Art Marathon: the Portrait in its Landscape in Drawing and Painting

We will begin with observational drawing and painting, studying technical and conceptual skills that probe what it means to represent. What does it mean to be realistic? What does likeness accomplish? How do elements of abstraction and experimentation allow for a different kind of reality? How is background an environmental context? This two-week studio intensive class (20 hours a week for two weeks) will allow us to do deep work on the skills of drawing and painting the portrait in its environment. We will study the portrait and landscape in the studio and the field.

Using the hand, the mind and the senses, we will learn formal issues like figure/ground relationships, volume, line, color, texture perspective and composition. Materials will be pencil, ink, charcoal, pen, watercolor, and acrylics or gouache.  There will be some short readings to give us contemporary and historical art context.

Students have the option to take this class for 8 credits and have a third week of intensive studio time, faculty feedback and all-class critiques to further develop their own figure/ground compositions. Students will advance their ability to critique the work of others and to formulate ways of understanding and articulating their own work.

This program is open to all students at all levels. Students without visual art experience are welcome, as are students who have experience and want to build on it.