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Welcome to Portfolio and AP Art Portfolio!

This AP course is quite different from other AP courses and it is


important that you are aware of the rigorous AP Art expectations. You
are essentially taking a college level course while still in high school. I
will treat you as I would a college student in both my expectations
and my deadlines.

The AP Art Portfolio consists of 24 original high quality artworks, 12


showing Breadth and 12 showing a Concentration. (5 will be sent in for
Quality).

The Program of Studies states that students who enter this class
should have several excellent artworks from other classes, this is in
order that most of the school year can be focused on creating your 12
Concentration artworks.

You will get a calendar in the first week of school listing all deadlines;
generally you will need to complete an artwork every other week in
order to meet the AP Deadline of early May. Additionally, you will
receive a binder with clear plastic page holders which we will use to
stay organized throughout the year. This binder will stay at school for
our mutual reference of your progress.

Just like other valuable skills, creating art is a skill that needs continual
practice, and summer provides a good opportunity to concentrate on
building your skills. The following is a list of required summer
assignments for everyone in AP Studio Art that will be due the
first week of school.

Studies have shown that people who doodle remember more of what they hear Doodle in this box while
Im talking:

AP ART & PORTFOLIO HONORS SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS

1. I will be inviting you to join a Google Classroom established solely


for this class. During the summer you will be required to check this
Classroom every Monday for an assignment from me, and post a visual
or verbal response (depending on the assignment) no later than the
following Sunday (I encourage early posting dont wait until Sunday!).
You must also post one comment on each classmates work before the
end of the following week.
2. In your sketchbook, complete a minimum of 8 studies or drawings,
spending at least 30 minutes on each. (I know some of you arent the
biggest fans of drawing, but dont be afraid to do something you arent
good at - it will open up your possibilities!). If you want to do
something out there that wont fit in your sketchbook (like making a
collage out of natural objects like seashells or tree branches) go for it!
It doesnt HAVE to be in the book.
o Experiment with using different drawing materials. If you usually
use a pen, try markers, brush markers, pastels, ink, graphite
pencil, charcoal, collage, dirt, anything!
o Observation: At least 4 of your sketchbook drawings should be
from observation, that means drawings of 3 dimensional
objects while looking at them. Consider the placement of the
objects on the page, the positive negative space relationship.
Bring your sketchbook and pencil to the park, the beach, a
museum, your backyard, your room, your kitchen, anywhere can
provide raw material for drawing.
3. Feed your artists eye by really looking at your environment and
actual artworks in museums and galleries. There are many
opportunities to see art in Bristol, Warren, Newport, Providence and
Boston, and you live in communities with natural and manmade
beauty. So this summer I want you to:
o Explore your environment on at least 3 different days; on
each day take at least 10 photos of interesting objects, people,
animals, places, seascapes, etc. These photos can become a
resource for ideas for your future artwork. As you take these
photos think about creating strong compositions. Purchase your
own flash drive (at least 8 gig) and save your best photos onto
the flash drive.
o Get inspiration from other artists! Visit at least 2 different
galleries and/or museums and document your experience by
writing notes that include the name of the gallery or museum,
and the date that you visited. Also write a description in a few
paragraphs about at least one artwork that you found especially

interesting, include the artists name, the title and media of the
work, and why you liked it. If there is a postcard or business card
for the artist or exhibition, staple that to your notes.

(HINT: The easiest way to complete this is to go to one Art Night


Bristol Warren event over the summer! You can even reserve space
on the Trolley and it will take you directly to the galleries! I will be
attending at least one of these and will contact you via Facebook to let
you know. I would be happy to reserve spots on the trolley for anyone
who wants to go with me).
4. College: If you have not already started, you should be looking at college
web sites, their programs and their admission requirements, especially
requirements that pertain to Art Portfolios. I will work with you as you prepare
your applications, but you should spend some time this summer thinking
researching and contacting schools in order to get more information. When
you return in the fall, I will expect you to create a preliminary list of colleges
you are interested in applying to.
5. Create a cover for your Portfolio Progress Binder. This may be made in any
medium you prefer. If its 3D or high relief, we can photograph it. It must
have the following on it: AP Art Portfolio or Art Portfolio (depending on
which class you are in), your name, and 2016-17. The size is 8.5 x 11, but
if you work larger we can always photograph it and scale it down. Make it
interesting and personal!

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