Painting

Traditional canvas painting, installation, and cross-disciplinary projects are united by the principle of learning through the process of inquiry. We are proud that our students often use painting as a central focus in combination with other media—such as drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, ceramics or new media (performance, animation, installation).

Instruction in the materials and processes of acrylic, oil, and mixed media build upon student performance of strong drawing, color and design skills. Upper divisions courses focus on independent learning within the context of contemporary art and artists. Senior capstone courses prepare each student for the production of a cohesive body of work for solo exhibition accompanied by an undergraduate research paper.

Recent student exhibitions in painting have included large scale cut paper pieces, drawing and ink wash paintings on folded and gather bolts of cloth, narrative figure paintings on canvas, animated drawings based on the cinematic work of Alfred Hitchcock and the absurdist machines of Rube Goldberg, relief/shaped canvas paintings, and abstractionist encaustic paintings on wood panel.