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A Brush with Art

I. Course description

Draw, paint, sculpt, construct, collage and think through three weeks of the creative arts. This class is appropriate for both the beginning artist and the master craftsperson. Scholars will dabble in art history, profile major artists, view significant work, but our emphasis will be on hands-on, heads-up arting. Each day will end with a critique of scholars' works and discussion about what problems they encountered during the daily assignment.

II. Instructor's educational preparation and current employment

I've taught art in Missouri schools for four years and taught at the Academy for six years. My art background is sketchy. I started drawing in high school, painting in college and attending gallery openings since then. Although I have attended art classes at the St. Louis Art Museum and the St. Louis Artist Guild, my personal experiences with painters, photographers and ceramicists have taught me the line's share of what I know.

I teach at Grace Middle School in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. I teach Social Studies, Language Arts, and Art. I participate in the after school program offering clubs in cooking, chess, art, theater and outdoor activities.

III. Rationale for inclusion in a program for gifted students

The scholars often feel pressure to take "academic" classes in high school and miss taking art class. This class gives them an opportunity to devote energy and thought to something they haven't considered in two or three years.

Other students have taken art class in high school but admit that they are not allowed to be as creative as they want because their teachers are more concerned with formal properties of their work instead of the more subjective expressive qualities. This class gives them an opportunity to create without worrying about good grades and without being motivated by the need to create works of art, which will be "judged".

Many of the scholars know how to write papers and solve math or science problems. The material in academic classes does not challenge them. In A Brush With Art students are immediately aware that they cannot solve all of the problems associated with depicting objects realistically, landscapes with correct perspective, or render the human figure easily. Art frustrates them and they are forced to deal with solving problems in new ways. They realize they cannot do it immediately and that they must invent new ways to look at new problems. Art is about seeing and creating. Through the process of viewing and making art they learn to think outside the box and deal with not being able to do something as well as they want to do it.

IV. Major topics covered

Aesthetic properties of art
Formal properties of art
Technical properties of art
Expressive properties of art
Why different people create
Drawing basics
Painting basics
Linoleum cut/printing
Collage
Sculpture
Art criticism
Elements of design

V. Pre-requisite knowledge

NA

VI. Learning objectives

To make students comfortable experimenting with a variety of media
To make students uncomfortable by giving them visual problems they cannot immediately solve
To compel students to look at problems from a variety of perspectives
To develop problem solving abilities using a variety of creative techniques

VII. Primary source materials

Art books
Art magazines

VIII. Supplementary source materials

Local museums and galleries
Visiting artists

IX. Computing and the Internet

Web addresses given for relevant sites

X. Typical classroom strategies

Demonstration
Discussion
Hands-on activities
Collaborative projects