Artist makes impression on students

***image1***The Landstuhl Elementary and Middle School was recently the host to artist in residence, Vidabeth Bensen.
Ms. Bensen is a Department of Defense Dependent Schools retiree and presently lives in North Carolina. In addition to her work as a professional artist, she has taught art all over the world.
Ms. Bensen presently gives workshops in screen printing, and she has also taught art classes to students throughout the school.
The middle-school students were taught how to make their own stencils and how to do their own printing. The younger students also learned how to “pull a print” from some designs that Ms. Bensen had already prepared.
“They all seemed to enjoy the experience of having someone special come to talk to them about art,” said the school’s art teacher, Jo Powell.
Ms. Bensen, whose art reflects the many different places she’s been in the world said, “I never know when the texture or lines of what I am looking at will spark my imagination and prompt me to put those images down on paper.”
Many students could see that Ms. Bensen really enjoyed her work and shared this unique art form with students.
“Ever since I pulled a squeegee across a screen to create a print, I have been fascinated by screen printing and making multiple images,” said Ms. Bensen.
The students were fascinated by the printmaking process and were happy to have something to take home when they were finished.
Ms. Bensen will visit other schools in the Kaiserslautern school district throughout March.