CLASS DESCRIPTION

Classes are divided by age group, rather than by skill.   Each student receives individualized instruction, so teachers work with different skill levels and subject matter in each class. Special curriculum is designed for each level.  Each student gets to choose what he/she wants to work on, at the discretion of the teacher.  Images of sample projects and various subject matter are available to help stimulate ideas and creativity.  Class size is kept to a maximum of twelve students, with a six to 1 student teacher ratio.   

Printmaking:  There are various different types of printmaking.  Those that will be explored in these classes include (1) mono prints, in which students paint images with colored inks on a printing plate using additive and/or subtractive methods; (2) relief prints, in which an image is carved out of wood or linoleum and inked with a brayer (roller).  Students can also experiment with various objects.  For example, string can be glued to a drawing and inked with a brayer or brush.  Printmaking is also a course option for advanced students who are enrolled in the Painting Program.

With any of these methods, after inking the image, paper is laid on top of the image and rubbed by hand with special tools or put through a press.  This transfers a mirror image to the paper.  Students will see the different effects gained from using different colored and textured papers.   Details or additional colors can be added to the print with watercolors, colored pencils, or other mediums if desired.

Check with the office to see which options are available in each class.  Some processes are reserved for older students only, as sharp tools are required for cutting surfaces such as wood and linoleum.

Sculpture:  The current Scuplture classes offered focus on clay hand-building. Students create coils, pinch pots, slabs, and other building pieces and learn techniques to turn them into works of art.   Use various tools to create unique textures.  Make items such as candle holders, jewelry boxes, animals, masks, relief sculptures (in which three-dimensional forms project from a flat background) and other creative sculpture pieces.  Projects may be painted once clay is dry.  Self-hardening clay or oven baked Sculpey is used, depending on the project.

Art Appreciation: This is an important element that should not be left out of any student's art experience. Learn interesting facts about famous artists and the different art movements. Explore the worlds of artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Michaelangelo, and many more. Learn about their different styles and what famous artists had an influence on them. Then dive into creating a similar masterpiece by recreating one of their paintings or creating a new image in that style.