Small Rant

[darkangel]

I hate college. Everything about it. Anyhow, I'm not going to write pages on my reasons lol

I'm in a Sculpture class, and our next project is to do a wooden Installation. Anybody who knows me, knows that I detest the whole modern art scene. So my teacher said 'repetition' is good. My dad told me to basically do whatever she says so I can at least get the marks, but I haven't been when I've thrown in my own 'flavour'. Anyway, I got an idea why lying in bed last night to take a whole bunch of wooden panels and place them equal distances apart in a square and then cut some pieces of out each piece so when you look back, you see some sort of picture. Have any of you had an assignment like this? I don't know if once again, I'm not following the assignment.

Now for my little rants. My first sculpture for the class was a plaster sculpture. I got a C. What I did, was I made some buildings and then made a snake so it looked like it was going through the building throughout and then came out and rested on the building. My teacher didn't like how the base was flat. She said to get it in a gallery, the 'eye should move around the thing'. That's just opinion. I don't plan on having my piece in an art gallery ever, and I'm downgraded because of that. I spent a looong time getting it just the way I wanted to, and stuff broke along the way, I cut my hands with tools and knives.. To get a C.

I just can't win! :( Another thing. I consider myself a portrait artist. I love it, and anybody who has looked at my work, knows I can do it. We started portrait in Drawing II, and my work is like the worst the class. My Prof. is making us draw it in a certain order, but mine have all turned out like crap. Plus we only get 5 minutes to draw a full portrait, hair, face + tone. I'm getting so frustrated. I guess I have picked up 'bad habits', and that's the only way I can draw. Everybody's else's rock, and mine have no likeness at all. It's so frustrating.

Every class is the same.

Sculpture : Everybody made sculptures that look like rocks and they got good marks. I put more work in, I get a C.

Drawing: Because my teacher makes us draw a certain way, I'm sucking and everybody else's are excellent.

Design: Because I'm not into modern art, I seem to not have any imagination for any of this, so I get worse marks because of that.

English: HARD as hell. I wrote an essay voicing my opinion on an issue, thought I defended in well, and got a D+ because my Prof. didn't agree with my side.

Art History: I just can't seem to be able to pass a goddamn test. I study so hard, and I never remember all the dates, names, etc.

Everything sucks. I have to be out the door before 7am somedays in the blowing snow, the -45C windchill winds (I'm in Alberta, and it's that cold right now ugh) drive over an hour to get to class, be stuck in traffic going to 2 km/hr because of all stupid drivers, arrive to class late even. When I get there, I'm ready to fall asleep, then I work hard, get crap marks, and then when I leave it's dark, back into the blowing snow, that hour drive back, more stuck in traffic, until I finally get home, and I'm really tired, hungry, but noo I have homework to do, then I have to go to bed.

It hardly even seems worth it. My whole family has put in thousands of dollars for this. I hate everything, I'm just about out of money, my car is basically breaking down, I don't even have any friends at school, I'm the worst at everything no matter HOW HARD I TRY.. :(

Yeah. Sorry for the length, but I hate college.

lol

[pinkbubelz]

I hate college. Everything about it. Anyhow, I'm not going to write pages on my reasons lol

Yeah. Sorry for the length, but I hate college.

lol

Dark Angel,

Sometimes, it CAN be frustrating when you feel you are doing work that you have no "connection" to... However, even though you may feel like you are learning "nothing", part of what you are learning is differing ways to do things. When you are in your basic courses, you ARE usually more restricted, however, as you start taking higher classes, you'll see how much your work has changed and improved. TRUST ME, it will happen!

When I was in college, I had a "non-objective" painting course (i.e. abstracts) which at the time I felt was pretty pointless and had no object at all.... During the class, I followed the professors' instructions exactly and ended up with an A. However, I felt like it was a waste of my time (at the time) and that I had learned nothing.... (at the time, I was into doing more realistic works, mostly figures).

NOW, however, it is about 15 years later and I realize that I have incorporated some of the ideas I learned in that class into my current works (which are now more abstractive!)...

What I'm trying to point out is that although you might not find what you are learning helpful now, You'll probably realize it down the road when you have matured in your own artworks... :-)

Regarding Sculpture:

The reason why your eye should look all over the piece, is that it is a sculpture vs. a painting. It's not a bad idea to have a focal point, but if you can generate more interest from differing angles, you will find that your pieces will be stronger. (whether or not you are going to show in a gallery.) Otherwise, if you didn't want to have people viewing at it from differing angles, you should have just created a painting or a relief, vs. a 3-D "in-the-round" sculpture. (in-the-round refers to looking at it from all directions, front, back, top, sides, etc.).

Regarding Drawing:

Treat your class like an exercise in learning a new technique and a new way of looking at things. Yes, it is difficult to draw "gestural drawings" and "quick studies"... HOWEVER, the more you do it, the easier it will become. Even though you feel like you aren't being successful, keep practicing and you will find that eventually, your drawings will improve! You will also be able to capture the essence of your figures more quickly and that proportions, angles, negative space and overall composition on your part will improve as you go along.

One thing I used to do-- If I saw someone creating a part of the figure or face that seemed to be quite successful, I would ask them how they did it. Then I would practice their suggestions.. I found that that improved my drawing skills. :-)

Art History:

I'm the same way-- history never was my strong point, in fact it was my weakest subject, regardless of whether it was art history, music history, world history, etc.... Some people find different ways of memorizing (like making up nonsense phrases to help them remember dates and names, etc. or just using flash cards.... Maybe just doing research and talking about what you have learned (and "teaching" your friends) will help as well... Best thing to do is to just learn a little each day instead of cramming everything into your head at once... Also lots of repetition-- I read somewhere it takes 14 times of repeating something before you learn it. :-)

English:
A necessary skill for the future... I'm guessing that if you went back and looked at your comments in depth, you may find that he marked you down for other reasons-- writing the paper in the proper format, use of grammar, spelling, etc. vs. just his "dislike" of your explanation of your topic.

General Words of wisdom:
In General, if you are having trouble with a class, The best mode of action is to talk to the professer and tell them you are having difficulties. This will help you in several ways... 1) your professor will know that you are trying hard to comprehend and apply his or her instructions to your works.
2) Most professors expect students to come to them during office hours.... YOU as the student are paying their salaries and you should take advantage of the officce hours. By getting to know the professors, you are "putting a face" to your name.... This will work to your advantage in the long run.
3) Also, if you talk to the professor directly, You'll find out EXACTLY what they want you to do... If you're not strong in that particular subject, you can (hopefully) adjust your way of doing things so that it meets their expectations!

I wish you luck.... You know, You'll find that if you approach your subjects with a positive attitude, you may soon find that your works improve more quickly as well-- vs. creating your own "artist blocks" by being resistant to learning new things....

Don't worry, it's human nature to be resistant to change... Just resolve to look at the positive side of things and you may find that your work improves as well.

--Iris

(an equally long response to a long post)

[pinkbubelz]

PS, if that's a "small rant", I wonder what a "big rant" looks like! :-) :D

[darkangel]

Thank you Iris for your reply; I really appreciate the advice.

I intended for it to be a 'small' rant, but my fingers just flew. :D

Regading your comments about Design - I think you're probably right. Even though I always considered myself an 'artist', recently I have been doubting that title. I don't think I even have an imagination. It's very hard for me to come up with anything 'abstracty'. Maybe I've contaminated my mind with copying photographs all my life. I would like to produce my own work, but I find it very, very difficult. That's why I've had withheld marks, my Prof. even wrote so.

Regarding drawing - I also think you're right. I always thought I was good at doing gestural drawings. I have the correct mark making method down, but I can never just get the proportions correct. I'm hoping this will come with practice. We did very short figure drawings, and I even noticed an improvement within about 2 weeks. But there's just that thing in me, that when I'm satisified with my drawing in the class, I look around, and everybody's is just so professional looking, and mine isn't. It's hard to take that because I have a competitiveness inside I can't really control, and I've just always been 'the best'. Nothing I can do about that though, just have to keep practicing.

Regarding English - For that D+ paper, I actually did make an appointment with my Prof and we talked for nearly an hour about the content. He mentioned there were a few grammar errors, but then we went on about the content, and we argued eachother's position. He was trying to convince me otherwise. It might just be wise to write what he wants me to write for the marks, but I have a research paper due soon, minimum 8 pages, and I don't think I could write 8 pages of quality about something I don't believe in.

Regarding History - Really, 14 times? Ugh. I'm so lazy with that course, which is NOT a good thing. I have that course tomorrow afternoon, and there's supposed to be a huge storm storm, so I'm not too keen on the highway driving.. But I really should be going over the material between class times.. The class is only once a week too. That's a a definite problem on my part.

Anyway, my Profs. pretty much know who I am, I've talked to all of them privately except for my Art History teacher, which I was already urged to do. And also for English, I have contacted a Learning Advisor to help me with my papers.

I guess the trick is: Keep working hard, and don't get discouraged. Very hard to follow my own advice though.

Thanks again for the lengthy reply,

Kelly

[MikeN]

Maybe I've contaminated my mind with copying photographs all my life. I would like to produce my own work, but I find it very, very difficult. That's why I've had withheld marks, my Prof. even wrote so.


Kelly

hello Kelly,

I can tell you from experience that growth can be painful! From reading your posts it sounds like you are comming to certain realizations which are not easy to swallow. Regardless, your swallowing them and growing in the process.

As you no doubt have realized, drawing from photos is a lot different then drawing from life. One takes a 2D image and transfers it onto a 2D surface. The other takes a 3D image and CONVERTS it to a 2D image on a 2D surface. I went through the same experience, although my years of drawing from photos helped me in the long run. It hurt my ego tremendously to go from drawing near perfect renditions from photographs to more primitive bumblings in real life. I stuck with it however and the two converged.

A word about college: Open yourself as much as possible! Ask yourself why you taking the sculpture class. You dont need to attend college to make sculptures the way YOU like them. When you hand your money to the cashier your basically saying I trust that the institution's instructors are qualified to teach. Get a good design book such as David Lauer's Design Basics. Read it with as much intensity as you can muster. Impliment these design ideas into your sculptures and drawings. Keep you PASSION!!!!!!!!!! It certainly sounds as though your passionate and that can carry your art.

I havent posted in some time but I would like to offer you my ear when you need it. I am a representational artists who also teaches at a university in the U.S. I think I've had some similiar experiences and seen both sides of the fence here. If I can help you in anyway let me know. PM me and Ill give you my email address, although it may be on my profile page.

Mike N

[pinkbubelz]

Darkangel...

Part of going to college and maturing is learning new things and finding out how good you really are...

There's a saying in Chinese that basically goes something like this:

Don't be too boastful if you're a tall soldier in a short army.
(well, that's the essence anyways).

What I am saying is that lots of students who had been the best at what they did in your high school, find that they are no longer in the top of the pack but in the middle when they reach college. But, don't let that discourage you...(Believe me, I felt the same way about my figure drawing when I was in college, too-- I felt like the bumbling idiot with a bunch of great artists around me... Everyone has their own insecurities!)

Asipre to be the best you can be-- try your hardest and put 110% into all of your projects (even if you don't care for the subject matter). Trust me, your professors will see that progress and your efforts. Don't just stop working hard because you don't like the class, in fact you should work even harder if it's a challenging course.

The hardest thing for most people is the idea of CHANGE..... Most people have to be dragged into change while kicking and screaming... :-) Just understand that although the changes seem quite harsh right now, you'll eventually get used to it (and it will become "normal" for you) AND then you'll have an even bigger "vocabulary" of skills in your works... :clap:

P.S. I'm still terrible at art history. I find I learn it better when going on "field trips" to the museum, or watching an interesting art history documentary on the Public Broadcasting System TV stations... So, when I do learn something new, I try to repeat it in conversation a couple of times with other people (my hubby, my friends)... Repetition and application is key-- One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to others as well.... :) Since I find it easier to learn my art history in an onhands matter vs. looking at pictures in a book, I try very hard to learn new things a little at a time... :-)

Good luck-- I hope you keep a positive attitude (and Winter CAN bring anyone down! BRRRR!!!! We are hovering around the 10 degree mark in Michigan right now... I remember how hard it was to get up and drag myself to class across a cold snowy campus... :D

:-)

[pinkbubelz]

Mike N,
Although I am not a teacher, I am hoping to go to grad school soon to get a MFA and teach at a university or community college.

I enjoy sharing and teaching others about my own experiences and believe that I will have a lot to offer once I get my degree.


--Iris

[MikeN]

nice to meet you pink,

Try and find a school that will pay for your education! Currently I am searching for full time work. There seems to be an average of 100 applicants or more per job openning!!!!!! Its very difficult to make a living as a part time teacher while paying student loans. Good luck to you. Some do make it but try and get grant money or other.

Mike

[pinkbubelz]

nice to meet you pink,

Try and find a school that will pay for your education! Currently I am searching for full time work. There seems to be an average of 100 applicants or more per job openning!!!!!! Its very difficult to make a living as a part time teacher while paying student loans. Good luck to you. Some do make it but try and get grant money or other.

Mike

Mike if you have any good ideas, please let me know! I graduated with my undergrad in 1990 and 1991, so it's been a while! the only good thing is that I work for an admissions at a university, so I know some of what they expect. :-)

--Iris

[Keith Russell]

I'm hoping to start work on a four-year degree this fall. (I earned by Associate's Degree in 1988.)

I really feel for those of you who are working on four-year college degrees in your twenties.

I feel far more ready for college now, than I ever did then...

Best of luck to everyone!

K

[broken pencil]

darkangel,

I feel your pain. When I first started uni I would walk along the blue carpet level (a long gallery space where you have to pin up your work for critique and the whole art/architecture/design school stares at it), I'd be looking at all the work and would be like, "Oh man, I SO don't belong here!"

I was opposed to change when I first started, then it clicked. I was getting bad marks, not because my work was bad, but because my professors could see that I was capable of much more, but was restricted by my stubborness towards change.

I just let myself go, placed total trust in my professors, and don't regret it. I started to take on the advice given to me in critiques (no more, "I don't wanna do it THAT way!") and have seen my work improve immensely. Now, just about to start my 4th year, I have reached a point where I can see my abilty to generate, develop and execute concepts is a product of who I am AND what I have learned these past few years.

...and I wish you luck on your future studies Keith.

[lama]

I don't know if the other discussioners will agree with me here, but I find that part of the reason that art school can be so frusterating, and also part of the reason it's very hard to find work, is that the schools focus too much on specific styles (basically, what your teachers think is good, like showing in a gallery), and too little on how to deal with the "real world" once you get out.
I found that one of the most motivating things for me and a friend were to make sure we did the projects we wanted. that doesn't mean not meeting the assignments, but trying to do it with relation to something that mattered to us. does it really make a difference to your english teacher if you change the topic a little if your essay us really good? especially if you're good at explaining WHY you want to do certain things a certain way. you can get away with a LOT, and your work will show that you care. my roommate was horrible during the first year of college. she couldn't paint, not really talented with cerain classic sculpture, and her ideas weren't completely amazing in their creativity. howver, she kept experimenting, untill she found something she was comfortable with (sewing into prints), and her work is gorgeous (she is graduating this week). personally I ended up leaving school and am going to business school WHILE MAKING A LIVING SELLING MY ARTWORK - I will be featured on a cover of a magazine for the first time in a month from now. I am not as "good" as some art standards of the schools, but I found something that I can do better than other art students - and that is WORK WITH CUSTOMERS!! I custom design my work, and that's what makes the difference (I listen to what THEY want).
no, but seriously what's important out of the whole art education, whether you stay in school or not, is that you pursue something you believe in, and if you don't find that right away, keep experimenting untill you do...the people that really make it out there are not necessarily the ones that got "A" in class...and hard work does pay off even if your teacher doesn't appreciate it. because once you're out of school, there won't be a teacher there to tell you one way or another - YOU ARE YOUR OWN TEACHER AND YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO LISTEN TO WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, AND GO GET IT!
I didn't even realize what I wanted to do untill I stumbled upon a project that another student "dumped" as her summer job because she was making more money waitressing than painting. within a year and a half, I have built a (NEW from scratch) full portfolio, web site, have clients I update regularly, a show, have tried to publish a children's book, and and and...the list of things out there you can do is endless...and I am still going to school. business school. whatever works.

[darkangel]

Hi everyone, I just want to say thanks to all of you who replied. As for an update:

Deisgn II: This course, I must say, is interesting and I'm producing some work that I've never even thought of doing before. (I've always been into realism, but now that I'm getting into a little abstract, maybe I could even manipulate the realism into a totally original painting). I still don't have the ideas that some of the other students do but I'm trying hard. What you said lama, about the "A" students maybe not doing as well in the workforce.. thing, that was inspiring. I always try to take a project and fit it into what I want to produce, but still following objectives. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Drawing II: Finished portraiture and now we're going to start back up with figure. I didn't do too well in this unit, because I've always found it hard to draw somebody sitting in front of me in a matter of minutes. But I suppose I can only submit my best.

English: I have this huge research paper due on March 1st and I haven't even started. I don't even understand the topics, nevermind what to write on. It's a little freaky.

Art History: Talked to my Prof. about the course, told her my studying method, and she was sort of hinting that I should talk to somebody about my learning because I just. can't. remember. things. It goes in one ear and out the other. I'll know it, but when I get the test, I go blank. Had my first midterm of the semester yesterday, and the multiple choice was all a guess, but the essay portion, I got 2 1/2 pages down *crosses fingers for good content*

Sculpture: Now we're doing a wood installation and I thought of an idea that I would like to try, pitched it to my teacher and she loved it. So now I can sort of do something I'd like to see, instead of just her telling me what to do. That's also due on March 1st.

Busy busy busy. I'm going to keep crawling through the mud in this course and hope I come out clean. Thanks for all your advice! :)

Kelly

[pinkbubelz]

Hi everyone, I just want to say thanks to all of you who replied. As for an update:

English: I have this huge research paper due on March 1st and I haven't even started. I don't even understand the topics, nevermind what to write on. It's a little freaky.

Art History: Talked to my Prof. about the course, told her my studying method, and she was sort of hinting that I should talk to somebody about my learning because I just. can't. remember. things. It goes in one ear and out the other. I'll know it, but when I get the test, I go blank. Had my first midterm of the semester yesterday, and the multiple choice was all a guess, but the essay portion, I got 2 1/2 pages down *crosses fingers for good content*

Sculpture: Now we're doing a wood installation and I thought of an idea that I would like to try, pitched it to my teacher and she loved it. So now I can sort of do something I'd like to see, instead of just her telling me what to do. That's also due on March 1st.


Re: your English and ARt History Classes-- Keep going back to the Profs and let them know you need help. That is what you pay them to do-- to teach you! As long as they see that you are trying your best, it will help you in the long run. I would also see if you can find a study group or something in the Supportive Services offices to assist you in your studying for these classes. kepp plugging away! :-)

Glad to hear that things are going better in your other courses... The best thing to do is to turn a perceived "negative" into a positive... that way, You'll do better and be less anxious in the long run...

--Iris

P.S. I have always been weak in History and Art History... Just not my cup of tea, either... :) Maybe somehow you can work it into an art project to help you learn the material?

[Keith Russell]

...and I wish you luck on your future studies Keith.

Thanks!

K

[amo]

Just a quick note on art history: history is a story. Look for the things that happened, the stories of the painters, or the sitters, or the clients who commissioned the piece. If you like watching movies, look for documentaries, or even better, biographical stories like "Pollock"; if you like reading, there is oodles of novels and biographies available on various artists. Once you know something interesting about the person behind the painting, it's way easier to remember what they did and when.

[cheekyerica]

I'm hoping to start work on a four-year degree this fall. (I earned by Associate's Degree in 1988.)

I really feel for those of you who are working on four-year college degrees in your twenties.

I feel far more ready for college now, than I ever did then...

Best of luck to everyone!

K

Hi there K and everyone else!
I know what you mean about being ready for it now. I'm 31 and this fall I will be going back to college for the first time in over a decade. It's scary as hell, and I'm ready on a lot of levels but am afraid that I am going to be (for lack of a better word) "outclassed" by all the other students who will have come from right out of school...
Also, the other thing..and part of what I think DarkAngel is experiencing is that art by it's nature _is_ subjective. She and I and you could all look at the same piece and feel differently about it.

anyway, just my 2 pennies..
erica

[Deb McLaren]

I hate college. Everything about it. Anyhow, I'm not going to write pages on my reasons lol

I'm in a Sculpture class, and our next project is to do a wooden Installation. Anybody who knows me, knows that I detest the whole modern art scene. So my teacher said 'repetition' is good. My dad told me to basically do whatever she says so I can at least get the marks, but I haven't been when I've thrown in my own 'flavour'. Anyway, I got an idea why lying in bed last night to take a whole bunch of wooden panels and place them equal distances apart in a square and then cut some pieces of out each piece so when you look back, you see some sort of picture. Have any of you had an assignment like this? I don't know if once again, I'm not following the assignment.

Now for my little rants. My first sculpture for the class was a plaster sculpture. I got a C. What I did, was I made some buildings and then made a snake so it looked like it was going through the building throughout and then came out and rested on the building. My teacher didn't like how the base was flat. She said to get it in a gallery, the 'eye should move around the thing'. That's just opinion. I don't plan on having my piece in an art gallery ever, and I'm downgraded because of that. I spent a looong time getting it just the way I wanted to, and stuff broke along the way, I cut my hands with tools and knives.. To get a C.

I just can't win! :( Another thing. I consider myself a portrait artist. I love it, and anybody who has looked at my work, knows I can do it. We started portrait in Drawing II, and my work is like the worst the class. My Prof. is making us draw it in a certain order, but mine have all turned out like crap. Plus we only get 5 minutes to draw a full portrait, hair, face + tone. I'm getting so frustrated. I guess I have picked up 'bad habits', and that's the only way I can draw. Everybody's else's rock, and mine have no likeness at all. It's so frustrating.

Every class is the same.

Sculpture : Everybody made sculptures that look like rocks and they got good marks. I put more work in, I get a C.

Drawing: Because my teacher makes us draw a certain way, I'm sucking and everybody else's are excellent.

Design: Because I'm not into modern art, I seem to not have any imagination for any of this, so I get worse marks because of that.

English: HARD as hell. I wrote an essay voicing my opinion on an issue, thought I defended in well, and got a D+ because my Prof. didn't agree with my side.

Art History: I just can't seem to be able to pass a goddamn test. I study so hard, and I never remember all the dates, names, etc.

Everything sucks. I have to be out the door before 7am somedays in the blowing snow, the -45C windchill winds (I'm in Alberta, and it's that cold right now ugh) drive over an hour to get to class, be stuck in traffic going to 2 km/hr because of all stupid drivers, arrive to class late even. When I get there, I'm ready to fall asleep, then I work hard, get crap marks, and then when I leave it's dark, back into the blowing snow, that hour drive back, more stuck in traffic, until I finally get home, and I'm really tired, hungry, but noo I have homework to do, then I have to go to bed.

It hardly even seems worth it. My whole family has put in thousands of dollars for this. I hate everything, I'm just about out of money, my car is basically breaking down, I don't even have any friends at school, I'm the worst at everything no matter HOW HARD I TRY.. :(

Yeah. Sorry for the length, but I hate college.

lol

Sounds like you picked the wrong art school ~ been there, done that. Time to go find the one you'll be happy in, or you might find yourself quitting art.

[darkangel]

You're right Deb; I did pick the wrong school.

Anyway, a small update. I decided that I'm going to finish this year off and I'm not going to the second year. I don't have the money, my grades are hardly good enough to make it, and I don't even enjoy it. My family supports me, and looks like my life is going on another plan. I already dropped Art History II because I think it's just a waste of studying time when no matter what I do, who I talk to, I can't seem to get past a D. With that class gone, I have no class on Fridays which will allow me to hopefully get better grades on my drawings and projects.

Thanks for all the advice guys. It's been an... interesting few months.. lol

[Deb McLaren]

You're right Deb; I did pick the wrong school.

Anyway, a small update. I decided that I'm going to finish this year off and I'm not going to the second year. I don't have the money, my grades are hardly good enough to make it, and I don't even enjoy it. My family supports me, and looks like my life is going on another plan. I already dropped Art History II because I think it's just a waste of studying time when no matter what I do, who I talk to, I can't seem to get past a D. With that class gone, I have no class on Fridays which will allow me to hopefully get better grades on my drawings and projects.

Thanks for all the advice guys. It's been an... interesting few months.. lol

I hope you find a school more agreeable to you. Don't become discouraged because of this year. There are many egotistical teachers out there doing more damage than good, and wanting you to believe that it's YOUR fault. Just because a teacher has a job as a teacher doesn't make them good at what they do. Your teachers should be nurturing and supportive, and motivate you to higher levels. I know, someone's going to say "but it's college", and that's an excuse to permit bad teaching? College is tough, but it doesn't have to be demeaning, and if you take a class or go to a school, you should have an atmosphere that permits learning no matter where you are. Enough of my little rant. :)

[Axl]

Its soo unfortunate that you have had this kind of an experience and will not be continuing with it next year :( You have such amazing talents and abilities that I really really really hope you take the time to find a school that is better suited to your needs, that allows you to show your full potential

If there is anything we can do as a group to help you in this search, please let us know. I think we're all pretty-much routing for you :)

[darkangel]

Thanks for your concern, but I don't think I have any plans to another school just yet.. If it's not an art issue, it's a financial one, I just don't have the money. I plan on continuing my private commissions for sure, and striving to get myself "out there" and to keep selling.

The school I was attending, was more geared to people who planned to display their works in a gallery and become professionals in the field, teachers and what not. I don't really care for that, so I think art will remain 'on the side'. And if I do take any classes, they'd probably just be part time night classes or something. Drawing III, IV, etc. Because all I really want to do is gain skill to sell privately for more.

I just got a new commission yesterday, so the ball is still rolling in my court..

Let me ask you guys something though, if I did continue on with school, what would I do at the end of it? I've wasted so much money this year with this course, and I feel bad because my Grandpa gave me 2 years of tuition money, and an extra $2000 to fix my car that died a few weeks back.

My dad suggested for a long term plan that I start a small business, where I sell art supplies (I loooove art supplies), sell other people's work, and work on my own and sell it there as well. Sounds like a lot of work to get started, but if I put it in a popular area in Edmonton, I think it could work.

Anyway it's like 4am and I have a class at 8am, maybe I should go to bed... lol

[pinkbubelz]

Thanks for your concern, but I don't think I have any plans to another school just yet.. If it's not an art issue, it's a financial one, I just don't have the money. I plan on continuing my private commissions for sure, and striving to get myself "out there" and to keep selling.

The school I was attending, was more geared to people who planned to display their works in a gallery and become professionals in the field, teachers and what not. I don't really care for that, so I think art will remain 'on the side'. And if I do take any classes, they'd probably just be part time night classes or something. Drawing III, IV, etc. Because all I really want to do is gain skill to sell privately for more.

I just got a new commission yesterday, so the ball is still rolling in my court..

Let me ask you guys something though, if I did continue on with school, what would I do at the end of it? I've wasted so much money this year with this course, and I feel bad because my Grandpa gave me 2 years of tuition money, and an extra $2000 to fix my car that died a few weeks back.

My dad suggested for a long term plan that I start a small business, where I sell art supplies (I loooove art supplies), sell other people's work, and work on my own and sell it there as well. Sounds like a lot of work to get started, but if I put it in a popular area in Edmonton, I think it could work.

Anyway it's like 4am and I have a class at 8am, maybe I should go to bed... lol

Hi again!

Sorry to hear that you have decided to leave school after this year. But, sometimes a break is a good way to get yourself re-organized and to gather some money for the future....

Although your dad's ideas about starting a small business are good, I would caution you to make sure to do some research first-- you might even think about taking some business classes to help you out before just investing a lot of money into a new business. The wisest thing there is to 1) do market research-- know your potential customers and find out what works in your area. 2) make sure you have some sort of business plan-- this will be crucial if you need to apply to a bank for a loan to start your business.....

Also, you might try taking classes at a junior or community college level (to get your grades up) and then transferring to a different college. Sometimes, the first place you go to isn't always the best fit... You need to make sure you are in a school that fits your needs.... In the meantime, I suggest continuing to take classes (even if only 1 at a time) so that you don't lose touch of what it is like to be a student--maybe even take some classes outside of the arts to see if you might be suited for something else--(go to your career center at your school to do take a career test to help you figure this out.) You don't have to "abandon" your art classes, but you may be pleasantly surprised at what other fields you may excel in...

Good luck and keep us informed!

--Iris

[christyc82]

Wow Im totally in your shoes. I just dropped out of art school, I shoulda graduated this Dec, but I got sick and decided it was best. I wasnt happy there, like you, when I worked my butt off, I got C's, when I barely tried, I got A's. I learned very little. I think I had maybe 2 teachers I really loved and learned anything from.

I too am a portrait artist and struggled with life drawing, I hated having 20 mins to draw a full figure on a 20x30 piece of paper and have it totally done. I had no time for my own commissions, or even art for my own personal joy. Everything I did was for class and I honestly was starting to be turned away from art. I had teachers who tried to push me, but the way they wanted to push me wasnt the way I saw myself going. I got lucky in some ways, my teachers taught us how to get out there and sell our work, to galleries and to private buyers. They didnt prepare us just for gallery and corporate work. My Illustration teacher gave us contacts in the Illustration world, he helped us...which was awesome. A lot of my teachers were and still are pretty big in the art gallery world, and show a lot in NYC and DC.

Sometimes art school isnt made for everyone. I know that I'm glad I went because of how much I grew as a person, and how much that has influenced my art. The friends I foundt here and who I became because of the school is somethign I dont regret. What I regret is wasting $45,000 in tuition and having very little to show for it...art wise. My art work for class was never anything I'd show in my portfolio...so in ways, it was a total waste of my time.

[Deb McLaren]

Wow Im totally in your shoes. I just dropped out of art school, I shoulda graduated this Dec, but I got sick and decided it was best. I wasnt happy there, like you, when I worked my butt off, I got C's, when I barely tried, I got A's. I learned very little. I think I had maybe 2 teachers I really loved and learned anything from.

I too am a portrait artist and struggled with life drawing, I hated having 20 mins to draw a full figure on a 20x30 piece of paper and have it totally done. I had no time for my own commissions, or even art for my own personal joy. Everything I did was for class and I honestly was starting to be turned away from art. I had teachers who tried to push me, but the way they wanted to push me wasnt the way I saw myself going. I got lucky in some ways, my teachers taught us how to get out there and sell our work, to galleries and to private buyers. They didnt prepare us just for gallery and corporate work. My Illustration teacher gave us contacts in the Illustration world, he helped us...which was awesome. A lot of my teachers were and still are pretty big in the art gallery world, and show a lot in NYC and DC.

Sometimes art school isnt made for everyone. I know that I'm glad I went because of how much I grew as a person, and how much that has influenced my art. The friends I foundt here and who I became because of the school is somethign I dont regret. What I regret is wasting $45,000 in tuition and having very little to show for it...art wise. My art work for class was never anything I'd show in my portfolio...so in ways, it was a total waste of my time.

Well, I'd say your $45,000 in tuition may not have gotten you exactly what you wanted, but it sounds like you have a good start. I too was frustrated in art school by only having time to do assignments, which always screamed "student work" and not suitable for sale later, which would have been great to help offset some of the costs of school. My experience was similar, in that I had one teacher in particular who would have been a wonderful teacher had either her ego or insecurities gotten the best of her.

There's nothing worse than a teacher trying to fit a square peg in a round hole to suit their own issues. I had an established style when I went to art school, I had studied with a couple teachers whom I considered masters, but this teacher wanted to completely change my style to paint like hers. One year and thousands of dollars later, I quit. Best thing I did. Now things are great, I'm selling my art, have things happening all over the place.

Teachers should be creating environments to learn in, not to sharpen your defenses.

[christyc82]

Exactly. I think I had one teacher out of 20 different painting/drawing teachers who let me be me and have my own style, which she loved. Every class I took, the teacher had a style and wanted the students to follow that style. Then stressed how you have to be unique in order to make it in the art world...hello if you want your students to copy you, thats not letting them be unique!

The way our art department was set up too was a joke. You had to have permits for classes, and stood in line, senior to freshman and prayed they had enough seats open so you could get in. They offered most classes once a year, and to 12 students...well theres 900 in the art program..hmm..yep they were after money cuz most were there 5 or 6 years finishing up a 4 year degree. The teachers wanted to teach more classes, the art department said no. Like now if I wanted to go back and finish my degree, which I'll probably do since I need 8 classes...I have to pray that there are seats open after permit day (since I cant be there), and the lady in the art office (who hates me cuz i get my way w/ the dean whenever i speak to him about classes) puts me in them. She's evil, she'll hold out on me and tell me classes are full when they're not. I only went to school to please my parents, I'm the first in the family (and I mean the whole extended family) to ever goto college...so they are riding me pretty hard about finishing. Some days I want to teach just so art students can learn in a fun class, and not be bored w/ drawing paper bags and trees all day! Even in painting 3 we were painting paper bags to learn how to *see colors where there seems to be none*.

[pinkbubelz]

I do have to say this-- although some of the exercises you are learning (and that is what you are learning at this point) seem pointless and boring, down the road, you will find that you HAVE learned something from those classes. It is amazing what I have retained from my days as a student-- even though I got my BFA 13 years ago.... I find myself looking critically at some of the my paintings and telling myself some of the things my profs used to say to me....

At the time, when I was in school, I did think some of my classes were pointless and boring, but the thing is that one I graduated, I actually had absorbed some of the teachings and began to see the usefulness YEARS later....

It's a little like how people say to themselves, "I'm never going to be like my mom & dad and say such & such to my kids".... the funny thing is that years later when they are parents, they find their parents' voices coming out of their mouths--even though they had sworn never to let that happen.

Take heart. If you are only 8 credits away from graduation, I would advise just going ahead and finishing it. Bite the bullet and be done with it. You will find that your diploma will turn out to be valuable down the road. Silly as it seems, some people believe that a diploma can validate your works as an artist. At the very least, it shows others that you took the time and worked through what you needed to do to graduate... :D

I do agree that college may not be for everyone, but definitely, there are lots of valuable lessons to be learned. At the very minimum, by doing your class assignments, you will learn that even in the real world, sometimes you have to bite your tongue and do what your client wants, or you won't get paid for your work....

Again, sometimes it does have to do with being at the proper school for YOU...

Best of luck to all.

--Iris

[Deb McLaren]

I do have to say this-- although some of the exercises you are learning (and that is what you are learning at this point) seem pointless and boring, down the road, you will find that you HAVE learned something from those classes. It is amazing what I have retained from my days as a student-- even though I got my BFA 13 years ago.... I find myself looking critically at some of the my paintings and telling myself some of the things my profs used to say to me....

At the time, when I was in school, I did think some of my classes were pointless and boring, but the thing is that one I graduated, I actually had absorbed some of the teachings and began to see the usefulness YEARS later....

It's a little like how people say to themselves, "I'm never going to be like my mom & dad and say such & such to my kids".... the funny thing is that years later when they are parents, they find their parents' voices coming out of their mouths--even though they had sworn never to let that happen.

Take heart. If you are only 8 credits away from graduation, I would advise just going ahead and finishing it. Bite the bullet and be done with it. You will find that your diploma will turn out to be valuable down the road. Silly as it seems, some people believe that a diploma can validate your works as an artist. At the very least, it shows others that you took the time and worked through what you needed to do to graduate... :D

I do agree that college may not be for everyone, but definitely, there are lots of valuable lessons to be learned. At the very minimum, by doing your class assignments, you will learn that even in the real world, sometimes you have to bite your tongue and do what your client wants, or you won't get paid for your work....

Again, sometimes it does have to do with being at the proper school for YOU...

Best of luck to all.

--Iris

I agree with all of this...there are silly people who value a degree above what they see in front of their silly faces.

But also, you do learn something in your classes that seem pointless and come to find you're using the information at a later date. Having said that, I found that many many years later, I use more information and experiences from the art school that was right for me than the one that was the nightmare.

But 8 credits away from your degree - go back and get it, if nothing else to show those bozos you can do it!!!

[darkangel]

Hi everyone, so here's my situation right now. I dropped another class because of more advice, which was Sculpture, so now I have English, Design and Drawing which is okay with me because I don't like Sculpture anyway.\

You're right, I think I have picked up something. I think it may be okay for me to do abstract now. I hated it before, but since basically all we've done is abstract, I've warmed up to 'a little bit'. So maybe in the future I could get my own ideas down with the acrylic paint. I've improved with my figure studies also.

My English class is pointless, and I haven't taken anything away from it whatsoever.

I have no plans as of right now to go back to school after April, but who knows what might happen in a few years. As of right now, I'd just like to concentrate on my own art and marketing in my area.

Thanks for all the advice =)

Kelly

[IAmLeavingEbay4Ever]

Hi Kelly! Sorry to hear what happened. You definitely need to have your heart in it to do well in school. I think you should learn a marketable skill to pay the bills and then practice art in your spare time. It's a long hard struggle to build an art career. It takes years. I took some art classes at a community college. I had some good teachers and some not-so-good teachers. I got four A's and 3 B's. Right now I'm studying on my own from books and I'm selling some art on Ebay. Soon I'll also start selling art on Artbyus. Ebay is kind of a school also, because you get to learn what characteristics of art people like to buy. I want to go back to school sometime to continue taking more drawing and life drawing classes. The drawing classes have good still life setups and the life drawing classes have live models, so that's why I want to keep taking those. I might not take any more painting classes, because I don't think the teachers in college painting classes can help you paint better. I too hate modern art and teachers that emphasise modern art. On the other hand, modern art does sell in the art market and can get very good prices. But if you hate it, you probably shouldn't be doing it anyway. One thing I'd like to tell you is that beyond having technical skills, you also need to have an artistic flair that enables you to create attractive art that will make people want to buy it. You need to be able to create attractive compositions with colors, shapes, and arrangements, whether you are doing realistic, impressionist, or abstract art. That's something I need to work on. I know that over 99% of people with art degrees end up not working in art for a living. The Art Center in Pasadena seems to be an excellent school that really does prepare a lot of people for professional art careers, but it's extremely expensive so I can't go there. I'm going to stick with community college classes and books. To be honest I don't even know if I can eventually have a real art career where I'm making a decent full time living just making art, but I'll keep trying.

[Taxguy]

Darkangel, I may be able to help you in history. I am NOT an artist; however, I did graduate Magna Cum Laude in school. The answer to your history problem may be to simply outline the text. Every painting and date that is discussed in the book, you should put down in an outline either on index cards or in a bound volume. You can then test yourself daily on the stuff that you have in your outline.

Admittedly, this may not work for other art courses, but for non-drawing curriculum, most of the top students that I know and did know have resorted to outlines. Try it. You have nothing to lose.

Also, you might want to consider the Art renewal center. You won't get a degree,but they do teach classical fine art.YOu can get info on them via this url: http://www.artrenewal.com/

There is probably an ARC near you. It is relatively cheap to go there compared to an art college, only 6-8K per full year. If you don't have the money, you can pay for 6-10 week blocks of time. Check them out.

Sadly, when art schools admit students, they usually primarily look at a student's portfolio. SATs and grades aren't that important. Thus, some art students have a really hard time with the liberal arts requirements for a BFA. It really isn't fair to the student.

By the way, you never did say what art school you are attending.

[Keith Russell]

I think one needs to have a pretty clear idea of what they hope to gain from art school (or any endeavor, for that matter), and focus on that, and not worry so much about the details.

For me, I'm going back to school--primarily--because I want the degree; first and foremost, I want that pice of paper.

Will I learn anything in school? I certainly expect and hope to. But, I'll be 38 next month, and I already have a two-year degree, plus fifiteen years of experience in the 'real world' under my belt. Even f I don't learn one new thing during the next three years of school (which I consider highly unlikely) the degree I earn will be my 'reward' for all of that (previously) unrecognized experience.

Will there be teachers who want me to ape their styles, techniques, subject, etc.? Very likely. But college isn't the real world, folks! If you know that being 'unique' is essential, then copy the teacher's style if you have to, in order to get the 'A', and you can still be as unique as you like--after graduation--and you'll have your degree, also!

Having even one good teacher is a blessing. Quitting school because one has only had two good teachers, seems more than a bit like throwing the baby out with the bathwater; one's expectations are (IMO) just a bit too high.

K