Studio Arts: What's New

Expand on your technical background and grow your practice as an oil painter. This class provides students with the opportunity to work on personal projects, set up a still-life arrangement, and explore figure painting from a live model. Unfurl your style with support and feedback from the instructor.

This course examines fundamental concepts of composition and their practical application in studio art practice, offering participants tools to enrich their work as well to analyze and appreciate visual art in general. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

In this class, learn the strategies artists such as Rembrandt, Daumier, Cézanne, and Vermeer used to harness light and unify, intensify, and give dimension to their images. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Learn four simple techniques to transform a single sheet of paper into a unique book. In each class, make two variations of each type of book: one shaped like a house, a maze book, an amulet book, and an accordion matchbox book.

Take a dive into the possibilities of alcohol inks as a component of your mixed-media arsenal. With intense, saturated color, alcohol inks offer many possibilities on a variety of surfaces, from tiles to paper.

Slow things down as you learn to capture movement and low light scenes with longer shutter speeds. Topics covered include panning, zoom effect, intentional camera movement, tripods, drive modes, neutral density filters, and the camera settings required to take slow shutter-speed photos in bright light, low light, twilight, and night.

This introduction to Vincent van Gogh's accomplishments in drawing pays particular attention to his unique and instantly recognizable touch. Participants investigate how his imaginative mark making forms his images. In-class exercises revolve around drawing studies of his masterworks. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Learn proper application and blending techniques for oil pastels, which behave like chalk pastels but possess characteristics similar to those of wax crayons.

Learn to understand design and composition in nonobjective art using mixed-media materials and techniques. Examine works by various artists to discern the elements of composition, how they have been used, and how they are expressed in different styles. In turn, apply what you learn to your practice.

Learn from an orchid-care expert how orchids grow in their native environments and beginner care instructions to keep your orchids blooming.