Faculty Syllabus

In Honors Painting II you will learn the skills, techniques, and aesthetic sensibilities related to artistic expression in the medium of painting with an enhanced curriculum meant to challenge and expand your perspective as an artist. You will develop leadership skills through service projects and engage with the broader art community through gallery, museum, and studio visits and projects outside the realm of the studio. 

The work created during this term will culminate with a website and portfolio that introduces the student as an artist to the broader community and clarifies the direction of their creative practice.

Course Delivery Method:

We will meet in the classroom and at on-site visits off campus for all sessions unless otherwise stated.In this course, we’ll discuss the practice of painting using an interdisciplinary approach as each student discovers and enhances their own artistic voice. Students will shape their understanding of what it means to be an artist and forge connections to foster individual growth and engagement with the Austin art community and beyond. Because a considerable amount of the course is in the form of seminar, critique, or site visits, much of your actual painting time will be spent outside of class meeting times.

Prerequisites:
Must meet eligibility requirements for the course and be able to come to campus for in-person meetings. Must also have access to the internet via microphone and web camera, in case we have to go back online. Students must be willing to work on projects extensively in the classroom and at home. Each student will need access to a space in which they can work on their paintings for outside-of-class work time. There will be open studio hours in the Painting room on Tues/Thurs from 4pm to 8pm, and you are welcome to use that time to get as much outside-of-class work done as you can. Even if you use the open studio hours, you’ll certainly need to do at least some painting from home.

Texts/Materials:
Though there is not a specific supply list for this course, you should collect and maintain a wide variety of painting supplies in order to pivot from one approach to another as the dictates of your development demand. The painting materials you need will be based on your individual goals. The set of paints you used in Painting I is a good starting point. In addition there will be a number of supports (often stretched canvas) required as the semester goes on.  

Recommended Texts:
The Complete Oil Painter by Brian Gorst
Ways of Seeing by John Berger
The Critique Handbook by Buster and Crawford

Critiques:
There will be around 5 formal group critique dates throughout the semester in addition to our final critique at the end. Participation in these will be an important aspect of the class. Missing a group critique for whatever reason will reduce your grade for that project (usually by 10 or more points) as well as your overall participation grade.

Off-site visits:
There will be gallery, studio, and museum visits during the semester. Make sure you’re able to arrange for transportation on these days. Feel free to get with fellow students to car-pool.

Course Outline:

Nutshell: The Honors Painting Thesis or “Body of Work” Project will be your focus throughout the term. Begin or continue your body of work with revisions based on our discussions at the start of the semester. This will grow into a more thoroughly developed collection of paintings evolving from new investigations and experiences. You’ll work toward the specific artistic goals we will have set together.

Along the way we will:
Repeatedly revise your artist statement as needed.
Share your work and goals as an artist with the group.
Conduct and present your research of other artists.
Participate in site visits and meet art professionals in the Austin community.
Document your work effectively.
Apply to exhibition opportunities.
Present your work in a professional format through a portfolio and a website.

I may present certain prompts to follow during the course of the semester based on the direction and flow of the class. But otherwise, you’ll spend the entire semester on your Body of Work Project.

Student Learning Outcomes include:
Students will work toward a cohesive body of work in the paintings they create throughout the semester.
Students will learn the skills to document their work and present it in an online format as a powerpoint/pdf presentation and as a website.
Students will develop the capability of writing an effective artist statement.
Students will compile an artist CV to use as part of their portfolio
Students will select and use painting media, tools, surfaces and techniques which are compatible with one another and appropriate to best accomplish his or her intended imagery, effects, or purpose.
Students will use the skills of self-direction, self-discipline, and organization necessary for success in the completion of paintings.
Students will paint on conventional painting surfaces as well as alternative ones based on their individual goals.
Students will select or develop appropriate criteria for evaluation/criticism of paintings.
Students will apply drawing, color theory, design, and compositional skills learned in prerequisite courses to their painting projects.
Students will learn to mix colors to achieve the desired outcome.
Students will learn to maintain painting tools and supplies.
Students will develop an understanding of the art-historical context of painting.

Grading System:
In addition to your artist’s portfolio and website materials, paintings will be submitted for critique throughout the term. Work will be evaluated based on the following:
     1.    Fulfilling the objective of the assignment and your practice as a whole
    2.    Technical skill and handling, based on the approach taken
    3.    Expressive quality/Creativity
    4.    Ambition

Your final grade will be made up of:
80%- Average grade on completed paintings turned in at each critique along with portfolio materials.
20%- Engagement with course: Participation, work ethic, and conduct.

General Grade Criteria for painting projects and portfolio:
A    Excellent work meeting every assigned objective. Thorough knowledge and     mastery of concepts. Work is ambitious and technically superior, original                  and compelling.
B    Above average work. Strong understanding and application of concepts.
C    Average understanding and application of the covered concepts.
D    Poor understanding and application of concepts. Below average work.
F    Unsatisfactory or unacceptable work.

Engagement grades:
A    Excellent drive and progress. Continuous interest, effort and participation.             Positive contribution to classroom environment.
B     Above average interest, effort and participation.
C    Participation does not always reflect interest and drive. Some progress.
D    Lack of attention, interest and participation. Unsatisfactory drive and progress.
F    Demonstrated uncaring/bad attitude, and lack of commitment to the course.

Painting grades will usually be posted to Blackboard after the critique (it might take a week or two) but if at any point during the semester you want to inquire about your progress, just ask and we’ll discuss it. I will always be happy to inform you of your current standing and clarify what needs to be done to improve upon that.

Course Policies:

Attendance:  

Prompt and regular attendance at class meetings is crucial. If we need to conduct online meetings, please turn on your video feed in order to foster a greater sense of community within the group. This will count toward your participation grade.

If you miss a critique, you will submit your work at a later date for evaluation (and a reduced grade) but you will not be given a full-blown critique.

You are allowed up to 3 absences without penalty (other than the material missed in class.) There is no distinction made between “excused” and “unexcused” absences, and it is therefore not necessary to submit doctors’ notes, etc. As illness and other circumstances do tend to arise unexpectedly, please reserve your allowed absences for those contingencies.

After three (3) absences, your course grade will be lowered by one letter grade per absence. So 4 absences=1 letter grade lower than your earned grade. 5=2 letter grades lower, etc. Missing material by arriving late, leaving early, or taking breaks longer than the allowed time will be counted as 1/2 of an absence. You will be held responsible for the information covered in class meetings whether you are present or not. Contact me (and a trustworthy fellow student) for any make-up info before the next class meeting if you have to miss class. If you have to miss a class, Please make yourself aware of due dates, required supplies for each day, and off-site visits. Sometimes they will be announced in the meeting prior to when they happen.

Other General Rules:
Conduct yourself in a professional manner during class meetings.
Maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning for everyone.
Unprofessional conduct detrimental to the learning environment will result in a lowered grade and/or dismissal from the class.

Incompletes
“An incomplete (grade of "I") will only be given due to extenuating circumstances.  What constitutes “extenuating circumstances” is left to the instructor’s discretion.  If a grade of I is given, the remaining course work must be completed by a date set by the student and professor.  This date may not be later than two weeks prior to the end of the next semester.  A grade of I also requires completion and submission of the Incomplete Grade form, to be signed by the faculty member (and student if possible) and submitted to the department chair. I am very unlikely to agree to this.

Freedom of Expression
Each student is strongly encouraged to participate in class. In any classroom situation that includes discussion and critical thinking, there are bound to be many differing viewpoints. These differences enhance the learning experience and create an atmosphere where students and instructors alike will be encouraged to think and learn.  On sensitive and volatile topics, students may sometimes disagree not only with each other but also with the instructor. It is expected that faculty and students will respect the views of others when expressed in classroom discussions, while not censoring themselves or expecting others to do so.

Academic Freedom
Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good. The common good depends upon a free search for truth and its free expression. Hence it is essential that faculty members at Austin Community College be free to pursue scholarly inquiry without unreasonable restriction and to voice and publish their conclusions without fear of institutional censorship or discipline. They must be free from the possibility that others of differing vision, either inside or outside the college community, may threaten their professional careers.
The concept of academic freedom in Austin Community College is accompanied by an equally demanding concept of responsibility, shared by the Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty members.
The essential responsibilities of the Board of Trustees and administrators regarding academic freedom are set forth in the Criteria For Accreditation, adopted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, as updated and revised.
In the classroom on in College-produced telecommunications, faculty members should strive to be accurate, to exercise appropriate restraint, and to show respect for the opinions of others. In addition, instructors should be judicious in the use of material and should introduce only material that has a clear relationship to the subject field.

Withdrawal Policy
It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the rolls should they decide to withdraw from the class.  The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary.  If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is recorded before the Final Withdrawal Date.  The Final Withdrawal Date for this semester is [insert date here].  The student is also strongly encouraged to keep any paperwork in case a problem arises.
 
Students are responsible for understanding the impact that withdrawal from a course may have on their financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and international student status.  Per state law, students enrolling for the first time in Fall 2007 or later at any public Texas college or university may not withdraw (receive a “W”) from more than six courses during their undergraduate college education. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to withdraw from a course without having it count toward this limit. Students are strongly encouraged to meet with an advisor when making decisions about course selection, course loads, and course withdrawals.

COMMON COLLEGE POLICIES are listed on the online version of this syllabus available on Blackboard

Recommended Texts:
The Complete Oil Painter by Brian Gorst
Ways of Seeing by John Berger
The Critique Handbook by Buster and Crawford