Praeterita

Click on any image to see larger version The last class in the Journal+Sketchbook class at Columbia College Chicago took place ten days ago. Each of the 12 students was required to read three pages from their final written piece, and present and talk about a final visual piece. Patty and I have been teaching this class since 2005, and nearly all of the visual pieces were the best ever presented for final projects. I'm starting with this star book (above), by Katy, who had no art-making experience at all before this class. I demonstrated how to make smaller versions of these, but Katy took pieces of paper about 16 inches square, and made this superb star-book that unfolded to about three feet in length. Inside she had collaged all kinds of drawings and images relating to her final story. Next, a student called Jamie did the following: As he explained it, he called up images on the internet relating to water and sky, shone different coloured lights at the screen, then took ph...

Drawing by Paco Aschwanden Each week in the Journal and Sketchbook class, we ask the students to hand in photocopies of two drawings that they've completed in the preceding week. Above is something that was handed in this week. I think it's done in oil crayon or water-soluble wax pastels. Considering that these are primarily writing students, the quality of work that comes out of the drawing side in this class is pretty impressive.   Subscribe to Praeterita in a reader

Patty and I taught the ninth Journal+Sketchbook class of the semester last Thursday. The assignment from the last class was to produce two self-portraits, one in words and one in images. Most students brought in drawings for the visual self-portrait, but a student called Jessica Humphrey brought a sculpture, shown above (cell phone picture - not very hi-def). Considering that this is primarily a writing class, with the sketchbook being used as an aid to see story and scene more fully; and considering that this student doesn't have much prior art training, and was very unconfident in her visual art skills at the start of the semester, this was a big deal. Jessica has been producing more complex drawings in the past few weeks, indicating that her confidence was growing, but when she gave us the box containing this three-dimensional piece, I was just completely bowled over by how good it was. It's a plastic carton, cut in half and covered with coloured clay. The dreadlocks ...