Reveal/Conceal: Process and Content in Encaustic Painting

Transcription

1 COURSE SYLLABUS SUMMER 2008 Reveal/Conceal: Process and Content in Encaustic Painting Open to all levels with some painting experience Instructor: Location: Professor Kristy Deetz Office: SA 421, Phone: , Studio Arts Building, Rm. #105 ENROLLMENT OPTIONS: Two (2) Graduate Credits Course # EDUC 695-6, 701 (#0444C) Schedule: Monday thru Friday, August 4-8, 2008 (11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) Prerequisite: Graduate Standing (Must have earned a bachelor s degree); open to all levels with some painting experience. Two (2) Undergraduate Credits Course # EDUC 495-6, 701 (#0444CU) Schedule: Monday thru Friday, August 4-8, 2008 (11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) Prerequisite: Must have graduated from a recognized high school; open to all levels with some painting experience. Noncredit Program Number # 0444C Schedule: Monday thru Friday, August 4-8, 2008 (12:00-5:00 p.m.) Prerequisite: Open to all levels with some painting experience. COURSE OBJECTIVE: To explore the metaphorical possibilities of the encaustic medium as it reveals and conceals image and content. COURSE RATIONALE: Encaustic painting techniques use pigment with warm wax to create a textural affect on any number of surfaces. The seductive surface and luminous color of encaustic has the advantage of not yellowing, repelling moisture, and responding to continual reworking. Encaustic lends itself to images that are imbedded within multiple layers of wax. Students will apply encaustic to various surfaces and learn a full range of techniques including: fusing, scraping, incising, pouring, casting, dipping, layering, burnishing, collage, image transfer, stencils, and blockouts. Specific projects will explore the metaphorical possibilities of the encaustic medium as it reveals and conceals image and content. 1

2 LECTURES/ASSIGNMENTS/DEMOS: Days 1 & 2 Overview of Workshop/Course---Handouts Safety Issues Slides of the History of Encaustic Painting (ancient to modern) Begin Encaustic Painting. The importance of "Burning In," Demos Encaustic Medium without pigment a. Recipe for encaustic medium b. Using encaustic medium c. Intaglio: scratching into medium once it is applied to ground, rub into incisions with oil paint; wipe off top of medium with linseed oil or paint thinner d. Creating different mediums that have different melting points (animal/vegetable/mineral waxes): Carnauba, microcrystalline, beeswax, paraffin animal/vegetable/mineral Encaustic Medium with Pigment (powdered pigment or tube oil colors) a. Various Techniques: layering, dry brushing, glazing/transparencies, scraping, reworking Ways to fuse or Burn In a. continual fusing (on top of heated surface) to get wet-in-wet techniques. b. hot air guns, propane torches and their attachments, heat lamps, the sun? Reveal/Conceal Collage Assignment. Using the metaphorical possibilities of the encaustic medium as it reveals and conceals image and content. Autobiography. Revealing and concealing aspects of our own history through imagery and the revealing and concealing property of wax/encaustic. Day 3 Slides of Contemporary Encaustic Painting Other Encaustic Painting Techniques a. More Collage and Encaustic b. Using Stencils and Block-Outs c. Other ways to "burn in" -- Heated tools: wax writer, wire brushes, line makers, cast aluminum shapes, tacking iron, scraping and transferring tips, temperature regulators d. Using Oil Pastels (Craypas & Water Soluable Oil Pastels, or Oil Sticks) e. Using Oil Painting Techniques with Encaustic Painting f. Image Transfer Symbol and Metaphor Assignment. Create a Language of symbols from stencils that signifies something from your past. Layer these stencils with drawn diagrammatic images that symbolize something in your present. The layering of stencil and drawn images with encaustic will cover and uncover information. Don t be afraid to scrape things off and leave traces of images that, like memories, become often less clear. You can incorporate collage images into this as well. 2

3 Day 4 Slides of Contemporary Encaustic Painting Gilding Types of Supports Mounting on Boards Clay Board Preparing Hardboards for Painting Making a Canvas Board Making and using rabbit's skin glue and handmade gesso Pentimenti/Palimpsest Assignment. We often change our minds about how we view things or remember past experiences. Using any of the techniques that we have already experimented with, create an artwork where you represent an experience, scratch some of this image away, and then put a different representation of it on top. Day 5 Slides of 3-D and Alternative uses of Encaustic Painting and Wax Two and Three-Dimensional Options Sgrafitto, Intarsia, Pouring, Dipping, Molding Finish projects Critiques will be announced during the workshop/course. Recommended Text: The Art of Encaustic Painting by Joanne Mattera. Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, ISBN: WISCONSIN TEACHER STANDARDS: #1. Teachers know the subjects they are teaching: The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines she or he teachers and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for pupils. #4. Teachers know to teach: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies, including the use of technology, to encourage children s development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. 3

4 REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING for Undergraduate and Graduate Credit Students: A % Excellent attitude in class, sustained effort, understanding of color concepts from demonstrations, handouts, and lectures as evidenced through successful completion of class painting assignments, active participation in critiques (if conducted), consistent assured color/painting projects of high quality, completion of a plan for implementation of course concepts into the classroom. Superior in all respects. AB 94-89% Very good, commendable. B 88-83% Good, well above minimum expectations BC 82-77% Above average C 76-70% Average, meets expectations D 69-60% Below minimum expectations F 59-0% Inadequate Class Assignments comprise 100% of the course grade for Undergraduate Credit participants. All assignments, including homework, must be handed in no later than the end of the week of class. Graduate Students: Students taking the course for graduate credit will also complete a paper critically analyzing the work of a contemporary encaustic artist. The paper should be approximately 5-8 pages, double-spaced, and answer the following questions on one artwork completed by the contemporary encaustic artist. For graduate credit the student must also construct a PowerPoint presentation of images of the artist s work with captions that include title, materials, date, and size of each artwork. (30% of final course grade) Answer the following questions for your analysis of an artwork by a contemporary encaustic artist: 1. How does the artist (in his/her mature style) use each of the formal elements (line, texture, value, shape, color) in their work? Pick one exemplary painting and analyze it. 2. How does the artist organize the formal elements to create compositional unity or tension (through the principles of organization including Harmony involving repetition-rhythm and closure-visual links and Variety involving factors of difference and contrastelaboration? Other organizational devices include Balance, Proportion, Dominance, Movement, and Economy. 3. How does the organization of the formal elements of the artist s work help communicate the artist s ideas, thoughts, or feelings? 4. Describe the content of the artist s work. 5. What are your emotional and intellectual responses to this artist s work? 4

5 Reveal/Conceal: Process and Content in Encaustic Painting Instructor: Kristy Deetz *Student Supply List *Participants are responsible for obtaining and bringing these supplies to class. Paint Brushes: Oil Paints: (Must be made of natural hair, can be "used" brushes.) Bristle Brushes: 3 brushes, (from 1/4" to 1" wide) 1 brush, (2" wide, get at Wal-Mart in house painting supplies) Sable Brushes: 1 brush, (a smaller size round or flat for more controlled/detailed work) Oil paint (1.25 fl. oz tubes) is an absolutely necessary material for the workshop. You will find that having several different oil colors will add to the diversity of techniques and variety of colors that you can experiment with. Do not use alkyds or water-soluble oils. The better quality of paints the better the encaustic mixture. If you do not have any oil paints I recommend a starter kit (either 6 or 12 tube colors plus white) from Williamsburg Paints for about $110 and $190. The following is a recommended list of basic colors: Alizarin Crimson Cadmium Yellow Light Titanium White Cadmium Red Medium Cobalt Blue Ivory or Mars Black Ultramarine Blue Burnt Sienna Burnt Umber You will be provided with 1/4-1/2 sheet of (3/8 ) plywood cut into boards (approximately 8 panels each 8 x12 and 2 panels each 12 x12 and 1 panel at 12 x24 ) and two sheets of 22 x30 Stonehenge paper to work on. In addition, consider bringing in any other kind of surface that you would like to experiment with; suggestions include Clayboard, Masonite, stretched/unstretched (but not primed) canvas, pieces of old linoleum, roofing paper, ceramic tile, ceiling tile, old frames, paper, etc. Encaustic paint can also be put on any number of three-dimensional found objects--just about anything that has a relatively porous and clean surface. Propane tanks and nozzles will be provided for fusing. If you want a self-igniting nozzle for your propane tank please bring this with you. Two hot air guns will be available for class use. If you have some experience with encaustic painting and prefer using a hot air gun for fusing please bring it with you. 8 electric griddles (21 Presto) will be provided for the class. If you don t want to possibly share a griddle bring your own griddle. 5

6 Reveal/Conceal: Process and Content in Encaustic Painting Instructor: Kristy Deetz *Student Supply List (continued) *Participants are responsible for obtaining and bringing these supplies to class. Additional Materials: Water Soluble Oil Pastels (Portfolio Series by Crayola), Craypas, or similar 1 Roll of Paper Towels 2-3 tin cans (tuna fish, sweetened condensed milk, small mushroom sizes are best). You may also use my cans, the down side is you can t take these home with you. Another idea: muffin tin. A small to medium bottle of baby oil linseed oil is also o.k. Tools for scratching and scraping into wax (nails, small wood/linoleum carving tools, dental tools, metal spatula, razor blades) One assignment will focus on Collage: bring different kinds of paper, such as Japanese papers (esp. with fibers and the thinner the paper the more translucent it becomes when wax is used on it), Xerox copies (the kind where the ink comes off easily), newspaper clippings, old drawings, photographs, dress patterns, fabric, etc. Materials for Stenciling: homemade or bought letters and/or images. Decorative ribbon often has patterned holes that make great stencils. Metal screening materials also work well as do lace or netting (tool). Protective Glasses/Goggles and Cigarette Lighter Optional: Some people like to have a palette and palette knife for combining oil painting and encaustic painting techniques. Biographical Information: Kristy Deetz, currently an associate professor of painting and drawing at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay has taught painting and drawing at a number of universities and art schools over the past twenty years and given numerous encaustic painting workshops. Her extensive exhibition record includes competitive, invitational, and solo exhibitions throughout the United States. Her recent encaustic and oil paintings (with carved and burned surfaces) revise traditional images of drapery and still life and explore how image and process reveal and conceal substance and spirit MAD 6