A new teacher at P.S. Jones Middle School is taking traditional art classes into the 21^st century.

Lynn Brownlie has brought the concept of “visual art” to Beaufort County students, using a setup she developed more than four years ago in Maryland.

Instead of the usual pencil and paper, students at P.S. Jones are creating art digitally, using programs on 10 Mac computers and iPad Pros.

Students still learn the basic concepts of art, but they use what they’ve learned in a digital setting, according to Brownlie.

She said she split the class into two sections: one group works on projects using the iPads, while the other group uses the desktop Macs. Not only that, Brownlie can use her laptop to demonstrate assignments on an Apple TV.

Throughout the year, the students have worked on radial designs, one-point perspective and crafting their own mythical creatures. They work at their own pace, but finishing the assigned projects accounts for the majority of their grade.

Brownlie said she taught for four years in Maryland, starting out as a part-time art teacher and a part-time technology teacher. It was there that she came up with the idea of merging the two into a visual art course.

The course grew from one section to 12 sections, she said.

“(Principal Tracey Nixon) was so excited about what I did in Maryland,” Brownlie said. “I was excited about moving down here.”

The technology used at P.S. Jones was purchased with grant money left over from an art program project at Washington High School. Brownlie said the two schools are hoping to work together to feed middle school students into the art program at the high school.

Cierra Linton, a seventh-grader at P.S. Jones, said the visual art course is a first for her.

Linton said she has enjoyed working on the projects, but prefers working on the desktop Macs because of the larger screens.

“My dad is really good at all this drawing stuff because he’s a contractor,” she said, while perfecting her one-point perspective assignment.

Seventh-grader Ashanti Keys said she is more comfortable working on the iPads. Keys showed off her mythical creature project, an unusual cross between a llama and a tiger, named Bojangles.

Brownlie said she hopes to expose students to art and creativity, as well as the latest technology one might use in the work force.

“My goal would be that it’s not just in this middle school,” she said. “I know the kids are very excited about it.”