Fall 2021
interactive small classes once a week for 14 Weeks
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*SmArt School teachers sometimes have to travel for professional reasons. If they must miss a class they will notify all students during class time and add a session to the end of the calendar. One week off is scheduled for Thanksgiving week. All Classes meet live and are not recorded due to proprietary content. Teaching will not happen via email, only during class time.
Allegory in Contemporary Painting
This mentorship will focus on translating personal ideas and broader topics into dynamic and elegant visual expressions using allegorical symbolism. We will examine the theme of allegory in depth. We will look at how it's been used in paintings throughout human history and how it may be applied in the contemporary context--both as a way to address personal, internal stories and as a way to engage with the issues of our time.
Through lectures and demos students will gain a comprehensive overview of how this kind of painting is born and seen through to the final brush-stroke. We will discuss: composition, how to dynamically create a harmonious narrative, ideation/conceptualization, reference gathering, and documentation. We will delve into how referenced imagery can be effectively assembled to provide a solid and useful basis for a final painting. We will also go into the technical aspects of painting itself through demonstrations of techniques discussions about what kind of materials and approach may best fit the student's work. We will discuss, critique, and help to elevate each student's work throughout the course. Finally, we will cover business practices: what to expect running a professional art studio and the ins and outs of selling personal paintings in the gallery world, through private and commercial commissions, and online.
Towards the end of the semester Morten Poulsen, founder and director of Gallery Poulsen, will review student work.
This class will focus on traditional art techniques and may mention, but will not go extensively into, 3d software for making digital reference material. If you want a full course in how a painter may use 3d modeling software check out Martin's other course 'Blender' from a Painter's Point of View.
After taking this class students will also receive the option of a free profile on the Alumni Portfolios page. Visit the Alumni Portfolios page and type a teacher's name into the search bar to see some of the artists who studied with that teacher.
Through lectures and demos students will gain a comprehensive overview of how this kind of painting is born and seen through to the final brush-stroke. We will discuss: composition, how to dynamically create a harmonious narrative, ideation/conceptualization, reference gathering, and documentation. We will delve into how referenced imagery can be effectively assembled to provide a solid and useful basis for a final painting. We will also go into the technical aspects of painting itself through demonstrations of techniques discussions about what kind of materials and approach may best fit the student's work. We will discuss, critique, and help to elevate each student's work throughout the course. Finally, we will cover business practices: what to expect running a professional art studio and the ins and outs of selling personal paintings in the gallery world, through private and commercial commissions, and online.
Towards the end of the semester Morten Poulsen, founder and director of Gallery Poulsen, will review student work.
This class will focus on traditional art techniques and may mention, but will not go extensively into, 3d software for making digital reference material. If you want a full course in how a painter may use 3d modeling software check out Martin's other course 'Blender' from a Painter's Point of View.
After taking this class students will also receive the option of a free profile on the Alumni Portfolios page. Visit the Alumni Portfolios page and type a teacher's name into the search bar to see some of the artists who studied with that teacher.
About Martin Wittfooth
Martin Wittfooth was born in Toronto, Canada in 1981 and currently splits his time between studios in Savannah, Georgia, and the Kingston, New York. He earned his MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 2008. Wittfooth’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Akron Art Museum in Ohio, and La Halle Saint-Pierre in Paris, with solo exhibitions in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Montreal. His paintings have also appeared in numerous publications, including Juxtapoz, The New York Times Art Review, and Vice, and cover features in New American Paintings, Hi-Fructose and American Artist Magazine.
Martin Wittfooth's Website: https://www.martinwittfooth.com/