Suvi Karjalainen

My classes are designed for students hoping to develop their understanding of the possibilities of art and in its contemporary context in a deep, structured manner. My classes are particularly useful to those interested in learning about painting and drawing - though they are adaptable to individual needs and interests.

Below is the example of a course designed as a program to deepen students' understanding of painting, its history, contemporary context, materials, and technical aspects. By the end of the course, students should have a structured framework for continued learning.

Class structure includes:

- Lectures on art history and contemporary art practice
- Practice and structured learning
- Encouraged independent practice
- Field trips to museums
- Optional readings

Though adaptable to particular interests and needs across age groups, the course is ideal for students thinking of pursuing art, illustration, architecture, or design at a university level, and will help with building a strong portfolio for applications for schools in the U.S. and U.K. particularly.

At the end of a full course, students should have an understanding of:

- Contemporary Art, especially painting, in it’s historic context
- The formal grounds of the construction of a work of art
- Tools for self-teaching and tools for self improvement as an independent artists
- An understanding of the myriad of resources available online to artists
- A sense of the freedom of an artist and the routes possible to each individual to find themselves through their work.

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