Creating art for the pure joy of it
Warwick. Superintendent’s Artist of the Week: Leah Scalo.
| 25 Jan 2021 | 07:30
Leah Scalo is the Warwick Valley School Superintendent’s Artist of the week of Jan. 22. Photo provided by the Warwick Valley School District.
Third grader Leah Scalo can’t get enough of art class at Park Avenue Elementary School.
In addition to drawing and painting in her own art classes, she has also created projects with the other cohort and with her brother Aaron’s first-grade class.
“Leah joined her little brother’s Google meet with me and created a beautiful penguin,” art teacher Julie Cosco said. “It didn’t matter to her that it was a first grade class. She looked at it as an opportunity to practice her art. I tell my students that the more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel creating. Leah is one of those students that creates all of the time for the pure joy it brings her, and it really shows.’
Art is Leah’s favorite subject and painting in watercolors is her favorite medium. She likes the way watercolors blend to make different shades of colors.
“I started really loving art in kindergarten or first grade, but I’ve been doing it for a while,” said Leah, who wants to be an artist or possibly an art teacher.
So far this year, Leah is proudest of her snowman huddle and her llama paintings, which she is holding in the photograph. Leah created the llama after watching a video Cosco posted for the other cohort.
“Leah is constantly drawing and making different art projects in her down time,” said her teacher Camille Cappa. “Almost every day she has an art project to share with me. She puts her best effort into everything that she does. Leah is a very hard working student. She is a pleasure to work with each and every day.”
Leah also enjoys doing art at home. She received art supplies and a drawing book for Hanukkah. Some of her paintings and drawing are on the wall of the family playroom, which is where she does her art at home.
“There’s a big table in the playroom,” Leah said. “It’s a regular table, but it’s really colorful because when we were really young we got paint all over it.”
Leah won a Superintendent’s Art Award in 2019 for a painting of a scarecrow. That framed painting is currently on display in the Dorothy Wilson Education Center in the Board/Community Room.
“Leah is a really dedicated artist,” Cosco said. “She isn’t afraid to email me questions about our upcoming classes and share her artwork on our Google Classroom page. She is thoughtful and friendly and works quietly, but thoroughly.”
Leah also enjoys math and writing, and does illustrations for her own stories. Outside of school, she plays soccer in the fall and spring and plays tennis all year long.