The Painting area is committed to teaching students the fundamental skills to make a good painting at the beginning level, encouraging them to find their personal vision at the intermediate level, and challenging them to engage with painting in an interdisciplinary, historically and theoretically aware way at the advanced level.
The area offers a diverse range of courses that explore a multiplicity of painting media and related skills, procedures and techniques. We believe in encouraging the development of personal vision as the means of inquiry into such concepts as quality of artistic achievement, and considers the causes of uncertainty that may arise through this inquiry.
Students are encouraged to move through the painting curriculum from beginning to advanced, building skills and developing concept and voice. You may choose to focus on representation, abstraction, painting and technology, or you may want to mix classes to form a hybrid curriculum.
The School has a diverse and highly regarded faculty with national and international reputations, and hosts a broad range of visiting artists.
Previous Course Offerings
Below are previous course offerings for the Painting area. Students must visit mySMFA to see current offerings and register.
Students in the undergraduate, graduate, Studio and Post-Baccalaureate certificate programs may also take continuing education courses for credit.
OIL PAINTING: THE FIRST STEPS / PAI 1010 01
CORE PAINTING SEMINAR / PAI 1012
OBSERVATIONAL PAINTING / PAI 1013
BASIC FIGURE PAINTING / PAI 1014 01
ABSTRACTION, FIGURATION AND CRITICALITY / PAI 1016
TECHNOLOGY AND PAINTING / PAI 1021
WATER, COLOR AND PAPER / PAI 1021
INTERMEDIATE PROJECTS / PAI 2000
CRITIQUE CLASS / PAI 3000
ADVANCED SEMINAR / PAI 3010
DEATH OF PAINTING / PAI 3010 01
HUMANISM IN THE STUDIO / PAI 3010 02
INDIVIDUAL CRITIQUES / PAI 4038 01
