Independent Studio
Independent Studio was an upper-level course offered only to seniors at my high school. In order to enroll, each student had to apply and meet the requirements. Once accepted into the class, students had to begin planning out their projects. One major project was due each month. Before beginning a project, a detailed rubric and preliminary sketches had to be turned in to the instructor to be approved. The class met once a week before school started to discuss projects, deadlines, and expectations. Our instructor made sure we were choosing challenging projects that would keep us busy for the month. In addition to the meetings, each student had to schedule in an hour of studio time each day. After projects were completed, we had to write a reflection.
Independent Studio is exactly how it sounds. It was independent. It presented full reign on creating original projects. It was an opportunity to be ambitious and develop an artistic style. This course allowed for experimentation with many new mediums which was very important to me, because exploring multiple practices does not happen in specified art classes. I wanted to try everything out. I wanted to see what I liked best and what I could achieve. That is exactly what this class allowed me to do. I found a love for charcoal and a greater appreciation for drawing. Drawing, especially with charcoal, is something I still do much of today.
Where I am today has a lot to do with this one course. Independent Studio provided me with ample opportunities. First, I established many connections within the community. One of the requirements for each project was to have our work displayed in public and each month had to be somewhere new. Through this I met a lot of people and learned how to network. Second, as a class we traveled to Seattle, Washington. It was an incredible opportunity to see how much of impact art has on the culture and to see where art can take an individual. Lastly, I learned to believe in my art and follow my passion. Art has always been a part of my life and I am excited to see where it will take me.
Independent Studio is exactly how it sounds. It was independent. It presented full reign on creating original projects. It was an opportunity to be ambitious and develop an artistic style. This course allowed for experimentation with many new mediums which was very important to me, because exploring multiple practices does not happen in specified art classes. I wanted to try everything out. I wanted to see what I liked best and what I could achieve. That is exactly what this class allowed me to do. I found a love for charcoal and a greater appreciation for drawing. Drawing, especially with charcoal, is something I still do much of today.
Where I am today has a lot to do with this one course. Independent Studio provided me with ample opportunities. First, I established many connections within the community. One of the requirements for each project was to have our work displayed in public and each month had to be somewhere new. Through this I met a lot of people and learned how to network. Second, as a class we traveled to Seattle, Washington. It was an incredible opportunity to see how much of impact art has on the culture and to see where art can take an individual. Lastly, I learned to believe in my art and follow my passion. Art has always been a part of my life and I am excited to see where it will take me.