Syllabus

Painting 2 / ARTS 208

Instructor: Molly Zimmer, TA

University of New Mexico

Department of Art and Art History

Year: Spring 2018

Sec: 001 – CRN 32700

Location: Art 245 Time: 2:00 – 4:45, M + W

Office Hours: Mon + Wed 1:00 – 2:00pm, TA Office

Email: zimmerm@unm.edu

From the UNM course catalog:

Painting 2 is the continued exploration of paintings and concepts presented in ARTS 207. Working from the imagination as well as observation, emphasizing the expressive potential of the medium.

This course elaborates on the fundamentals and skills established in Painting 1. It is an introduction to the intensive possibilities of painting practice.  We will be exploring “painting” through process, production, critiques and discussion, and through readings, slides, videos and various presentations relating to painting practice. We will take a variety of approaches to painting materially as well as pictorially- We will explore how to set up a working “Studio”, What a painters “research” can be, how our lives are connected to what we make, and, in addition to active painting research, students will explore their own ideas and creative interests within the range of topics explored. These topics relate to primary painting themes such as portraiture, still life, narrative, landscape, but expand into more nuanced and exploratory investigations, pushing the boundaries and limits between these themes, approaches, and methodologies.

More specifically we will be strengthening our material and observational skills, and finding a deeper personal vision while working from life; we will explore color and form in a more complex and advanced way; we will find ways to reduce and refine and build while exploring the possibilities of abstraction; and we will begin to combine materials, methods and story to create narrative works. All the while we will be consistently informed by the history of painting, and particularly those methods and approaches found in contemporary practice.

Class expectations:

Painting and understanding the challenges of visualizing within and against the two-dimensional surface in the classroom, will give a context for projects to be completed on your own time, outside of class (at least 6 hours per week outside of class work). These will include:

-   Continuing working on your 4 painting projects outside of class studio time

-   on going journal work (to be discussed)

-   on going research, looking up artists, museums and galleries and looking at books, art magazines, blogs, websites and more.

-   Possible short response papers to reading, your own work, and to specific artists and artworks researched and visited

-   Active participation in classroom environment and in critiques

Over the semester, the work you complete for this course should demonstrate:

-   technical and conceptual progress and development in given projects and exercises in the studio;

-   progress and investment in outside assignments; development of individual vision; ***thoughtful investment in your self and your work as a whole

-   independent thinking and progress in speaking about your work and that of others in the class, evident in individual and group discussions, critiques, written assignments.

-   Ability to speak critically and in depth about presented artworks, essays, and videos

***visiting museum or gallery exhibitions and collections, consideration of slide/image presentations and assigned readings, and attendance at artist talks and lectures outside of class time will provide further context for the work you will accomplish.****

Course Requirements

Blog:

We will use a blog for class communications.

it will have project descriptions, updates, artist information and more. Please visit it regularly.

stretch and build minimum of 2 canvases yourself, prepare the surface/ground, and prepare another surface as the painting ground if the project description suggests that option later in the semester.

-   Consider the specific proportions and dimensions of your painting support or working surface in relation to your goal – do not rely on purchased and prepared canvases.

-   ONE should be 18” x 24” or larger, and ONE should be 36” x 36” or larger

keep a notebook / folder for this course to collate your project assignments and notes. Use this folder to keep track of drawings, magazine clippings, color swatches etc.

use a sketchbook ( see BASIC DIARY FORMAT) to collect, record and brainstorm with drawings or other preparatory work; allow this sketchbook to become an integral part of the development of each assigned painting project.

Attend a minimum of 2 events outside of class hours that are art related—please do a diary entry for these adventures.

Expect to work a minimum of 6 hours each week outside of the studio in addition to painting.

Use this time to:

-   prepare painting grounds / supports; use the shop to build stretchers.

-   purchase supplies; do not request class time to purchase supplies.

-   gather source material; complete preparatory notes /drawings for paintings, as needed. complete additional work, as needed, for successful completion of each project and outside assignments.        

-   look at art / exhibitions on your own time.

-   use the library as a regular part of your study.

**It is possible to complete all requirements and receive a C grade**

A =      outstanding accomplishment, innovative thinking, strong participation, full attendance, excellent progress; 

            B =      above average accomplishment, solid participation, full attendance, good progress;

            C =      accomplished all assignments, average participation, full attendance,  little progress

            D =      lack of completion / lack of accomplishment in assignments, disinterested participation

            F =       [  let's not go there  ]

In terms of percentage, your final grade will be measured this way:

45%    successful completion and timely presentation of all assigned projects

We have 5 units, each entire unit is worth 20% of your assignment grade.

20%   PINK TIME—3 class days and 3 homework days, share with class

20%  daily journal exercises and drawings, minimum 105 drawings and 105 lists, attend 2 off-campus art events, share with class and write a blog post on each

10%    active class participation, work ethic and rigor of engagement in projects, discussion and critiques, good use of in-class work time

5%   **THAT EXTRA SOMETHING! (meaning- care, engagement, determination, flexibility, curiosity, openness, courage, fearlessness) ** = 100%

Expectations:

•  active participation is required for group discussions and informal or scheduled critiques. If you don’t participate, this will be reflected in your grade.

•  plan to arrive at least 10 minutes before class, as we will begin on time.

            •  bring ALL materials and supplies EVERY DAY.

·       Work the full class period. If you don’t-- and you are not prepared to work in class, you will need to get your supplies during class time, and this will count as an unexcused absence.

·       You may be expected to type, print, and hand in grammatically correct short synopsis and/or essays on specific requested readings, outlining your understanding of the text. (the dates for these readings and synopsis requests will be present on the syllabus and/or you will be given at least 1 week in advance)

•  complete all assignments and projects (Drawing writing and reading) on the dates they are due; bring them to class. Manage your time effectively. 

   ***Late work is docked a half letter grade for every day late. That is one full grade lower to start for every week late (unless you have an approved excuse.)

•  you may re-do an assignment at any time if you please, but it must be completed on-time for the initial due date. You may also continue to work on any assignment further, but remember that you still need to spend 6 hours a week on your other course requirements.

•  submit requested works and at mid-term and end of semester; keep all of your work, even if you think that something is not successful! No work can be thrown away.                          

Mid-term grades will be discussed in individual meetings most likely the 8th or 9th week of the term.

•  individual research: plan to use the Library at minimum, one hour each week.    

            (The Main Library has significant holdings that will support our work in this course.  Under the Library of Congress call numbering system, all books on the subject of drawing or works on paper are listed with call numbers that begin with NC.  In addition, monographs on individual sculptors [NB] and painters [ND] present drawings in relation to other work by that artist.  Books that begin with call number N also may include graphic works by country, by period or by artist. You can go directly to the stacks and scan the shelves under these call numbers; there are also sections for oversize books using the same call number reference system.)

            ****The internet is a great resource but is not a substitute for regular use of the library. The library is awesome!!****

Attendance policy:

Attendance will be taken each day in class by drawing a self portrait in an index card and turning it in.

You are required to come to class on time, prepared. Attendance is mandatory. Maximum of 2 unexcused absences before grade drops a letter per each additional absence. 4 unexcused absences is an automatic fail. An excused absence comes with a note or some kind of documentation and explanation preferably beforehand and must be approved. Two tardies equals 1 unexcused absence. As many as 4 approved absences could lead to an automatic drop. Come to class.

Studio and space-use Policies:

NO SMOKING at any time in this or any building or directly outside of the building.

NO FOOD in this studio (for health reasons, eating in the studio is discouraged.) 

PLEASE use gloves and handle your supplies intelligently. Wear appropriate clothing. Store your supplies intelligently. Gamsol in metal glass containers are ok for studio use, but No Turpentine or paint thinner—it is too hazardous.

Remember: Paints, acrylic and oil, and their respective accouterments ARE POISON.

NO CELL PHONE USE during class. I will let you know when and if you can turn on your personal music, and you can use your phone during your break

clean your work area THOROUGHLY before leaving class return work to storage; relocate easels and studio furniture. Remove your supplies and store them in your locker. Whatever does not fit it your locker you will need to carry away with you. i.e., leave the studio NICER than you  found it!!** The painting/drawing rooms can get very dirty, very quickly, and there are many students who need to use them.

no work can be left on studio walls:  you must work on a moveable support / surface. Sorry, no extended installations or painting directly on the wall. Also, no spray paint in the studio or anywhere other than spray wall.

maintain clean wall surfaces & respect the facilities      •  

be alert to your personal security at all times

at the end of semester, all work must be removed from the studios & lockers cleared.

communicate by e-mail:

If you miss a class for an excused or an unexcused reason, need clarification about an assignment, or would like to make an appointment to discuss any issue of concern that is more involved, notify me by email! 

zimmerm@unm.edu

Expect email updates of changes in the schedule & follow up on projects. When you get them, update your current syllabus and handouts by altering them or printing new copies. Always keep up with the online classroom.

           

Academic Integrity:

Students at UNM enjoy significant freedom of artistic expression and are encouraged to stretch their scholarly and artistic boundaries. However, the school prohibits all forms of academic dishonesty. For present purposes “ academic dishonesty” understood as the appropriation and representation of another’s work as one’s own, whether such appropriation includes all or part of the other’s work or whether it comprises all or part of what is represented as one’s own work (plagiarism). Appropriate citation avoids this sort of dishonesty. In addition, “ academic dishonesty” includes cheating in any form, the falsification of academic documents or the falsification of works or references for use in class or other academic circumstances. When such dishonesty is discovered, the consequences to the student can be severe.

ADA Compliance:

In accordance with University Policy 2310 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as I am not legally permitted to inquire. Students who may require assistance in emergency evacuations should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow. Contact Accessibility Resource Center at 277-3506 for additional information.

If you need an accommodation based on how course requirement interact with the impact of a disability, you should contact me to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. At the appointment we can discuss the course format and requirements, anticipate the need for adjustments and explore potential accommodations. I rely on the Disability Services Office for assistance in developing strategies and verifying accommodation needs. If you have not previously contacted them I encourage you to do so.

Title IX Reporting Obligations:

Our classroom and our university should always be spaces of mutual respect, kindness, and support, without fear of discrimination, harassment, or violence. Should you ever need assistance or have concerns about incidents that violate this principle, please access the resources available to you on campus, especially the LoboRESPECT Advocacy Center and the support services listed on its website (http://loborespect.unm.edu/). Please note that, because UNM faculty, TAs, and GAs are considered "responsible employees" by the Department of Education, any disclosure of gender discrimination (including sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and sexual violence) made to a faculty member, TA, or GA must be reported by that faculty member, TA, or GA to the university's Title IX coordinator. For more information on the campus policy regarding sexual misconduct, please see: https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/2000/2740.html.

Materials List:

Sign up for a locker in the ARTS building to help you store your materials. Be prepared to replenish some of your supplies half way through the semester or as needed.

Paint:

This is a painting course- we will primarily be using oil paint so each student must use oil paint unless they have a documented medical reason not to. We will need a complete set of warm and cool colors: these colors are required:

Titanium white

Ivory black

Cadmium red medium ( DO NOT PURCHASE COLOR MARKED HUE )

Alizarin Crimson

Cadmium yellow medium ( DO NOT PURCHASE COLOR MARKED HUE )

Lemon or hansa yellow light

Ultramarine and cobalt blue

Permanent green light

Burt umber

Raw sienna

Dioxizine or Manganese purple

These may all be small tubes except Titanium white, which should be purchased in a large tube (you tend to use more of this, therefore a large tube is more economical). The above colors are the minimum and additional colors can be used.

Any grade (student or professional) is permissible for this course, however it is advised that you use the highest quality you can afford. Gamblin is a recommended (mid-ranged) brand.

Sketchbook (minimum 8” x 10”)

I small Dawn Dish Soap Bottle

1 glass scraper

metal palette knives ~3-5

1 closable metal jar- for gamsol

Paper towels (VIVA are the best) or ripped up rags from old t-shirts

Gamsol

1 small bottle of Liquin

1 pad of 18” x 24” Watercolor Paper

1 Pad of Canvas Paper 9” x 12”

1 large 2” wide cheap Gesso Brush (Home depot is good for this)

Brushes: Natural Hair Brushes Only. Students need to purchase a variety of brushes suitable for use with the paint media of their choosing. Purchase at least 6-10 brushes from sizes 2-20 with a different variety of textures. Flat and filbert brushes are the most versatile but round are great too. One 1-2 inch and one large 3-4 inch house painting brush are required for priming painting surfaces.

32oz of Gesso

6  pieces of cardboard , approximately 16” x 20”

1 box of Nitrile disposable gloves (fits you)

Cream colored Masking Tape (1” wide), not the artist or drafting kind, get cheapest

1 set of chalk pastels

1 set of oil pastels (small)

2 oil bars (choose primary colors)

18” x 24” Drawing board to adhere surfaces to

Black Vine Charcoal Graphite Pencils Hard Eraser

Small Hand Pencil Sharpener

Plastic box to hold all paints in (your choice of size) or cardboard box

Ruler (at least 12” in length) plastic or metal

X-Acto Knife

Acrylics:

In addition to a full set of oil paints, you will have opportunities to use acrylic and also latex paints, and a variety of other materials, so please get a set of acrylic paints as well if you choose to use them later.

Palettes: 1 glass palette or closable Artist palette box

Students need to purchase or find a glass, plexi, or plastic palette, at least 11” x 14”inches in dimension on a side. Larger is better. Portable, hand-held, palettes are acceptable. If a plexi or glass palette is used, it should be thick enough so it is has little chance of breaking, it should have sanded or padded edges, and it should be backed or painted white on one side.

PINK-TIME ASSINGMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Based on research compiled by Daniel Pink (see Drive, 2011) we will be conducting a bit of an experiment in this course. For a portion the course (essentially 3 classes including personal time and class time) I will be giving you the authority and the freedom to pursue anything related to painting that interests you – with the only caveat being that you will need to share what you’ve done with the class. My goal here is to encourage you to become more of an active leader in your own education.
Please use your journal or physical objects or photos to share with us your adventure after the initial day.
After the 3 pink times, I want you to consider how these went, and take your explorations a step further by making something that uses/shares/exemplifies your new knowledge or skills.

This is how it will work: skip class, do anything you want, and give yourself a grade. Let me explain. On three days that we would normally have class and discuss readings, we won’t. Instead, you will have free days to pursue your own interests – learn the things you want to learn in the way you want to learn them. This could include an activity that is more closely related to our class (e.g., developing ideas to change the syllabus, working on a local sustainability project at Tech, sorting and/or studying trash, organizing a recycling program in your dorm, reading a book by Bill McKibben, writing a critical review of the Lorax for the school newspaper, working on a blog, profiling green products at Target, volunteering, etc.) but it doesn’t need to. My only expectation is that you take the class time (1.25 hours) and homework time (1.75 hours) totaling approximately 3 hours and do something that fire’s you up – either by yourself or in groups (with classmates or others). It’s totally your call. On the day following each of the “PINK TIME” days we will return to class to share what we did. These 6 days (i.e., 3+3) will constitute 18% of your final grade and you will be given the authority to grade yourselves.

DAILY DIARY Expectations (105 drawings minimum) from Lynda Barry

Your Daily Diary will teach you to hear, see and remember the world around you. WHAT goes INTO your DIARY are things YOU NOTICED when you became PRESENT—that is to say when the hamster wheel of thoughts and plans and worries stopped long enough for you to notice where you were and what was going on around you. Progress will be checked every 2 weeks.

Intentionally keeping a daily diary is difficult and usually a drag to write and a drag to read. A more interesting diary of a very different sort will spontaneously show itself if we begin to put bits and pieces of everything that concerns us through the day in one place: the sketchbook.

Keeping an active sketchbook is at the heart of this class. You’ll be expected to complete a minimum of 105 drawings (one each day starting today), and the “basic quick diary format”. To do so you will need to take this task seriously. Keep the comp book with you at all times – or as often as you can—and use it for everything. Along with the diary pages, writing and drawing assignments, I’d like you to use it for work in other classes you may have, lecture notes, ideas, rants, plans, insults, first drafts or any sort of any subject, reviews. And I’d like you to include some of the ephemera from your daily life: ticket stubs, candy wrappers, receipts, labels, weird handouts, stickers, notes found on the street, torn out pictures, etc. You can glue or tape them in. Decorate the covers as you wish. Think of your books as a catch-all that collects samples from all the elements of your daily day-to-day life. Unexpected juxtapositions of these elements can lead to stories you can use in class. Patterns start to emerge that can be very helpful in trying to understand what is this thing I call ‘the back of the mind’ is up to. I think of the book as a place for the back of the mind to come forward. If you keep up with your book all semester, when it comes to decide what your final project will be about, you book will already contain the answer.

Basic Quick Diary Format (8 Minutes)

What you did (Spend 2 ½ minutes making this list) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

What you saw (Spend 2 ½ minutes making this list) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Something you heard someone say today (Spend 30 seconds)

Draw a picture of something you saw (Spend 2 ½ minutes making your picture)