Courses

Figuratively Distorted: Creating Characters for Cartoon, Caricature, and Animation
In this introductory class we will explore the human figure and its mannerisms through learning to draw using methods that invent expressive characters. We will learn foundational drawing principles depicting the figure from observation, studying its anatomy and how that manifests human expression. We will see, learn, and use the principles of drawing found in images of humans in the Lascaux Caves and Mayan Reliefs; to expressionists like Egon Schiele; and cartoons from Walt Disney to South Park. Students will develop their own individual cartoon characters and storyboard an archetypical narrative forming a collaborative class animation screened publicly in Twilight. No prior drawing experience is expected. It is a 100 level beginning level class open to and designed for students with no visual artmaking experience. This course will count as a prerequisite towards 300-level courses in The Program In Studio Art. 6 hrs lct.

Visual Storytelling Through the Lens
This photo-based studio course examines the ways images work together in succession to build narratives. Students will study contemporary and historical approaches to the photo essay in addition to authoring their own stories with images they have taken or sourced by other means. While we will discuss the basics of image making, the class is focused on the sequencing of images. Students may use any type of camera for this class including cell phone cameras and no prior photographic knowledge is required. The class will culminate in a web-based slideshow and printed book projects for each individual student. 6 hrs. lect/dsc.

Notes from the Woodshed: Sculpture, Abstraction, and Improvisation
This class takes its title from a book of writing by the black American visual artist Jack Whitten (1939-2018). Whitten’s title itself borrows from a tradition in jazz music, ‘the woodshed’ was a metaphorical place to practice, experiment and develop new ideas before taking them public. We engage the classroom as our own ‘woodshed’, creating sculptural form through close looking, response, and improvisation. Students will develop the basic skills and visual language for creating sculpture using wood, foam, Magic-Sculpt, and found materials. We will read Whitten’s book ‘Notes from the Woodshed’, and other texts that contextualize the rich histories of abstract sculpture made by black Americans in the 20th century. No former experience with art is necessary to take this class.

Advanced Drawing: Making Your Mark
In this course students will refine their drawing skills, emphasizing personal growth and a deeper exploration of drawing techniques. An understanding of formal pictorial language and how to effectively communicate through visual means will be stressed. Students will draw from observation employing imagination, abstraction, and unconventional approaches. Exposure to the importance and relevance of both contemporary and historical art will occur through image lectures with an emphasis on critical thinking. Exploration of materials will also be discussed. (ART 0155, 0156, 0157, ART 0159, ART 0185, ART 0200 or by approval) ) 6 hrs. lect.

The Art of Pastel Painting
In this class we will study and apply principles of making images using the medium of dry pastels. Pastel-painting involves sticks of dry pigment bound with gum-arabic and applied by the artist’s hand to paper. Used skillfully it is intense, direct, and expressive. Using pastels we will learn color theory and how to control value and perspective by creating images of still-life, interiors, and the human figure. This studio course will also include image-lectures on the history of pastel in art history. (ART 0156, ART 0157 or ART 0159 or ART 0185 or ART 1128 or ART 1129 or THEA 0101). There will be a required purchase of materials.

Painting the Figure in Oil
In this course we will learn the how to paint images of human beings. The class will begin with an overview of artistic anatomy and resulting patterns of movement. This initial portion of the semester will focus on color theory and refreshing understanding foundations of describing form. Using this knowledge we will then paint in oil by directly observing the live model outdoors. Part of this class will focus on painting portrait images. Studio work will be accompanied by regular image-lectures of the pan-global history of depicting the human form.

Hybrid Printmaking
In this course we will examine a range of hybrid printmaking techniques. We will work from observation and imagination. We will explore monoprint, relief, and hand-cut/ digital stencil-making applications. Emphasis on non-traditional approaches will be studied through experimentation and collaboration. Students’ voices will be developed through guided exploration of thematic projects. Texture, value, surface, colors, marks, and pattern will be discussed. Students will be exposed to the importance and relevance of both contemporary art and historical art through image-lectures with an emphasis on critical thinking. Prior drawing experience expected. (Open to students who have taken ART0155, ART0156, ART 0157, ART 0159, ART0185, or ART0200) 6 hrs lab/lct.

Painting the Human Face
In this lecture and lab course we will create drawings and paintings of the human visage. Our class begins with an in-depth anatomical study of the human head, neck, and upper torso. This will lead us to analyze ways previous art of America and Europe has mapped forms of the human face to communicate expressive content in painting. Then, using oil paint on paper, panel, and canvas we will work from the live model to design our own contemporary images of human beings. Our goals will be imaginative expression of psychologies of those we depict and the stories they project. (Any Studio Art; THEA set design; or FMMC animation courses.)

Silkscreen Printmaking
In this course students will explore the silkscreen medium with guided studio instruction. This will include paper stencil method, film stencil method, photographic stencil method, and multicolor printing. Concentration will be on drawing. Towards the end of the semester, students will learn to use basic computer-aided imagery. Students will explore the roll of silkscreen printing in contemporary art as well as its use in popular culture. Depending on resources, students may have the opportunity to be part of an intensive collaborative print project to produce an edition of prints with a professional artist. (ART 0157, ART 0158, ART 0159 or by approval) 6 hrs. lect./lab

Photography Now
In this color digital photography course students will sharpen their points of view within the framework of a contemporary photographic practice. Students will learn how to shoot digitally, scan, develop lighting strategies, make large format prints and edit their images into a cohesive body of work. Readings and class discussions will be based on how the photographic image functions in our current culture. Students must have access to 15MP (or bigger) digital SLR camera with manual controls of focus, aperture, and shutter. 3 hrs. lect.

Advanced Studio I
This course is designed for dedicated students who have taken full advantage of the many different modes of creation offered by the Program in Studio Art. Demonstrated visual literacy is essential before entering this course where you will begin developing an individual voice and practice as a young artist.
Designed to help develop a cohesive body of work with a personal point of view, this course provides the basic tools needed to express artistic intentions visually, verbally, and in writing. Weekly group critiques, class discussions about contemporary art theory/art criticism, and regular one-on-one studio visits with the Studio Art faculty and visiting artists provide a broader context for your artwork. This class culminates with a public exhibition curated and promoted by the class as a whole.
In addition, students are guided in the creation of a professional portfolio, including extensive documentation of the artwork produced and multiple versions of an artist statement, both suitable for submission to artist internships, residencies, or graduate schools.
Graduating seniors enrolled in ART 700 will curate, mount and promote a solo thesis exhibition. They will also create and submit a digital portfolio to be archived by the Program in Studio Art.
Interested students should contact the professor a minimum of one (1) week prior to online registration. Provide a transcript of all completed Studio Art courses, images of work created, and a brief, 1-2 page description of the media you intend to use and the subject matter you wish to further investigate. Students are expected to have completed two Studio Art classes in the medium they wish to explore before applying for ART 700. Approval required. 4 hrs sem./lab.

Advanced Studio II
Approval required. 4 hrs sem./lab

Advanced Studio III
Approval required. 4 hrs sem./lab

Senior Independent Study in Studio
Three terms of supervised independent work. Culmination of independent work will be an exhibition. All senior studio art independents will meet for regular group critiques with the studio art faculty and other senior studio independents. (Admission by portfolio review and recommendation of resident faculty member is required.) 3 hrs. lect.

The Art of Science: Drawing Nature's Forms
In this studio course we will draw from life. Before the advent of photography, natural history art, in addition to celebrating nature’s beauty, served as an important translator of scientific knowledge. The College’s rich natural history collections (mounted specimens, preserved specimens, eggs, study skins, skeletons, herbaria, live specimens in the greenhouse, etc.) will become both our laboratory and studio where we will investigate, inspect, and record nature, and gain inspiration from it. We will acquire knowledge of natural forms through sustained direct observation and drawing. Artistic media will include graphite, charcoal, gouache, watercolor, ink, and tempera. We will examine examples of natural history art from cultures around the world, from its beginnings to today’s digital scientific illustration. No prerequisites.

Kate Gridley is an award-winning artist whose works are in museums and private collections in the U.S. and abroad. Her work includes portraiture, landscapes, still-lives and botanical illustration in an array of media, including oil paint, graphite, pastel, watercolor, gouache, and egg tempera. Website: kategridley.com