Classes Begin September 5

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Drawing & Painting Art Studies 2023-24

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Artworks have featured birds for thousands of years, as shown in the Lascaux cave paintings made more than 17,000 years ago. Humans have long been inspired by birds, their ability to take flight, and the unique perspective they have on the world around us. Birds, in art, are often depicted to symbolize a certain aspirational quality.

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Renaissance paintings and prints, for example, present angels with human bodies but bird-like wings. Indigenous peoples across the Americas have used ravens and eagles as physical symbols for a pantheon of gods. And in Mexico, the design of the national flag references an Aztec prophecy of a predestined site for the Aztec city Tenochtitlán, where founders saw an eagle devour a serpent from atop a prickly-pear cactus.  In the United States, the bald eagle was first adopted as a national symbol in the late 18th century, when an illustration of the bird was selected to adorn the Great Seal. 

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The “Birds in Art” classes will focus on the art of the bird dating back to cave paintings and throughout history as depicted by a variety of cultures. Students will also learn about American artists, Alexander Wilson and John James Audubon and their contributions as ornithologists, naturalists and art illustrators.

Students will understand the elements of art as they become familiar birds in art, as depicted in a variety of styles throughout time. To understand, deftly critique, and practice an art form, students need to know the key concepts that art is built upon. Familiarity with elements of art (like color and line) and principles of art (proportion, rhythm, and contrast, among others) is what gives artists that fluency.

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Students will learn and understand these elements as they create original works of art focusing on bird genry.  Students will also identify works of art, depicting birds, as they create a collection of artworks rendered in charcoals, watercolors, oil pastels and acrylics on canvas. 

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Areas of Work and Objectives:

• Expressive Drawing

• Drawing (pencils, charcoal, pastels, watercolors)

• Painting with acrylics on canvas

• Sculpture, paper pulp and wire

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Workshop Duration and Cost:  9-Month Workshop running from September to May, with a duration of 2 hours per class.  Each monthly project is independent of each other, so kids can start at any time during the year.

 

Class Instructor:  Ms. Raquel Hinojosa

 

Tuition Cost:  $120 per month.  All materials are included plus light snack.  Students come in once a week for 2 hours, totaling 8 hours a month.​