Students in Melody Rockwell’s art classes recently finished a project the teacher refers to as “an unblocking assignment.” Inspired by Portland painter Flora Bowley, students were encouraged to leave behind  their idea of what art is “supposed to look like.”

“I thought at first it was kind of ridiculous. I wasn’t sure what the main point of it was. And then I started doing it and it was really relaxing, just throwing things on the page…you just threw stuff on there and it turned into something, which I think was really good for all of us to see how our basic instincts for creativity are really good, and that there’s not really a bad idea when it comes to art.” 

-Molly McGraw, junior