Savannah College of Art and Design

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is my favorite college for the study of the visual arts.  I encourage all of my students to consider this outstanding institution when visiting colleges with their families.  I have just spent 6 days at SCAD participating in their Educators' Forum, a workshop for educators of any discipline, but expecially for art teachers. Participants choose 2 classes out of the dozens that are offered and attend each class for 8 hours over 4 days.  I took travel sketching and exploring temperature in portraiture.  Both were outstanding.

The sketching class spent two days at Forsythe Part, Savannah's most beautiful park.  We were given water soluble pencils, pens, and sketchbooks.  Here are a few of my sketches:

                          



And a sketch of the apartment:

The portrait class was stretch for me.  We used pan pastels, which I have never used, as well as pastel pencils. We were only given a few warm and cool colors.  Also I do not consider myself a portrait artist.  We drew from a live model.  Here is my finished portrait:

Savannah is probably one of the most beautiful cities in America and has houses and corners and parks and porches and boulevards and alleys begging to be recorded in a sketchbook or on a canvas.  It is the epitome of "Old South" in style and in vibe.  But, surprisingly, it has a funky feeling as well.  I think the college has a lot to do with that.  SCAD buildings, both classrooms and offices, are spread all over the historic area.  They do not build new buildings.  They repurpose old buildings and do it very well. Many of their dorms are old hotels and motels.  I attended classes in two beautiful buildings, former elementary schools built in the early part of the last century. Both Savannah and SCAD are a great place to visit.