Students in this course manipulate and transform clay through hand-building, sculpting, and wheel throwing techniques. Students roll clay to make coiled bowls shaped by slump molds, burnish hand-made pinch pots and fire them outdoors, drape plates, sgraffito bowls, create clay clocks, sculpt skulls, and throw a variety of vessels on the wheel. Imagination and technique are stressed and developed through utilitarian forms and sculptural images.

Course description for Ceramics 2 will be posted shortly.

Students in Printmaking will explore various techniques and approaches to printmaking such as linoleum-block printing, silk-screening, stenciling, and embossing. A great amount of emphasis will be placed on design and drawing as related to the expression of printmaking. Students will design and print t-shirts and use spray paint to "graffiti" an urban design as part of the curriculum.

Drawing offers a wide variety of drawing experiences with emphasis placed on art structure and observation. Assignments divided between the two semesters will include: contour, gesture, negative space, value, enlargement, perspective, and figure. Materials introduced include pencil, charcoal, oil pastel, ink wash, and conte crayon. Students will develop their observational and accuracy skills as they progress through the semester with a variety of assignments including still life, fantasy, self-portrait, and landscape. Drawing II includes more complex applications of the above, including a non-traditional “sculptural” drawing at the end of the semester.

Darkroom Photography explores technical and artistic elements of film photography. Students learn black and white photographic film processes through the manual capture, manipulation, and creation of images. Students experiment with photograms, pinhole cameras, Holgas, and SLR cameras. They learn traditional dark room techniques in film and print processing before moving on to collage, multiple exposure, and other more advanced processes in Darkroom Photography II. In Darkroom Photography I and II students engage in an ongoing discussion of the history of photography and its role in society from inception through the modern day, knowledge of which allows them to effectively explore their own creative interests.

The focus of this beginning woodworking course is the study of design and making of fine furniture. To become an accomplished woodworker, it is important to start with a strong basic foundation of knowledge about wood, tools, and techniques. Through a series of woodworking projects that increase in difficulty, students learn about the properties of wood and the proper use of hand tools and power equipment. Essential to the successful completion of any project is an understanding of the design process and an ability to communicate ideas graphically. Students study the various steps involved in the development of a design from conceptualization to presentation. They improve their ability to communicate graphically by studying drafting (both manual and computer aided), building scale models, and building mockups.

In this advanced woodworking class, students work more independently, further developing their design and woodworking skills by creating a piece of furniture of their own design. Students study in greater depth the various steps involved in the development of a design from conceptualization to completion. They expand their ability to communicate graphically by improving their manual and computer-aided drafting skills. Students also have the opportunity to explore wood turning, parquetry, marquetry, and solid & veneer construction techniques.

Full-Year

In this course students will be introduced to painting through color theory, various application techniques, figure/ground relationship, and other compositional structures. Students will primarily use watercolor and acrylic, and paint from both observation as well as imagination.

This class combines graphics design and screen printing into one- students will learn foundations of Adobe Photoshop to create various custom designed T-shirts using a range of design techniques. Possible imagery includes logo design and text, and will be created using both photography and drawings.

Course description for Introduction to Digital Photography will be posted shortly.

Course description for Advanced Digital Photography will be posted shortly.

Course description for Engineering Applications and Architecture will be posted shortly.

Students will gain knowledge in additive, subtractive, and assemblage as sources of construction in this introductory sculpture course. The use of design principles will be applied to clay, plaster, wood, paper, and found-materials to create form by employing figurative and symbolic means.

Prerequisite: Intro to Painting or by recommendation by art teacher.

Students will further their study of color theory, knowledge, and application with the acrylic and oil mediums. Students are encouraged to explore multi-media pursuits, various media and mediums in which to paint, noting the variances between traditional and non-traditional materials. The class may explore color theory, psychology, modern artists, and the masters for inspiration and information.

This non-traditional sculpture class will use one main material: paper. Through the cutting, folding and manipulation of old books, we will create unique 3-D forms. We will cast paper pulp and make relief sculpture forms. We will attempt the mechanics and engineering of paper by creating detailed pop-up paper books.