag during his BVHS presentation as Claude Monet. (Photo contributed)

E-mail this story

Print this story

Share

MANLIUS — Reflected colors of sky blue, harvest orange and soft wafting brushstrokes came to life on stage at the Bureau Valley High School Auditorium as the BVHS art students and art students from Fieldcrest, Putnam County and LaMoille high schools as well as BVJH North, South and students from BVHS helped to reenact Monet’s famous painting “The Picnic” and the principles guiding his Impressionist paintings.

From atop his Japanese bridge, Scott Shepherd, portraying Monet, discussed Monet’s life and work. He used colorful slides, demonstrations of his artistic process with audience volunteers and reenacted some of his compositions by posing students as cathedrals and bridges in mysterious fog as well as the ever changing light of day. The production ended with a staging of his famous “Waterlily” paintings projected on screens across the auditorium.

Shepherd is an experienced teacher of students from age 6 through adult. Golden Apple finalist, Fulbright scholar and veteran performer, Shepherd has portrayed DaVinci, Renoir Michelangelo, Rodin, Van Gogh, Degas and Monet for the Bureau Valley students for the past 10 years. Shepherd also presented a free evening performance for the public.

Students have studied Monet’s life and many of his works, ranging from his early still life paintings to his many versions of his breathtaking “Waterlilies”. They have created a variety of drawings and paintings that emphasized the use of color and light and wrote a critical analysis of the performance after class discussions. This spring, the BVHS art students will continue their study of the artist during their trip to the Chicago Art Institute.

This past summer several students traveled with Sheila Heth and visited Giverny, France, home of Monet’s famous flower gardens and pond. There they experienced the endless beauty that inspired Monet to create such lavishly colored paintings filled with gentle brushstrokes.

This program was made possible by a grant written by Sheila Heth. The Monet Program was partially funded by the Sun Foundation for Advancement in the Environmental Sciences and the Arts, The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, the B.V.H.S. Art Club, and the Bureau Valley School District.