ASPT 1300 : Creativity and Aesthetics Level I. August 3 (arrival) through August 20, 2016 (departure)

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1 Introduction to Painting SMU-IN-TAOS AUGUST TERM ASPT 1300 : Creativity and Aesthetics Level I August 3 (arrival) through August 20, 2016 (departure) Level One (SLOs) Students will be able to identify methods, of a particular art form, creative endeavor or and explain how those inform the creation, performance or analysis of creative work Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of concepts fundamental to the creative impulse through analysis, performance, or creation. This course seeks to introduce students to oil painting through hands- on study and experimentation with oil paint and through discussion of the practical, aesthetic and philosophical elements of the medium. Studio- based work will be enhanced by outdoor class meetings and field trips that will allow students to use the environment as a laboratory space for observation, reflection, and on- site painting. The Taos campus provides an ideal setting to explore concepts such as color (and how it changes and shifts), atmospheric perspective, and on- site vs. memory- based landscape painting. Additionally the natural and cultural resources of northern New Mexico lend themselves to deeper investigation into alternative mark- making, tools, and materials. The classroom will therefore serve as a kind of home- base, while the students immerse themselves in the visual phenomena, geological formations, and site- specific possibilities that the landscape offers. Group hikes as well as site visits to natural formations, galleries, and museums will further immerse students in the surrounding landscape as well as introduce them to the artistic and cultural traditions of the region. The teaching emphasis for this course will be on discovering and examining the methods and approaches of oil painting. In the beginning, students will assemble a tool- kit of techniques and considerations, with emphasis on the unique visual, tangible, and chemical elements and interactions of various materials. These investigations will allow students to pick and choose relevant and useful ideas for independent artistic inquiry by the end of the course. An important element of this development will be class discussions, where we will discuss and think through the reasoning and philosophy behind particular artistic decisions; in addition, we will analyze how different tools, materials, and mark- making gestures can be used to meet different artistic needs or express different ideas.

2 Course Outline Individual studios are located in the Artbarn, open 24/7. Class hours are determined by SMU- IN- TAOS but students should expect to spend extensive time working in their studios outside of class time. Painting is a subject in which both questions and answers only arise out of the process of creation and analysis. I will be available during class hours to offer constructive criticism, as well as later in the day by appointment. Students are required an appointment to meet with me to discuss their work sometime in the 2 nd week of class. Responsibility to make these appointments lies with the student. A final group critique will take place on the last day of class. Weds 8/3 Arrival Thurs 8/4 Introduction to Oil Painting Introduction of course; studio set- up; gathering of materials Students will work totally in black and white as they learn the qualities of oil paint (including mixing blacks and grays from colors such as red, blue, and yellow). They will be asked to experiment with mixing and applying the paint, and to take note in their journals of the particular qualities of different paint pigments. They will have the option to work from still life, landscape, or both. Fri 8/5 Color Students will continue working from observation, this time introducing a full range of color into their paintings. They will have the opportunity to practice mixing accurate colors and will take the time to again note the distinct behaviors of different pigments. Over the weekend, they will be asked to complete a set of 4 paintings, each painted at different times of day, demonstrating how changing light affects perceptions of color, weight, and shape. Mon 8/8 Limited Palettes and Relative Color Class discussion regarding class s observations about paint and color so far; idea of relative color introduced. Students will work on a variety of fast paintings with limited palettes available to them; they will investigate and experiment with how to choose a color when the obvious color is not available. Next, students will each begin a painting. After 10 minutes with the painting, they will rotate to the painting and palette of the person next to them, and be asked to continue that painting with the colors and composition provided for them. This exercise is intended to further challenge the students problem solving and decision making while painting.

3 Tues 8/9 Field Trip to Ghost Ranch; wear appropriate hiking gear, bring a hat, sunscreen, and lots of water Students will be asked to take sketch book in order to make drawings and write notes; they will also be encouraged to gather objects of interest Weds 8/10 Landscape from Memory Class discussion regarding different methods of landscape painting: to what does the term landscape pertain, is it necessary to paint on site or can it be done from memory? In this class, students will be asked to look back to their sketches, notes, any objects they might have gathered, and memories from the Ghost Ranch trip in order to compose a landscape painting. Thurs 8/11 On-Site Painting Students will work outside for entirety of class period in order to create a landscape on- site painting from observation. Fri 8/12 On-Site Painting Continuation of on- site painting. In this class, students will be introduced to ideas about how experience within a place can help determine gestures, mark- making methods, tools, materials, etc. Students will be encouraged to think about what non- visual observations could factor into the composition of the painting. Over the weekend, students will make a painting based on non- visual sensory experience. Mon 8/15 The Nuts and Bolts: Surface, Materials, Tools, Scale, Marks Experimentation with different elements that comprise a painting. Tues 8/16 Field Trip to Millicent Rogers Museum; bring sketchbooks Weds 8/17 Independent Project Thurs 8/18 Independent Project Fri 8/19 Final Critique (exam) & cleanup

4 Sat 8/20 Departure Grading: Grades are based on quality of work and depth of thought; the amount of effort, engagement, initiative, and curiosity invested into class time and all assignments; thoughtful contribution to class discussion; preparation for class assignments, discussion, and critique; oral presentation of work during critique; fulfillment and completion of all homework assignments; attendance. Please Note: Students are expected to spend substantial time outside of class time in the studio. This time is necessary in order to develop painting skills, especially in such a short course. Students should also be aware that extra time is required to secure materials and obtain tools. While there is an art supplies store in Taos, it is by no means extensive, and may not carry some necessary tools or materials; for this reason, do your best to obtain art supplies before you come to Taos. Much of our work will utilize the landscape as subject. It is the responsibility of each of you to inform me of your work location if not immediately adjacent to the Artbarn or auditorium. Areas off campus, such as sites for painting and drawing, are not considered safe for individual work. Students should work in pairs whenever possible, and should inform me of their location, expected departure and arrival times. NO EXCEPTIONS. Bibliography Albers, Josef. Interaction of Color. New Haven: Yale University Press, Bois, Yve-Alain. Painting as Model. Cambridge: MIT Press Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Theory of Colors. Mineola: Dover Publications, (excerpts) Kandinsky, Wassily. Concerning the Spiritual in Art. Sadler, trans. New York: Dover Roditi, Edouard. Giorgio Morandi. Dialogues: Conversations with European Artists at Mid-Century. San Francisco: Bedford Arts, Siegel, Katy. High Times and Hard Times: New York Painting New York: Distributed Art Publishers, (selected essays) Stella, Frank. Working Space. Cambridge: Harvard University Press Wollheim, Richard. Painting as an Art. Princeton: Princeton University Press, (excerpts)

5 Materials As stated above, you should bring as much of your materials with you as possible, rather than waiting until you arrive in Taos. All students should have suitable clothing, shoes, etc for extended work outdoors in a dry, high altitude environment. Hats are a necessity. All students should have: 1. Drawing materials: sketchbooks (81/2 x 11 or bigger, small, spiral bound sketchbooks, charcoal / assorted pencils (HB up), sharpies. This book should be unlined and will double as your journal. 2. Masking tape 3. Oil paint mandatory colors: Titanium White, Ivory Black, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue, Cadmium Red Light, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Yellow Ochre, Green Earth, Mars Violet, Alizarin Crimson. 4. Brushes make sure the brushes you buy are for OIL painting round and flat brushes in various sizes are best 5. 1 large gesso brush 6. Palette knive(s) 7. Palette paper 8. Acrylic gesso 9. Media (as desired) you might consider linseed oil, liquin, or low odor mineral spirits/gamsol clean glass jars for storing media WITH LIDS it must be possible to firmly close these jars (ex. Empty & cleaned pickle jar) 11. Plenty of panels to paint on luan plywood or masonite you can purchase an 8 x8 piece of plywood at Home Depot and then ask one of the staff members to cut the wood into smaller panels of whatever size you desire (ready- to- paint panels are available more expensively in art stores such as Asel s or Michael ss) 12. Canvas/stretchers if you would like to work on that kind of surface (stetched canvases in various shapes and sizes are available at Michael s or Asel s) 13. Clean t- shirt or rag (to be used to wipe surface of wet paintings) 14. Utility knife bars of Ivory soap and 1 bottle of Dawn dish soap (you will need these to clean your brushes) boxes of disposable latex or nitrile gloves (available in First Aid section of any CVS or Walgreens) 17. A rain parka water bottles (1 liter plastic) 19. light long- sleeve shirts 20. hat, sunglasses, sunscreen & bug repellent 21. Day pack or other carrier that will hold materials/water/food when hiking

6 Disability Accommodations: Students needing academic accommodations for a disability must first contact Disability Accommodations & Success Strategies (DASS) at or < to verify the disability and to establish eligibility for accommodations. They should then schedule an appointment with the professor to make appropriate arrangements. (See University Policy No. 2.4; an attachment describes the DASS procedures and relocated office.) Religious Observance: Religiously observant students wishing to be absent on holidays that require missing class should notify their professors in writing at the beginning of the semester, and should discuss with them, in advance, acceptable ways of making up any work missed because of the absence. (See University Policy No. 1.9.) Excused Absences for University Extracurricular Activities: Students participating in an officially sanctioned, scheduled University extracurricular activity should be given the opportunity to make up class assignments or other graded assignments missed as a result of their participation. It is the responsibility of the student to make arrangements with the instructor prior to any missed scheduled examination or other missed assignment for making up the work. (University Undergraduate Catalogue) 1. Provide titles and descriptions of principal readings or other materials or attach a syllabus that shows these. (please see syllabus) 2. Methods of evaluation (tests, papers, etc.): Works of art (please see syllabus) 3. Methods of assessment: Students create works of art and present those works in critiques (group and individual) to professors and classmates. The purpose of the critique is for the student to explain his ideas, understandings, motives, and desires for his work, while also giving an honest assessment of the success or failure of the art work to meet those needs. A sample rubric to assess the evidence is attached.

7 Accomplishment level ABSENT 1 Or Earned Score < 60 SLO 1: Students will be able to identify methods, of a particular art form, creative endeavor or and explain how those inform the creation, performance or analysis of creative work Student does not correctly Explanation is not relevant identify methods, SLO 2: Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of concepts fundamental to the creative impulse through analysis, performance, or creation. The analysis, performance, or creation does not incorporate any of the concepts fundamental to the creative impulse. BEGINNING 2 DEVELOPING 3 ACCOMPLISHED identifies only a few methods, techniques, or languages of a creative endeavor or identifies some methods, identifies methods, Student provides weak explanation describing how relevant and supported methods, techniques, or languages inform the creation, performance or analysis of work. Student provides a less than sufficient explanation describing how relevant and supported methods, inform the creation, performance or analysis of work. Student successfully explains how relevant and supported methods, inform the creation, performance, or analysis of work. The analysis, performance, or creation, provided by the student reflects a basic understanding of how to incorporate the concepts fundamental to creative impulse Through analysis, performance, or creation, the student adequately incorporates the concepts fundamental to creative impulse Through analysis, performance, or creation, the student incorporates concepts fundamental to the creative impulse. EXEMPLARY identifies all methods, Student insightfully explains, in detail, how methods, techniques, or languages inform the creation, performance or analysis of creative work Through analysis, performance, or creation, the student clearly and creatively incorporates concepts fundamental to the creative impulse.