SAN ANTONIO — Students at Ogden Elementary are getting to the root of what makes their school special. The talented kids are creating a mural that represents their campus. A tree is at the heart of the project.
"With just a straight line, you could do many things with one," said Ogden 6th Grader Daniel Romo as he swept bright purple paint across a piece of wood.
Several other students gathered around the table, each picking up a vibrant cup of paint. Scanning the Ogden Elementary Art Room, projects on display prove the group has mastered straight lines, squiggles, swirls, and zigzags. They're using a variety of shapes for a very special mural.
"It's based on Ogden's past and present," said Romo.
"We started off by getting some inspirations from videos,” explained 6th grader Alexandria Torres. “We thought of sketching, to see what we had to start off the mural and then now we're doing the stencils and painting."
The most recognizable part of the design is the tree.
"I met my friend there," said 6th grader Jasmine Quintanar.
The kids say the tree in author Xelena Gonzalez's story "All Around Us" fueled their imaginations.
"She used to write poems and she used to bury them down in that tree,” said Xictlally Rodriguez. “Right now, a lot of people, a lot of students go over there and just hang out."
The mural is a big project for these young artists. With one mural already done, they've proven they can handle it.
"I think art is amazing,” said Rodriguez. “It's so fun."
When the new mural is finished, it will hang at the Burnet Learning Center. The building is where SAISD holds their school board meetings.
"Someone understands the message just by looking at it," said Quintanar.
As their shapes come to life, the students are excited to make the mural magnificent and share their art with their community.