Praying Mantis

THE CLASS ASSIGNMENT: Art teacher Ernesto Guerrero stated the assignment:

"We're all going to take our art sheets to the deep sink and soak them quickly. Time is of the essence. You don't want the paper to become too-soaked as it might disintegrate in us transferring the wet sheets to our art tables. We're going to sprinkle salt in some areas, granulated sugar in others, and still nothing in others. Then we are going to drip India ink and some basic colors of tempera paints around and through and over. These are abstracts. Try not to try and control the reactions between the paints with the inks with the wet surface where the salt and sugar was spread--Billy--I better not catch you trying to control the result. I expect you to go with where the reactions take you!"

He then proceeded to do his "Experiment" with us.

DRAWING LOCATION: Ernesto Guerrero's Art Class tables at Dana Hills High School, Dana Point, California.

MEDIA: Wet art paper, Black India Ink, primary colors of tempera paints, secondary colors of tempera paints, the paper cutter and collage of cut-out paint run-off was allowed.

RENDER METHOD: I followed Guerrero's instructions, just not exactly. I made sure the sugar and salt went in locations conforming to the areas where Michelle's head, thorax and very swollen abdomen would go.

RENDER DATE: Circa FEBRUARY 1979.

MODELS: "Michelle," my very pregnant pet praying mantis from San Juan Capistrano who had her babies, all of whom were turned loose in our aphid-infested yard up in Monarch Bay Terrace. Teacher Ernesto Guerrero did not know about "Michelle."

SUBJECT: Abstract arts to be created on wet sheets of art paper with sugar and salt deposited in key locations.