Visual Thinking: The Artist Sketchbook
Instructor: Janis Goodman

How does one make art from a rich, unique experience? How does one reach out to a place already alive with a history and an aesthetic and find an original voice? As visual artists and art students our goal is not to make souvenirs but to find portals that allow us to explore, embellish and create work which is authentic and direct.

With the Amalfi Coast as our backdrop we will use the architecture, colors, culture, ruins, sounds and natural surroundings of the region as a starting point. As a finale we will have a visual journal/ an album brimming with ideas, finished works, works in progress, collaged works, abstract or naturalistic, complete and/or open-ended.

Artists have kept sketchbooks, visual journals and albums for centuries. We will use this age-old tradition of working in a sketch book to find a way to understand our relationship to our immediate surroundings. This book can be an art work unto itself or become a source for future paintings, prints, assemblages, novels or short stories.

Sudents will be encouraged to have a variety of mediums available. Suggested materials: box of water colors, pen and ink, pencils, charcoal, colored markers, glue sticks, x-acto knives and scissors. Most importantly students will need to bring a sketchbook(s), album, or blank journal for working.

Click here to see examples of Janice Goodman's work.
Click here to see examples of Visual Arts faculty work.