Overview of AP Art

I'm delighted to be working with students excited about art. I look forward to an engaged, motivated class in which your art will flourish. We are still in the process of perfecting the class structure. Please let me know of any suggestions throughout the year. As we progress, we will add and/or try new assignments. All work will be clearly delineated in writing and on your calendar . Please be responsible and know your class obligations. I do not want to waste your time and mine by going over items that are clearly marked on your calendar. Please keep your calendar in your notebook and keep track of 1/1 appointments and critique days.

The two primary goals of this class are to (1) prepare a portfolio of 29 excellent works for the AP test by the end of April and (2) develop your art and yourself as an artist. The primary focus is on the AP exam, but the AP structure allows for a great deal of personalization. Above all, do work that you enjoy and are proud to bring to class.

During this class, you will also develop a healthy artistic practice. This is critical for any artist, but especially important for young, developing ones. Be mindful that everything that you create will not be appropriate for your AP Portfolio. All artists create much more work than the ones that they present to the public. This is not a waste of time. Anything that you do will contribute to your artistic ability and understanding. Even if you do not present the work, that experience "shows" in the work you choose to exhibit.

Atmosphere
A supportive environment is critical to every artist. We need to maintain an atmosphere in which each person and his/her work is treated with respect. Be mindful of other people's feelings. You do not need to adore everyone but you do need to treat each student with courtesy.

AP Art resembles any other sort of team. Although we will all work individually, good group morale is critical. This class is a STUDIO class: you have earned the special privilege of working with the best artists in our school. This only works if you work. Everyone has days where they feel uninspired or tired, but you need to use this time to your advantage. If you are having a difficult day, find SOMETHING artistic to do. The act of doing something often brings about the most engaging work. Once you begin working, you will probably become engaged in your art. This could consist of creating a collage, doodling, sketching, playing with clay, experimenting with new materials or creating color experiments. Nothing is more demoralizing than looking up from your hard work to see other students who are not taking the class seriously. If you are unclear about my expectations, consult the table below:

YES	NO
Sculpting	Homework in class
Painting	"I'm tired / uninspired / stuck, etc."
Drawing, doodling, inking, sketching	Talking with other classmates without creating anything.
Experimenting with new materials	"I don't have any materials."
Practicing art techniques	"I forgot my work at home."
Researching artists/art techniques/art movements	Reading (unless researching artistic material)
Working on design possibilities

To provide inspiration for you, I have devised a notebook of assignments. If you are having an uninspired day and can't find a project on your own, you will be obligated to do the assignment of the week.

Critiques
Critiques are essential to growth as an artist. Artists grow very close to their work and benefit from an "objective" viewpoint. Discussion helps the artist see their own work in a new way. Each person will be expected to participate in a variety of different discussions about student work.

Rules:

Critiques take place every Thursday. You need to bring projects to discuss with your peers. The critiques are noted on the calendar: come prepared. We may be discussing your work in groups or as a class. Groups will be listed on the front board. When the bell rings, you should be organized and ready to begin talking with the rest of your group. In group critiques, each person gets about nine minutes to discuss their work. For each small group critique, I will give you a worksheet that will be turned in and returned to you. This interaction will provide valuable feedback on your work.

The artist is responsible for preparing appropriate introduction/questions about the work.
Default examples:

Colleagues question, respond and make suggestions.
Examples:

1/1 critiques on summer projects will begin on September 20 and will take place with the student and me. We will look at your work together and discuss it. Your name will be listed on the calendar. It is very important that you remember your appointed date, your artwork and your completed 1/1 evaluation form. With increased class size, our schedule is tight. You may reschedule without penalty ONE time. Other rescheduling will cost 50 points.

Evaluation
AP Art will function as an independent study in art with the benefit of colleagues' input. You will have a great deal of control over your projects. This is both a blessing and a burden: you must be responsible enough to budget your time and use your own motivation. You will be assessed in basic art categories:

1. Quality of Art (completed projects, both assigned and free)
2. Class participation (critiques and other group activities)
3. Completed and Turned in Forms
4. Meeting deadlines

As you may surmise, the third category relies entirely on the first two. You will maintain a record of your projects and assignments so that you can compare it with mine. While this can become a bit tedious for everyone (including me), it is absolutely, unequivocally NECESSARY to maintain good records of your work. AP Art is essentially an individualized class with many members. Everyone's work will be different and the only way to keep track of progress is to report it to me. I will try to make this as easy as possible, but do not expect me to nag you relentlessly to turn things in. My job is to help you create the best art possible and to give you structure for your art, not to track down individual assignments. If you do not turn in forms, you will receive a zero for that assignment. This will severely damage your grade. Do not think that my discussion of your work excuses you from turning in forms! If you learn nothing else from AP Art, an ability and willingness to follow simple directions will serve you well in life.

Please do not underestimate the importance of these records. You are being assessed on how well you can adhere to the structure of the AP course as well as your own art. You may be able to create wonderful projects but if you do not show them and record them, they do not count. We are not evaluating ability, but production. Part of the production involves careful completion of all the record-keeping. You are being trained to meet deadlines, a critical part of the AP Studio exam and a valuable lesson.

Incomplete Assignments will receive a maximum of a 75/100(C). Your projects should be entirely done and ready to present to the AP Committee. Examples of incomplete projects:

a photograph which is not printed to the best of your ability (ex: spots, uneven borders, cropping errors)
a drawing which does not have a full range of values or does not use the entire page
a painting which has incomplete areas that need more attention and detail
a sculpture with incomplete areas that need more attention and detail
a color drawing which has not been completely colored
a cartoon strip which is not inked and/or colored
anything that is not properly presented

Grading art, especially at advanced levels, is difficult. This process is made more challenging when each students’ focus is different. Your grade is based primarily on the quality of your work. The quality of the work also depends considerably on your working habits. Missing or late work damages your grade. In addition to project evaluations, there are several writing assignments which count for points: critiques, reality checks, etc. These assignments should HELP you organize your portfolio.

Assignment weight varies in points. Because projects are so important, they are worth 100 points. (Summer projects are worth 50 points.) I ask for your evaluation of your own projects on the 1/1 forms. Please indicate your honest appraisal of your work in the score column. On your calendar, you will notice parentheses after daily activities (i.e. group critique (25)) which indicate the points available for each assignment. If you complete the critique and turn in your thoughtful comments, you will receive 25 points. If you are absent, you have until the next critique to make up that assignment. After one week, these points are no longer available for make-up. Please do not rely on me to remind you that you are missing points; it is YOUR responsibility to remember your work.

Subject Matter
AP Art should stretch your artistic abilities and your imagination. The AP committee seeks original, personal work, not work that is copied from other sources. Here is their policy on copied artwork:

you must show development beyond duplication

Merely copying art, even in a technically proficient way, is not enough. Concentrate on your own observations and concepts instead of someone else's. If you have questions about this, please ask me.

You may also showcase your originality and imagination through a creative selections of subject matter. Students tend to gravitate towards similar subjects that have been "done to death." Because these images are so familiar, it is difficult to create anything interesting.

Avoid the following images:
. Fairies
. Sunsets
. Mushrooms
. Butterflies
. Known cartoon characters (creating your own character is fine if you have an original style)

The AP board also wants you to veer away from "trite" work. MSN defines trite as "commonplace, stale, tired, pedestrian, worn, stock." In other words, if you’ve already seen work that greatly ressembles your piece, try to infuse it with more of your own unique viewpoint.

Time Commitment
The only way that you will be able to produce quality art work is to put in quality time. In addition to class time, you must spend at least 10 hours a week on your portfolio. Please keep in mind that not everything that you will create will be appropriate for your portfolio. This is an important part of the artistic process: do not feel like you are "wasting" time. A good artist values experimentation and growth.

Helpful Hints
While some people believe that artistic inspiration will hit them like a thunderbolt, it doesn't hurt to be prepared. Respect yourself and your art enough to make time for it. In addition to class time, clear time in your schedule to create. You do not need to wait until you "feel like it." Schedule the time and stick with it. Once you begin, you will find that it's not that difficult. Something will come to you. If possible, dedicate an area in your home for art.

Create a scrapbook of items that you find of interest. This could consists of articles, pictures, art work, letters, photographs or any other items that inspire you. You can use this resource when you feel uninspired.

Carry a notebook/journal/sketchbook to record the ideas that DO come to you like a thunderbolt-- in the middle of class, driving or completing your chemistry homework. While you might not be able to investigate them at that time, your record will allow you to pursue them later. It will also give you a reference for those times when you feel stuck.

Consider giving your "critic" the day off. Everyone has a voice that tells them that their work is no good, unoriginal and undeserving of attention. If you are beginning a project, your critical voice may dissuade you from trying new ideas by stopping you from moving forward. Creating and editing are two different things; do not try to do them at the same time. Try something new even if it seems silly or dumb to you at the time.

Pursue interesting ideas in any subject matter. Consider your art a product of your experience and knowledge. For example, there may not be a direct link between your new painting series and a novel, but reading wonderful writing enhances your understanding of many things. Your understanding of the world shows up in your art work. Feed your mind quality material.

Please talk to me about your work if you are stuck, or even if you are not. You may also email me at bouse@smmusd.org anytime.