painting

Oil Painting Fundamentals 

Instructor: Sara Sisun
10 Sessions / Thursday, June 14-August 16
Time: 6:30-9:30 pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1001
Tuition: $400
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Oil Painting Fundamentals will introduce students to classical painting techniques and concepts, with an emphasis on understanding the formal language and the fundamentals of visual expression. Introductory assignments will be from observation and geared toward realism, with an eye towards applying these skills to a variety styles. In the first half of the class we will complete a series of studies to address form, value, color, composition, perspective, and the figure/ground relationship. The second half of the class will focus on combining these elements to create complex compositions, in addition to addressing content, concept, and narrative. Demonstrations and critiques will be given throughout the course, and lectures and discussions will contextualize each concept within historical and contemporary art. No prerequisite.

Sara Sisun is a painter living and working in San Francisco. She received her BA in Art Practice and Creative Writing from Stanford University in 2009 and her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2011. Sara has also studied at the Art Students League of Denver and the Slade School of Art in London. Her work combines the tradition of painterly realism with a contemporary exploration of psychological narrative and landscape, most recently through the juxtaposition of apocalypse and arcadia. Sisun is the recipient of the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant and the New York Art Exchange Scholarship.

Introduction to Abstract Painting 

Instructor: Mel Prest
6 sessions / Saturdays, June 9-July 14
Time: 10 am-4 pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1004
Tuition: $400
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Explore abstract painting through a series of specific assignments and exercises that will consider conceptual, expressive, formal, and process-oriented approaches to both subject matter and painting itself. Students will keep a journal/sketchbook, view slides, and have work time in each class. Oil and water-based materials may be used, including ink, collage, acrylic, gouache, pencil, and charcoal. This course will also include casual critiques, demonstrations, a visit by an artist or critic, and brief reading and writing assignments. Prerequisite: Previous painting experience.

Mel Prest received an MFA from Mills College and a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She was principally a figurative painter before she turned to abstraction. Recent exhibitions include such venues as the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, Bus-Dori in Tokyo, Pharmaka in Los Angeles, and Meridian Gallery in San Francisco. Prest has been featured in Artweek, Art Papers, the San Francisco Chronicle, and New American Painting. She lives and works in San Francisco, where she exhibits with Gregory Lind Gallery.

Experimental Painting 

Instructor: Anne Albagli
6 sessions / Tuesdays, June 5-July 10
Time: 6:30-9:30 pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1004
Tuition: $250
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Experimental Painting is designed for students looking to experiment in painting and mixed media. Exercises and individual projects, developed with the instructor, will push the boundaries of painting both in process and the use of materials, while still taking into consideration formal elements such as composition. Lectures by working artists; talks on contemporary works as they pertain to class; class discussions; and both group and individual critiques will serve to supplement the work created in class. Prerequisite?

Anne Albagli’s work has been exhibited in Washington D.C., New York, Dallas, and Boston and internationally in Italy, Israel, and Germany. She has completed public projects and murals around the world, including The Paradise Project, where she worked with diverse populations suffering from PTSD. In August, Albagli was commissioned by CNN to create a tribute piece commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11. She recently finished her tenure as an artist-in-residence at Pyramid Atlantic, a print studio outside of Washington D.C, and is currently an artist-in-residence at the Kala Art Institute. To learn more about Anne’s work please visit www.anniealbagli.com.

Advanced Figure Painting 

Instructor: Sarah Stolar
10 Sessions / Mondays, June 4-August 6
Time: 6:30-9:30 pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1009
Tuition: $400
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Advanced Figure Painting emphasizes conceptual and expressive approaches to figure painting, moving beyond painting the model as an academic exercise. Working from photographs, live models, and skeletons, students will create several paintings using the figure to communicate a story. When appropriate to the work, students will hone their anatomy skills and color palette for flesh tones as well as refine figure drawing foundations; however, students will be expected to push beyond their comfort zones and think outside the box. Some topics to be discussed during the semester include abstraction of the figure; merging abstraction and realism; connecting painting style with concept; how texture and color affect mood; and how to use objects as metaphors. A slide presentation on historical and contemporary figure painters will offer context for understanding how the figure has evolved through art history, and how it fits into contemporary art. Students will also keep a sketchbook and conduct research on one contemporary artist. Large-scale painting is highly recommended; this is primarily an oil painting class. Prerequisite: Students should be painting the figure at the intermediate level, comfortable with anatomy, and able to record (draw/paint) information quickly. 

Sarah Stolar has a MFA in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Institute and a BFA in Painting from the Art Academy of Cincinnati. She is a painter, multimedia, and video artist whose process stems from drawing. Her work is narrative, autobiographical, figurative, and abstract. Her work has been recently included in Currents 2011 in Santa Fe; the FADA Los Angeles Art Fair; the Red Dot Art Fair in NYC; and exhibitions at Root Division in San Francisco; the Kennedy Art Museum in Athens, OH; the Contemporary Artists Center in North Adams, MA; the Peter Norton Symphony Space in New York; the Los Angeles Art Association Echo Park Film Center; the Cincinnati Art Museum; and the Carnegie Center for the Arts in Covington, KY. Stolar is represented by the Bohemian Gallery in Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Montevideo. She is also a costume designer and performance art collaborator, working with Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens of Love Art Lab, who recently performed at the 53rd Venice Biennale. www.sarahstolar.com

Intermediate and Advanced Painting       

Instructor: Glenn Hirsch
9 Sessions / Wednesdays, June 20-August 15, andSunday, July 29
Time: Wednesdays, 6:30-9:45 pm, Sunday, 10 am-4 pm
Location: Studio 117
Number: PA1010
Tuition: $400
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Through visual and verbal analysis, students will increase the power of their work and overcome blocks that hinder the completion of paintings. The course presents ideas to help you explore the content of each student’s art through irony, humor, narrative, mood, and the use of unusual materials. Individual instruction and technical assignments will help students to explore a particular style and become more independent by painting in series. Prerequisite: Recent college or extension level courses in both drawing and painting.

Glenn Hirsch completed his MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute. He teaches as adjunct faculty at UC Berkeley Extension Art Studio, and formerly served as adjunct faculty at JFK University's MFA program, and as an adviser for the Art Institute of Boston's MFA program. He has exhibited widely in the United States for 20 years. www.glennhirsch.com