Class description and Bio

Description:  An introduction to the art of seeing, visual art techniques, a variety of materials and methodologies to develop ones’ self-expression.  Students will be introduced to and explore different methods and/or material during class and experience the media through quick in class projects: drawing, painting, sculpting, ceramics, replicating methods, and more.  Outside of class, they will apply to their own artistic expression and continue to experiment with these techniques to find out how they best express themselves. Additionally, students are highly encouraged to apply these techniques to further explore how to visualize ideas and information they are learning in other classes if they so desire.  

 

Instructor:  Abbi Allan

Abbi Allan’s life work is about creating hybridizations between art & science.  She attended the Alfred University: NY School of Ceramic Art and Design; where she majored in Mixed Media, while minoring both in Biology and Art History.  She got her Masters of Fine Art in sculpture at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She has taught at the Science Museum of MN since 2001 – teaching science through visual project, and is currently in the Life Long Learning Department. She has been an adjunct professor at MCAD Since 2008, and has taught at the College of Visual Arts as well.  Her own work examines the fragility of nature: both its beauty and its grotesque accumulated affects when abused.  www.abbiaallan.com

For More information:  abigailallan@gmail.com

Materials Fee / Materials Required: The students are not required to bring their own materials except their sketchbook.

• Student will need a sketchbook for the semester, which they will do homework in and bring to class.  Must be bigger than 4”x5”, and have at least 45 pages. They can make their own if they’d like J, or purchase one of their choice.  Resource: http://www.dickblick.com/categories/sketchbooks/

• Otherwise, the instructor will provide the basic materials.  Students are encouraged to bring their own materials if they would like for their own personal use.  If students would like to share /donate personal materials with the group, that is wonderful, but definitely not required.  A syllabus will be sent out along with a reminder for the next class as to which materials are being used in that class this week – in case of changes.

  

Abbi Allan

10 weeks

1.5 hours:

General schedule:

0:00 – introduction.  Images, ideas, examples, and overall concepts

            * Also a good time for show and tell.  What have students done on their own time?  - I’m not sure if we assign them homework or not, but it would be very interesting to see if they could apply something they learned visually that week to something they are learning in another class.

0:05-0:10: Demo, set up materials – students work

0:10/15 – 1:15 / 20: work time. 

                         General check INS, materials over view, group problem solving.

1:15 /20  - Clean up and review. See each other’s work

1:30 – Go home.  Make a list of things you would like to experiment with.

Outside of class work can be completed in a sketchbook, posted on a blog and or brought into class.