Visual Arts Pathway

In this course, students will learn and embody the five perceptual skills of drawing: 1. The ability to see edges and shared edges. 2. The ability to see shapes. 3. The ability to see light and shadow. 4. The ability to see relationships and proportions and 5. The gestalt, how they all work together, in conjunction with the elements of art: line, shape, texture, value, color, space, and form, and the principles of design: pattern, contrast, emphasis, balance, movement, rhythm and unity, and students will use them in original artistic creations. They will have opportunities to respond thoughtfully to cultural, social, environmental, political, and historical prompts and they will learn and use the vocabulary of art in oral and written reflections and in critiquing their work and that of their peers. Students will learn techniques and create original quality artwork using graphite, colored pencils, ink, markers, charcoal, chalk, and oil pastels.

Available for grades 9-12

Two-Dimensional Art is an intermediate level course that expands upon the drawing skills learned in Fundamentals of Art and will explore signs and symbols used by artists for creative expression. Specialized drawing techniques in dry and wet media will be introduced as well as contemporary and experimental approaches. Students will become fluent in the five perceptual skills of drawing, the art elements (line, shape, texture, value, color, space & form) and the principles of design (pattern, contrast, emphasis, movement, balance, rhythm & unity) and the process of seeing vs. looking. Students will expand their knowledge and gain experience in techniques while they work with a variety of media including graphite, charcoal, pen & ink, colored pencil, pastels, printmaking and paint. Students are expected to participate in class discussions, peer critiques, written reflections, and acquire project specific vocabulary. The historical context of this course will add to the students general knowledge of arts heritage by learning that each culture has its own aesthetic values which are influenced by social, political, economic, & environmental factors. Students will create original artworks that show imagination, creativity and problem solving skills. Students will be required to make a portfolio to store their work for their portfolio review at the end of the class. Every student will enter their best work for our formal spring art exhibition called Art Under Twenty at The Willits Center for the Arts, our local art gallery located at 71 E. Commercial St. in Willits and they will also enter a piece for our school's Visual and Performing arts event and gift to the community called A HotWinter's Night in December. Students will also have the opportunity to enter their best masterpiece in the 2020 Congressional Art Competition in the spring.

Availabe for grades 9-12

3-Dimensional Design/Ceramics is a beginning-intermediate and in some cases an advanced level studio class for students who wish to explore the art of ceramics. Focus will be on the hand building techniques: pinch, coil, and slabs. Slump and hump molds will be utilized as well. Functional and sculptural applications will be explored. Glazing techniques will be presented. There will also be an introduction to traditional and historical ceramic arts incorporated into the studio experiences. This course is designed to give students a wide variety of art making experiences and allows students to continue to explore various visual art forms and techniques through the elements of art and principles of design. Students are expected to participate in class discussions, peer critiques, written reflections, acquisition of project specific vocabulary and do work outside of class if needed.

This class is available for grades 9-12

A contemporary approach to two-dimensional art making, combining traditional art media with new digital techniques. Drawing and painting materials will be combined with digital tools such as Photoshop Elements and digital printing in order to enrich visual images and understand contemporary art practices. Techniques will include collage, drawing, painting, mixing, assemblage, cutting, and pasting, etc. This course is designed to give students a wide variety of art making experiences and allows students to continue to explore various visual art forms and techniques through the elements of art and principles of design. Students are expected to keep a visual arts journal, participate in class discussions, peer critiques, written reflections, acquisition of project specific vocabulary and do work outside of class if needed. Students will show their work at the annual Art Under Twenty exhibition at the Willits Center for the Arts, 71 E. Commercial St., Willits, CA and enter a piece in our annual Hot Winter's Night, Visual and Performing arts holiday event at Willits High School.

Classes available for grades 9-12

This course will focus on the fundamentals of painting. Emphasis will be placed on art history, exploration of techniques, color theory, artistic expression, and careers in the arts. Students will work with a variety of different painting media including tempera paint, acrylic paint, watercolor and sumi-e ink. A range of subject matter will be explored including: still life, landscape, portraiture, non-objective and imaginative images. This course is designed to give students a wide variety of art making experiences and allows students to continue to explore various visual art forms and techniques through the elements of art and principles of design. Students are expected to keep a journal sketchbook, a portfolio of their work, participate in class discussions, peer critiques, written reflections, acquisition of project specific vocabulary and do work outside of class if needed. Students will also enter their best work in our annual Art Under Twenty student art exhibit at the Willits Center for the Arts and "A Hot Winter's Night" our VAPA event at Willits High School.

Class available for grades 9-12

In this studio course students are exposed to and get experience in a wide range of traditional and innovative printmaking techniques including gadget, sun, veggie and plant, relief, linoleum block, silkscreen and monoprints. Students will be guided through a structural program which includes historical, cultural and conceptual aspects of printmaking. This study will enable the student to recognize the major printing and layout techniques for the production and dissemination of ideas.This course is designed to give students a wide variety of art making experiences and allows students to continue to explore various visual art forms and techniques through the elements of art and principles of design. Students are expected to participate in class discussions, peer critiques, written reflections, acquisition of project specific vocabulary and do work outside of class if needed.

Class available for grades 9-12