Clara Getty ‘21 Reporter
I am currently in the midst of a three week long independent study in painting. With the flexibility of the block scheduling this academic year, I have had time in my schedule to deeply explore a topic in fine arts. Last year, I had the opportunity to thoroughly express my artistic abilities in the painting studio as a member of the Advanced Studio Art class. However, I wanted to spend more time developing the meaning, stories, and emotion behind my pieces.
Over the summer I wrote and submitted a proposal and course outline including a detailed explanation of my plan for the three-week term. The full name of the course is “Independent Study in Painting: Storytelling Through Time of Day.” Some of the guiding questions for this course ask: How can light and shadow alone inform the viewer of time of day? What role does the sky play in telling a story? What relationships do figures and objects have in a certain setting?
I believe that a strong piece of art challenges the artist and viewer to find meaning and understanding beyond what the eye can see. I want to develop this level of complexity in my work. Being purposeful about the time of day in my pieces helps to dig deeper into the emotion, setting, and character of the painting. It also raises questions about light, shadow, color choice, brush stroke, and landscape of the work.
As a senior, this is my last class in the painting studio, and the time is passing by quickly. The length of a term course has been condensed to just three weeks this year, so I have to complete one piece a week. While the fast pace of the course is beneficial to the art in some ways (it helps me loosen up and make the piece fluid), I wish I had more time to carefully complete each painting.
I’m trying to savor it all as I realize I’ll never have the time, supplies, and resources, especially instructor Sydney Caretti’s guidance and valuable opinion, so easily accessible again. It is bittersweet, but an excellent way to finish my Mercersburg Academy studio art career.