Summer 2011 Course Syllabus

PAPR 621 C93

Drawing and Mixed Media 14576

Masters of Interdisciplinary Studies
Course blog: http://mixedmediastudiopractice.blogspot.com
Professor Amie Oliver

aoliver2_at_vcu.edu / http://amieoliver.net

Mixed Media and Drawing

This course emphasizes the role of drawing and experimentation in developing a body of artwork. Participants will begin their research with a warm up exercise which consists of a series of small mixed-media drawings that build a theme or motif relevant to their studio practice. Collage, assemblage, drawing on experimental grounds and painting on nontraditional surfaces often result from this process and can function as a springboard for work created during the course.

The curriculum will also consist of artist and media resources presented on-line, during field trips and interaction on the course blog. Students should bring samples and/or digital images of their current work to the first class meeting as well as materials for beginning your media experiments. Plan to be present for all studio days, field trips and all scheduled critiques, be able to document your work digitially and have regular internet access to fully benefit from this course.

Please visit www.amieoliver.net for more information regarding my research, artwork and teaching experience

COURSE OBJECTIVES

* Extend the possibilities of your expressing your art through focusing on mixed media in pursuit of form and subject matter.

* Maintain a visual journal / notebook that communicates your creative process, assignments, ideas and creative musings through drawing, collage, and water media experiments.

* Active participation in dialogue regarding your work and your peers’ work by participating in class critiques and discussion of course content, blog commentary, exploring blog links, field trips, etc.

* Creation of a series of completed works that expand upon the discoveries of the media exercises and demonstrate a stylistic consistency that evolves through your experimentation and focus on watermedia.

COURSE CALENDAR:

The course calendar posted on this blog is subject to change depending on weather conditions, unknown opportunities, availability of resources, etc!

MEDIA EXERCISE
Each artist enrolled in the Drawing/ Mixed Media class is required complete the media exercise outlined below.

This warm up exercise outlined below is designed to be a spring board for your artistic goals, studio practice and classroom concepts. Experimentation and discovery are the primary to its success. I recommend that you start with materials that you know and focus on personal vision as it progresses.

REQUIRED FIELD TRIPS:
Gallery and Museum exhibitions will be noted on the course calendar posted on the blog. A few galleries of interest:

The Virginia Museum of Fine Art: Grove Ave
Main Art Gallery: Main and Lombardy Streets
Reynold's Gallery: near Main and Lombardy Streets
1708 Gallery: near Broad and Adams Streets
ADA Gallery: near Broad and Adams Streets
The Visual Arts Center of Richmond: Main and Allen Streets
Page Bond Gallery: near Main and Vine Streets

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
All work submitted in class must be created expressly for this course. This includes artwork, responses to reading material, journal entries, etc. Please refer to the VCU honor code if you have any questions.

Your final grade will be based on the following:

25% class participation (in crits, journal, blog, field trips, progress in the studio)
25% media series (small works created at beginning of course)
50% Final Portfolio / Body of Work
____________
100%

Please email me if you have any questions about the syllabus posted above or anytime you cannot be in class!

SUGGEST SUPPLIES

this list should vary based on your current research and studio practice
charcoal, hard, soft, black, white, conte, vine
chalk pastels / oil sticks

sketchbook
spray bottle for water
water containers
sponge brushes (from Lowe's)
xacto knife/pencil sharpender
blades
tape
kneaded eraser
hard eraser
pencils (hard and soft)
india ink
brushes
gesso (small)
transparent medium (matt recommended)
water based paint such as acrylic or gouache
collage materials, lost and found stuff
old drawings to be ripped up of painted over
digital prints
water soluable colored pencils

glue stick

yes paste

MATERIALS NOT ALLOWED IN ANY CLASSROOMS / STUDIOS

no solvents or aerosols, fixatives or any material that off gasses or creates a toxic fume. Please note a few that are common but not to be used in class.
NO RUBBER CEMENT
NO SPRAY FIXATIVES ALLOWED in CLASS or BEFORE CLASS!

You will receive a student discount when shopping locally in many Richmond and DC art supply stores. Please refer to several mentioned below. There are also a number of good mail order suppliers we can discuss in class.

I highly recommend Main Art Supply at Lombardy and Main
or Plaza Art.

NOTE: ACCESS TO COURSE CONTENT CAN BE CHALLENGING

Please note - some of you are listed with your school teaching address and YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE to access some of the content of the blog and/or blog links due to the filtering protocols used by most public school systems today. Please use your home email or create another email address for accessing course content.

Please send me your preferred email address or new email IMMEDIATELY if you can't access the course blog or its content. Thanks!