This Valentine's Day, the EHS Chapter of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) is warming hearts at Houston Methodist Hospital with a donation of student art. The artworks will decorate patient rooms and nurses' stations to, in the words of Mia Tuckwood '23, "spread love and kindness, especially to those who might need a little extra positivity around Valentine's Day." Lindsey Perryman, Project Specialist at Houston Methodist, affirmed that the artworks "will truly brighten the units!"

A similar donation was made to Houston Methodist last year. When hospital staff was contacted about a second donation, they responded enthusiastically. "It was a great hit last time," wrote Rosa Huerta Torres, Administrative Coordinator. Amanda Robjohns in Volunteer Services recalled, "We distributed the artworks to different nursing units throughout the hospital. It sure put a smile on their faces!" Anayla Wilson '23 was one of the students who donated a work of art, and she reflected afterward, "I think we often overlook how simple things, such as [an artwork], can change someone's day."

The donated artworks depict decorative hearts made using a technique called quilling, which involves shaping thin strips of paper. Students had to first learn how to curve and curl the paper, and then they each filled in a heart with their own design. "I really enjoyed the simple yet challenging aspects of the quilling. The heart was so small but could be filled with so much detail," said Anayla.

NAHS faculty sponsor, Lauren Cunningham, has been teaching quilling at EHS for about a year. She says, "It's still a new medium to me, and I am so excited about the possibilities." She remarks that although quilling is a somewhat labor-intensive process, EHS students are up for the challenge. Lizzy Randall '24 experienced quilling in Cunningham's Advanced Mixed Media course and shared, "I enjoyed how different quilling was. I learned about patience and to pay attention to the tiny details."

This year, four EHS students won awards in the 2021 Scholastic Regional Art and Writing Awards for their quilled artworks. Chloe Zagorski '24 won a Gold Key for In-Between. Her piece will advance in the competition for a chance to win a national award. Mia Bhatia '23 and James Carter '23 won Silver Keys for their works Lift Off and Zoomin' and Boomin', respectively. Lauren Pearson '23 won an Honorable Mention for Lost in Japan.

Curious to learn more about quilling? Watch Ms. Cunningham's video, here.

Enjoy the images of student artwork below.