AP: Today, the students were doing day 2 of an in-process critique for their first concentration piece. The students were asked to talk about their overall concept and how the in-progress piece fit into that. The rest of the group was asked to give their thoughts, ideas, or recommendations to the presenter. I really liked how open the students were to each other’s ideas. I think a lot of that has to do with the way that Kathryn urges the students to engage in each others’ practices. After the critique, I started compiling some resources to send to Kathryn to pass on to her students. I got to chat with a few of them and directly show them some artists I feel they might really be interested in. I’ve been doing that a lot recently, and its been a really great way to form some connections between myself and the students.
Drawing and Painting 2: The students were working to finish their charcoal partner portraits throughout most of the day. I spent most of this block going around and checking in with students about their pieces. Many of them were close to done, and really just wanted a quick opinion on the composition. Students are asked to turn in their weekly sketchbook on Thursdays, so time not spent on checking in with the students’ projects was spent reviewing and helping to grade the sketchbooks. I have found so much value in listening to how Kathryn talks to her students about their work. Its clear and direct while still feeling really productive to how the students are being asked to engage in their practices.