Abstract Realism - Andrew Rodgers

“Every art expression is rooted fundamentally in the personality and temperament of the artist.”
~ Hans Hoffman

Jump into painting through the exploration of both the realistic and the abstract.

Through this lens, you will begin to understand composition in a deeper way along with the essential mediums of charcoal and oil paint.

Explore artists like Rothko, Degas, and many others.

This course is designed to be constructive and fun for the beginning artist and the more developed artist as they hone their craft through a better understanding of the expressive brush mark.

Why Is Abstraction Important to My Study of Art?

• Abstraction allows you to have a deeper understanding of composition on the picture plane.
• Abstraction allows you to develop an expressive hand and eye. Through this study, the master mark can be better achieved.
• Through the development of “push and pull” on the canvas, the artist trains their eye to create depth through color, contrast, shape, and space.

Course Objectives

The skills students should walk away with after this class will include:

• Efficiently using various drawing and painting materials to create aesthetically pleasing abstract space
• The ability to render objects with a critical eye and mind
• The knowledge of abstract artists and their effect on the world

Course of Study

The course of study is through 13, 3-hour classes.

Through this course, students will develop a deep understanding of the line between realism and abstraction. They will grasp the strength of expressive realism and the painterly mark in artwork.

Students will create multiple canvases and learn to deepen their understanding of abstraction and its importance to the development of art in this country and beyond through lecture and studio practice.

Prerequisites: None

Supplies: If you already have oil painting supplies, please bring what you have and the instructor will help you fine tune in the first class.