sallyctaylor 08/25/2012 at 05:17am
When I have done this in the past, I have required the student to actually plan their own projects based off of the standards for an AP or Senior level art class. I give the student a copy of the standards and then tell them to come back with a plan for how they will meet those standards, We agree upon a minimum number of projects depending on the media they choose to focus on, and specifics of planning and resources that they need to be able to show as part of their process. We also agree upon specifics of regular meetings/reviews and the portfolio submission at the end of the semester. I take the term independent study literally, so I will only do this with a student I know is highly self motivated and enthusiastic about art making. Those students are ready to blaze their own path and know how to stretch themselves. I am there simply to advise and assess.

Kiwimama 04/08/2017 at 05:38pm
My students are just finishing up their first independent project for the year. This follows on from in class studies and practical which they then have to develop into their own resolved artwork. This term we spend the first half learning about communicating ideas of symbolism through origami. Students spent 3 weeks produc8ng observati9nal drawings of origami using a different media each week. I then introduced them to Japanese Nihonga and Sumi-e painting conventions and had them research each then adapt 2 of their drawings to reflect on each style. From there I gave them a list of 10 artists and they had to choose 2 to research and respond to in written and Visual formats. Then they had to undertake their own media experimentation related to their artists and produce an A5 transcription of 1 work by each artist. They then have to plan and produce a large scale fully resolved work according to a given brief. Their work had to explore and express ideas related to the symbolic meaning of an origami animal using either Nihonga or Sumi-e conventions inspired by their artist models. They had to accompany this with a 3 paragraph artist proposal and an artist statement. All up this involved 3 A3 pages of observational drawings, 4 pages of written and Visual research, 2 pages of media experimentation, 2 pages of planning and preparation. 2 pages of writing for their proposal and statement, 1 practice mock-up and 1 A1 or larger sized resolved work using media of their own choosing. My students are aged 15 - 18 years.

Kiwimama 04/08/2017 at 05:40pm
At the end of each year my students have to produce a 2 panelled folio of work. Panels are A1 in size. They have to demonstrate a systematic development of ideas using a range of media according to a given theme.