Why oil paint?

Do a little research on the history of oil paint.

Where does it come from? What is it made of? When was it invented?

Using your experiences this term, the concepts and terms we’ve discussed in class, and examples from art history to back up your opinions answer the following question:

WHY OIL PAINT?

With all the choices of materials out there for artmaking, especially in this day and age, why do artists still turn to oil paint? What does oil paint do that other materials don’t do?

This is week 9.

This is week 9.

I'll introduce the Sense of Place assignment so that you can begin your next painting as soon as possible. Your goal should be to finish the Surface and Texture painting and have your Sense of Place painting started by the end of the week. 

On Wednesday I'll be out for a meeting.

During your double block this week we'll have a critique of your finished White Objects paintings and your Surface and Texture paintings at whatever state they're in.

What is a portrait?

Look in the art folder on class conferences for a folder labeled Portraits.
Within this folder there are two more folders, one labeled paintings and one labeled Not Paintings.
Please look through them both.

In a post on your blog address the following questions/issues.
Remember to use vocabulary/concepts we’ve discussed in class and to use specific examples from the paintings to back up your ideas.

What is a portrait?

Choose three portraits, paste them into your post (include the artists’ names) and describe how the artist uses color, composition, and subject matter (objects, setting, clothing, etc.) to communicate something about the person whose portrait they’ve made OTHER than what the person looks like.

How do the artists you’ve chosen address the concept of portrait? How do they work within the tradition of portrait-making OR how do they reinvent the concept of a portrait?

This is week 8.

This is week 8. We are more than halfway through the course at this point.

This is a short week due to Parent-Teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday.

Our goal for the week is to get the Surface and Texture paintings as close to finished as possible so we can start something new after your long weekend.

Be sure to have an 18"x24" canvas ready to go before the end of the day Wednesday.

Over the long weekend you should spend some time updating your blog. This might just mean doing the most recent homework assignment. It might also mean looking at the feedback you got earlier in the week and catching up. Good luck. Email me with any concerns.

A Sense of Place homework update.

A few people have emailed me about the files on First Class not opening properly. I just reloaded all the pictures to the Art folder in the Oil Painting 2 class folder. If you're having trouble look there regardless of which class you're in. Email me if you're still having trouble.

I'll be looking for updated blogs tomorrow evening as I calculate mid-term grades.

A Sense of Place.

On class conferences you will fins a folder labeled ART.

Open it and look at ALL the images in the secondary folder labeled A Sense of Place.

Choose two paintings with very different MOODS and do the following:

• Paste them into a post on your blog. Be sure to include the artists' names. 
• Describe the moods of the two paintings.
• Describe HOW the artists created the moods using specific examples from the paintings and the vocabulary we've developed so far this term.

This is week 7.

This will be the week for you to really dive into and hopefully finish the Texture and Surface paintings. It probably feels like we just started them but hopefully all the knowledge you gained in working on the White Objects painting will pay off and you'll see yourself moving things along a little more quickly. 

Unfortunately, I'll be out on jury duty starting Wednesday. This will be an opportunity for you to utilize each other's strengths, whether they be in canvas stretching, color mixing, or remembering homework/blog stuff, so that you can do your best work without me here to push you. Ask each other questions. Share strategies. Check in on one another. I'll be reachable by email.

At the end of this week I'll be submitting mid-term grades. If you haven't finished a project I'll be assessing it in its current state...same goes for the blog. Please carefully check the blog rubric so you won't be shocked when you receive your mid-term grade. Any information you can't find here is on class conferences or the bulletin boards, as always.

Happy painting. 

Where are you at?

As we approach mid-term please take some time to reflect on your experience in the course up to this point by answering the three questions listed below. 

Be sure to use SPECIFIC examples form your paintings or your experiences in class to support your ideas.

What has been the most challenging aspect of the course so far?

In what areas have you progressed the most and how have you progressed?

How does looking at examples of painting from throughout history affect us as painters today?

This is week 6.

Most of you will be starting the Texture and Surface painting this week. This is an opportunity to work more independently. You will be arranging your own still life somewhere in the room and focusing on techniques that will allow you to create the illusion of different types of surfaces (reflective, transparent, shiny, matte, etc.) and different types of textures (fuzzy, rough, smooth, etc.).

By the end of the week you should have your set-up in place, have completed your thumbnail sketches and posted them to your blog, and started to work on the painting itself. Many of you will also need to make a plan for finishing the White Objects Painting by the end of next week.

Over the long weekend spend some time making sure your blog is up-to-date and doing the homework due on Monday. I will be writing mid-term progress reports next week.