This course will focus primarily on contemporary painting because the twentieth century brought radical changes in art which were accompanied by fierce debates regarding the place of painting in contemporary culture. This course will examine how and why the medium of painting has not only persisted in the twenty-first century, but expanded and evolved alongside changes in art, technology, politics, and other factors, developing a unique energy and diversity. Course will include group discussions, image presentations, hands-on activities and gallery visits. This is a required course for Certificate of Visual Arts students, however anyone interested in what is going in the art world today is welcome to register. Contemporary Art I is not a prerequisite for this second part of this course. THURSDAYS, JAN 8 - APR 2, 2PM - 5PM IN-PERSON

This course explores drawing from the 1960s to the present day, focusing on how contemporary artists use drawing as a tool for expression, experimentation, and conceptual exploration. Through image presentations and discussions, students will examine the work of influential artists who have expanded the boundaries of drawing in diverse and innovative ways. Weekly projects will encourage a variety of techniques and materials, from traditional to mixed and experimental media. The course concludes with a final project that reflects each student’s personal engagement with a contemporary approach or idea. This course provides an ideal way to learn about art history and drawing practice at the same time. Suitable for all levels. THURSDAYS, JAN 8 - APR 2, 10AM - 1PM ONLINE

In this course, students will explore different ways of depicting the city through drawing. Students will use a range of drawing materials including graphite pencils, charcoal, conté crayon, watersoluable graphite and pastels. Students will learn the use of linear and atmospheric perspective, ways of depicting movement, and fragmented points-of-view. Source material includes student-supplied photographs, found online images, film stills, as well as memory and imagined spaces. An emphasis will also be on a range of formats from small to large scale as well as long or wide surfaces. This course will encourage students to see their everyday urban environment in a new way. Suitable for all levels. THURSDAYS, JAN 8 - APR 2, 2PM - 5PM ONLINE

This hands-on painting course uses examples from art history to focus on how artists use colour. Students will make studies from reference paintings and then allow the artists’ approaches to colour to inform their own work. The course begins with the use of colour in the early Renaissance, and then moves through work by artists in the Baroque and Rococo eras, Impressionism, early Modernism, and Pop Art, concluding with exploring the diverse approaches to colour in Contemporary Art. This course will provide a great way to discover how art from the past can inform paintings that are being made today. Students can work in acrylic or oil. Some painting experience recommended. WEDNESDAYS, JAN 7 - APR 1, 10AM - 1PM IN-PERSON

This course introduces students to the elements of design (line, value, shape/volume, texture, space and motion), and the principles of design (process, unity, emphasis and focal point, scale and proportion, and balance and rhythm. Weekly assignments are given in conjunction with a visual presentation of the subject matter discussed. Students assemble a reference book with emphasis on small-scale collage exercises to develop an understanding of how design can be applied across mediums such as drawing, painting, textiles, photography or graphic design. Suitable for all levels. FRIDAYS, JAN 9 - APR 3, 2PM - 5PM IN-PERSON

In this course students will explore a range of themes inspired by art history and trends in contemporary art. These themes will include genres such as landscape, portraiture, still life, and various approaches to abstraction, as well as broader themes such as formalism and conceptualism. These themes will give students an opportunity to practice painterly techniques such as colour mixing, glazing, underpainting, and various approaches to mark-making. Experimenting with a range of themes is an excellent way for students to discover their own direction and personal interests as they develop a painting practice. Students can use acrylic or oil. Some painting experience recommended. WEDNESDAYS, JAN 7 - APR 1, 6PM - 9PM IN-PERSON

Building on a basic knowledge of paint handling and colour, this course presents students with a range of projects that explore possible approaches to painting in terms of subject matter, style and technique. Students work from a range of historical models, including representation and abstraction to gain a better sense of the ideas, methods, and formal issues that can support their own vision. Course will include painting from a model as well as a range of other choices for subject matter. Class projects are accompanied by slide presentations. Prerequisite: Painting: Introduction I or some painting experience. WEDNESDAYS, JAN 7 - APR 1, 2PM - 5PM IN-PERSON

This course focuses on creating dramatic or subtle effects of light in painting. Students will explore various kinds of tonal ranges in painting by making works that focus only on dark values, others that contain only light values, as well as works that have a wide range of contrasting values of both light and dark. Students will learn how glazing can complicate effects of light and how colour can be used to affect our perception of light and shadows. An understanding of value, which includes light and shadow, leads to strong and dynamic paintings. Some painting experience recommended. TUESDAYS, JAN 6 - MAR 31, 6PM - 9PM ONLINE

This course focuses on the figure as illuminated by a survey of examples from the history of painting. As each new example presents ways to appreciate the possibilities of the figure as a subject matter, it likewise presents new technical challenges in areas such as scale, paint handling, layering and composition. Students combine direct work from a model with other sources including photographs, art historical sources and imagination. Suitable for all levels. WEDNESDAYS, SEP 17 - DEC 10, 10AM - 1PM ONLINE

This course provides students with an introduction to the basic materials and techniques of drawing. Emphasis is on elements such as line, shape, value, space, proportion, perspective and composition. In addition, students are encouraged to explore a range of materials and develop personal expression in their drawing. Subject matter includes still life, the figure, landscape, architectural space and student-supplied source material. Suitable for all levels. FRIDAYS, SEP 19 - DEC 12, 10AM - 1PM IN-PERSON

This course introduces students to the greatest hits of "fine art" by charting the history of Western Europe from Medieval times through the early modern period (1300-1800). Gothic art, the old masters (and mistresses!), and the emergence of printing, guide us through the major changes brought about by the Enlightenment and the Reformation. Focus is on Western art, religion and philosophy, but will be presented from a secular perspective of critical pluralism. Course includes lectures, curated readings, class discussions, and exhibition design. Suitable for all levels. THURSDAYS, SEP 18 - DEC 11, 10AM - 1PM IN-PERSON

This course guides students through the complexities of colour theory with weekly exercises that focus on making colour swatches. The systematic assignments explore the full range of colour mixing and a multitude of colour combinations. Topics covered include value, complements, temperature, and how colours change depending on context. By the end of the 12-week course, students will gain a thorough understanding of the colour wheel and how colour theory can be put to immediate use in their paintings. The colour assignments culminate in a completed personal workbook that becomes a long-term source book. Students can work in acrylic, watercolour or gouache. Oil paint is possible but challenging due to the slow drying time. Suitable for all levels. FRIDAYS, SEP 19 - DEC 12, 2PM - 5PM IN-PERSON