SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS

Transcription

1 Voyage: Summer 2014 Discipline: Studio Art ARTS 2500: Mixed-Media Artist Journal Lower Division Faculty Name: Shelley Jordon SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS Pre-requisite: Successful completion of a college level Drawing, Painting, Art Foundation or Design class recommended. In this course students will create a travel journal in which they sketch, paint, collage and write as a means of engaging in and understanding our travel experiences in a deeper way. Each travel journal is a unique record of what is distinctive about a place, how an individual responds to a place and how one expresses it. Students will become keen observers of the physical and social characteristics of each region visited. The individual journals created in this course will serve as a personal form of creative expression, a unique record of their travel experience and an enriching educational experience. COURSE OBJECTIVES -To create an artist travel journal that serves as a cohesive and unique document of the experience. -To develop the practice of visual art research -To become proficient in a variety of drawing, painting and mixed-media techniques -To understand how to incorporate the written word with visual components - To reinforce principals of design -To be able to express travel experiences in both written and visual terms. - To use critiques as a vehicle for critical thinking, collaboration and improvement. - To use journal entries as a way to engage more deeply in the travel experience. - To establish a greater understanding of history and the greater world through observation and sensitivities to different cultures. REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS None. SEE REQUIRED MATERIALS & SUPPLIES AT END OF SYLLABUS OUTLINE OF COURSE CLASSWORK: We will review basic drawing techniques and experiment with both traditional and innovative approaches to mixed-media and collage using ephemera gathered in various ports-of call. Instruction will be given in on-site sketching techniques 1

2 in a variety of media including; graphite, ink, wash (ink and watercolor), and colored pencil. Writing assignments and exercises are designed to foster creative responses and develop writing skills. They will include; descriptive writing techniques, free-writing, personal reflections, and informal responses to readings. FIELDWORK: In every port we will have drawing and writing journal entries specific to each country. Fieldwork must be completed in port and is due the next day aboard ship. C1-June 18: Introduction to artist travel journals, show examples of historical and contemporary versions. Overview of course structure and expectations. Introduce journal writing techniques, visual note-taking, recording and reflection. C2 June 19: Introduction to sketching techniques: Pencil, line and shading, compositional sketches and studies, ink line. C3-June 20: Reflections on life on a ship. How is the routine of your daily life different from what you are accustomed to? Sketches and writings. Lisbon, Portugal, June Fieldwork #1: Look for mosaics-pattern architecture. Stranger in a strange land. First Impressions. Written describe; smells, quality of light, sound of language. C4- June 25: Critique Lisbon fieldwork. Introduction to colored pencil techniques, draw found objects. C5- June 26: Studies of ephemera gathered in port as representation of place. Bilbao, Spain, June Fieldwork in country. Focus on architecture. Fieldwork #2: Visit the Bilbao Guggenheim. Contrast contemporary architecture and artwork with historical buildings and culture. C6- July 1: Critique fieldwork-spain. Introduction to watercolor techniques. C7- July 2: Introduction to ink and wash techniques. Perspective, studies of the ship. C8- July 3: Combining colored pencil and watercolor. Atmospheric perspective. Glasgow, Scotland, July 4-7. Fieldwork #3: Find something unexpected in the Scottish landscape and surroundings spend two hours describing it with sketches and writing. Think about palette (color), smells and geography and architecture. C9- July 8: Critique fieldwork, Scotland. Creating art from found objects, mixed-media collage. 2

3 C10- July 9: Continue mixed-media pieces. Dublin, Ireland, July 10-13: *FIELD LAB, Dublin, Ireland, July 10, Fieldwork # 4: People Places and things. Sit in a public square and observe the activities. How is this experience similar or different from a parallel experience back home? C11- July 14: Critique Fieldwork, Ireland. Using photographic reference. C12- July 15: Combining photographic reference with collage. C13- July 16: Mid-way Critique Bergen/Oslo, Norway, July 17. Fieldwork #5: Relationship to the sea. Consider how the geography of Norway impacts local foods job and industry. Capture examples in written and visual form. C14- July 21: Critique Fieldwork, Norway. Reflections on the concept of a sense of place. C15- July 23: Using maps as a basis for mixed-media. St Petersburg, Russia, July Fieldwork # 6:White nights/ City of monuments. What do these monuments tell us about this city s history and cultural identity? C16-July 29: Critique Fieldwork, St Petersburg. Writing and drawing, reflecting on history. C17- July 30 Brainstorm ideas for final project Stockholm, Sweden, July 31-Aug 3 C18- Aug 4 Critique Fieldwork, Stockholm. Writing and drawing reflections on food. C19- Aug 5 Begin work on final project Helsinki, Finland, Aug 6-9 Fieldwork # 7: Helsinki has been rated one of the most desirable cities in the world to live. Reflect/write/sketch aspects of the city that either support and or contradict that statement. 3

4 C20- Aug, 10: Critique Fieldwork, Helsinki. Reflections on how your travel experiences on Semester at Sea have changed your perspective and broadened your horizons. Work on final project. C21- Aug 11: Final Project Gdansk, Poland, Aug Fieldwork # 8: Reflect on how Gdansk compares to the previous ports visited? Consider people, public spaces and architectural environment. Compare and contrast in writings and drawings. C22- Aug 16: Critique Fieldwork, Gdansk. Reflections on how your travel experiences on Semester at Sea have changed your perspective and broadened your horizons. Work on final project. C23- Aug 17: Submission drawings from classwork, and travel journal. C24-Aug 19: Pick up drawings and travel journals FIELD LAB AND FIELDWORK JOURNAL ASSIGNMENTS: *Field Lab, July 10, Dublin, Ireland *Field lab attendance is mandatory for all students enrolled in this course. Please do not book individual travel plans or a Semester at Sea sponsored trip on the day of our field lab. Visit The Trinity College Library to view the illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells where we will explore, observe, draw, discuss this national treasure created during the Medieval period. We will also visit the Douglas Hyde Gallery of International Contemporary Art; after which we will discuss and compare the different art forms and periods. We will then tour Dublin where we will draw on-site. Create several pages in your journal that respond to specific images and compositions in the Book of Kells, but are contemporary and relate to your current travel experiences. Emphasize symbolism, composition and design as related to the pages of the Book of Kells. Find a specific work of contemporary art that challenges you to think in a new way. Goals for field lab: -To observe and study the Book of Kells in order to place art in the context of history -To use the images as models for composition and decorative motifs 4

5 -To sketch on-site with faculty assistance, focusing on composition and design -To compare and contrast historical and contemporary artworks as they relates to politics and cultural identity FIELDWORK: ARTIST JOURNAL ASSIGNMENTS Fieldwork provides 35% of the course work. Fieldwork includes drawings from the Field Lab in Dublin, Ireland plus a minimum of 4-6 drawings and entries (a minimum of two hours) from every major port (Lisbon, Bilbao, Glasgow, Oslo, St Petersburg, Stockholm, Helsinki, Gdansk). These will be completed and dated in the smaller travel Journal. Students will bring back three or more items in each port, found or purchased that exemplify the specific place for them. These can be as simple as leaves, maps, napkins, postcards, snack bags or labels, memorabilia, patterns, textures, colors, handbills, wrapping papers, stamps, ribbons, fabrics, pressed flowers or leaves, selected trash, and other fragments of life and culture in the different ports and nations. If possible, also bring back multiple maps from each port, can be walking maps, museum maps, tourist maps, etc. We will use this ephemera as objects for reflection, as well as content for mixed-media pieces. Students should also photograph elements of interest that are not portable for reference for projects. Consider; foods, architectural details, specific palettes, clothing, shops, people, etc. -Observe and draw places, architecture, architectural details, decorative arts, people, clothing attire, plazas, markets, churches, statuary, foods, etc. Be sure to draw specific to the country and place where you are. For example, do not draw a beach that could be anywhere but do draw a beach distinctive to a location. -Gather and write your thoughts, discoveries, quotations, musings about what you are seeing and experiencing. -How does the history and politics of this place inform the visual culture? Imagine what it would have been like to live here in a previous century. Students will construct visual journal pages that reflect this exploration when we return to ship. Each port of call will ask for specific response, both written and visual. This will take the form of drawing, photography, collected ephemera, and the integration of those elements with written content. Time spent should reflect about two hours of effort. Individual journal pages will be composed from this material. -Students will maintain a travel/sketch book to gather the materials (both written and collected, drawn or photographed) for use in their more finished work. -Students will create from the material in their travel journals a set of 11 pages or 11 diptych formatted page pairs considering a range of assigned and open themes - Our field lab will result in at least one or one set of the above assigned finished pages 5

6 -Students will participate in critique and discussion of each port, their work and the work of their co-learners. This will include written and verbal response, group discussion, and idea generation. -All successful Visual Journal pages will include both written content and visual content that demonstrate an understanding of presented visual art concepts, media usage and assigned writing topics. METHODS OF EVALUATION 10% Attendance at every class, participation in the class activities, and lively participation in the class critiques. 35% Field Work: Drawings and writings from the Field Assignments and the Field Lab will be evaluated for effort, ambition, quantity and application of the concepts assigned. All the Fieldwork will be submitted in the Fieldwork Journal. 55% Class shipboard drawings will be evaluated for effort, ambition and application of the concepts assigned. All shipboard drawings will be submitted in the larger 14 x 17 drawing pad. RESERVE LIBRARY LIST AUTHOR: Eldon, Daniel and Eldon, Kathy. TITLE: The Journey is the Destination, The Journals of Dan Eldon. PUBLISHER: Chronical Books, EDITION1st edition. DATE: AUTHOR: Des Vallieres, Natalie. TITLE: Saint Exupe ry: Art, Writings and Musings. PUBLISHER: Rizzoli, EDITION: AUTHOR: Pocrass, Kate. TITLE: I Was Here: A Travel Journal for the Curious Mind. PUBLISHER: Chronical Books DATE/EDITION

7 AUTHOR: Greenleaf, Jenn. TITLE: Art Journal Prompts and Points to Ponder. PUBLISHER Self published, DATE/EDITION 2010 ISBN AUTHOR: Doh, Jenny. TITLE: Journal It, Perspectives in Creative Journaling. PUBLISHER: Lark Publishing DATE/EDITION 2012 ART MATERIALS and SUPPLIES Materials may be ordered as a complete kit online through the UVA bookstore. This is a good option because all your materials will be delivered to you in a packet on the ship. You may already have many of these art supplies. If you choose to compile the materials on your own please note those with * at the top of the Materials List and acquire these specific products. Sax Arts and Crafts ( and Cheap Joe s ( are sources for many of these materials. Please check the following list carefully ensuring that you have all these supplies or equivalents. REQUIRED MATERIALS *Sketchbook Journal: 9 x12 with 40 or more pages. Select a sturdy spiral bound sketchbook journal with heavyweight. Example: Canson mixed-media, 60 sheets 98lb. *Watercolor Pad 11 x 14 or 11 x 15, 140 lb. or heavier with 12 sheets or more. Example: Strathmore 400 Series Watercolor pad 11 x 15, 12 sheets. 140 lb. OR Kilimanjaro Natural White watercolor pad 11 x shts.,140 lb 7

8 *White or Cream Drawing Pad 11 x 14 with minimum 20 sheets, 90 lb. weight or heavier. Example: Canson Classic Cream Drawing Pad; 11 x 14, 24 sheets, 90 lb. OR: Canson C a grain Drawing Pad; 11 x 14, 20 sheets, 111 lb. *Tracing Paper pad, 11 x 14 *Portfolio: School Specialty Artist Red Fiber, 17 x 22 with strap OR Black Canvas messenger bag portfolio *1 Set of woodless Watercolor Pencils: Koh-i-Nor 24 colors OR CretaColor AquaStick 20 *1 Gouache set: Canson Talens 8-color set *1 Yasutomo Nori Paste 10 oz. *ph Neutral PolyVinyl Adhesive (PVA) 4 oz. or 8 oz. Drawing Pencils: 2H, HB, B, 2B, 4B, 6B, Ebony Hand-held pencil sharpener with compartment to collect the shavings 2- Micro pen(s). Example Sakura Pigma Micron Pen, size 01 1 White Staedtler Eraser 1 small glue brush: 1 2 Flat acrylic brush, short handle 3 brushes for water media: 1 small detail size round size 2, 1 size 6 flat, one 3 4 wash brush 1 small roll drafting tape 1 large 3 bulldog clip 1 small art supply bin: Alvin Art Tool Box 9.5 x 5.25 x 5 or equivalent case for art supplies 1 9 x 12 manilla envelope 1 paper scissors 1 Xacto knife w/#11 blades (5) 12 ruler 1 plastic water container (a regular plastic frosting container from the grocery store works well) 1 small Folding plastic palette 8 x 8 open 8

9 Paper towels Bar soap for clean up. An old atlas or book fairly thick (guides, phrase books, geography books, books that reference travel or a single port city). You will be cutting this book up. HONOR CODE The requirement to site sources also applies to the work of the artist. Written content should be original to the artist (you) or credited on either the artwork face as in a quote with authors name or the reverse side of the artwork. It is recommended that you use your own images whenever possible. Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager s Handbook for further explanation of what constitutes an honor offense. Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: On my honor as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment. The pledge must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed [signed]. 9