Pupils at North Augusta Middle School left an artistic mark on their school last week.
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Students from Tara Graham's eighth-grade art class work on a mural in North Augusta Middle School's cafeteria. The mural depicts outdoor scenes from South Carolina.
Ron Cockerille/The Augusta Chronicle
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Using detailed brush strokes and finding the right paint color, each sixth-, seventh- and eight-grader was able to contribute to a large mural spread across a wall in the school's cafeteria.
With the help of Michel McNinch, a professional painter, the youth painted palmetto trees, horses and other symbols of South Carolina to show their state pride.
Ms. McNinch, of Chapin, S.C., was hired by the district to help pupils paint this mural and another at Ridge Spring-Monetta High School. She said she has worked with children before and said she enjoys inspiring others to create and share the pleasures of art. She said said the pupils worked well together.
"They all submitted sketches, and I decided to combine many of their ideas into one mural," she said. "The kids are eager to paint, and it helps them combine different skills and learn to work together as a team. I'm also impressed with their hand-eye coordination."
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Matthew Augeri, 13, adds his touch to the new mural.
Charmain Z. Brackett/Special
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Ms. McNinch assigned different aspects of the mural to groups of pupils. To add a butterfly to the mural, eighth-grader Danielle Davis, 13, had to first sketch one on paper and get it approved by Ms. McNinch. Danielle penciled an outline of the butterfly before she painted it.
"Because you don't want to mess up," she said.
Each pupils worked on the mural for about a half hour, but many quickly became attached to the artwork.
"It's going to be cool to know it will still be here after we leave," said eighth-grader Maeghan Hartley, 13, as she painted a white fence that wraps around the painting.
Matthew Augeri, 13, was able to spend more time working on the painting than others because of his avid interest in painting. He said he enjoys painting horses in his free time. He helped paint at least two of the horses in the mural.
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Eighth-grader Josh Ward, 13, concentrates on the horse he is adding to the mural at North Augusta Middle School.
Charmain Z. Brackett/Special
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"It's hard getting the right shapes I want on the wall," he said. "But I have done some paintings with horses before, and I think we have made them look good on the wall. We are trying to make them look as real as possible."
Ms. McNinch said she let the pupils choose their own colors and decide where to put different things.
Some pupils were just glad to do something outside of their normal art class.
"I really like painting the horses, but it's fun to be in here and doing something different," said sixth-grader Aileen Lively.
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