Progress

Tadaaaa....for most of the students it was their first oil painting and they are having a great time. After one week they are getting into the oil process and they got over the impatience and frustration of the slow drying, difficulties of mixing the colors and enjoying to work on a painting over days. It felt really good seeing them so concentrated and helping each other with form and color:) The homework for the weekend is to create an individuel still life and to start "Letters to a young poet" by Rilke.

FILM MIXER

BTW, I am organizing a movie night every Tuesday for all students- for my class its mandatory...yeah I had to do that...sometimes a liitle enforcement is needed...LOL..I am such a teacher...

2. week

Next to reading the introduction of Johannes Itten´s Art of Color and the Intro from Gombrichs Art History, they had to start their mastercopy. I went with them to the library and every student choosed a masterpainting and was giving 1 week to finish. I have to say it is a really great way for beginners to be forced to mix the colors accurate, they are learning so much in a small amount of time, it´s rad:)!
In between I had a friend as a life model and students drew and painted her in diefferent positions:

end of 1. week

After getting materials in Iowa City(I will never again go into an art store with 18 students asking me non-stop questions and walking all over!), Mikaila, my good friend and artists agreed on giving an introduction to painting with me and our old professor was there too, from whom we learned our first steps....
It´s all about SHAPE, TONE AND COLOR. The students had to draw the postman from van Gogh, focussing on the shape = directions. They did a good job:)!

Getting started

Alright, so! I have 18 students in my class and most are total beginners in painting! Of course you start with still live and I put 3 together:
Moreover I rearranged the classrooms- in the main one I set up a corner with lots of books, where students should hang out to read and think. Outside in the main hall I set up different work spaces, so that students have more of a studio feeling. The University system in the States is very "schoolish", specially in the undergraduate programm. I was pretty disappointed not having more than one third of art majors from the student group. But they are all very interested and its really cool to see business and computer major starting to appreciate art and the process of painting.

Preparing and Promoting

The system at MUM is that you teach in Blocks. So, students can always concentrate on one subject at a time and get deep into the field they choose. Every month you choose the course you are majoring in. I will be teaching Painting 1, 2 and 3. Some people will attend all 3 months, some just one or two. It definitly depends how they like my first month:)
The art department asked me to design the posters(thanks I.G.!) for my courses...so here you go:

Step One: ADJUSTMENT to Silence, Deers and Squirrels!

Straight from Berlin to Fairfield, Iowa, I did need some time to get settled and live a total different lifestyle than I am used to.
This University is specialized on conciousness based education. Which means that they try to connect every academic field to the students self and don´t see it as something separate. This includes a daily routine of meditation and yoga. Moreover they are focused on organic food(all the food in the "mensa" is organic!) and sustainable living on the whole campus. I have to say that through this support of healthy living and the spread of positivity the atmosphere on campus is very friendly and open.