by Kathleen Embleton

Last Monday, December 3, marked the final class for Christina Hess‘s Adobe CS Overview course for the fall 2011 semester.  In this class students were introduced to three Creative Suite programs, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign.  The semester consisted of several small projects which utilized each program individually.

by James Johnson

In addition to exercises, smaller projects and tutorials, the class also used a purchased design bundle provided by Before and After Magazine that assisted in simple design making decisions. The last project challenged students to bring the design and technical lessons together to create a logo and three versions of a business card for a fictitious company.

Many UArts Continuing Education students and alums have won prestigious awards or have had their work exhibited in galleries. Other UArts CE students are building careers, or have received professional recognition for their work.

We thought we would begin formally chronicling and rewarding these achievements.

Our exciting and ambitious student success stories project is moving from development to production. Whether you are a current student, or an alumnus, you can get involved in the process of creating a video documenting your success story. We’re asking any of our students (current and former) and certificate grads who are interested in participating, to create a short (30-second to 2- minute) video of themselves talking about and/or demonstrating how they use their skills and talents, and how Continuing Education at UArts has helped them.

Piece done prior to convention. “Jamie” was digitally painted for a client and then printed, mounted and overpainted in oils then varnished.

By: Christina Hess

As an artist I am constantly learning.  Part of the learning curve for any student is the evolution that comes from education.  I originally began working in oil paint and collage; I enjoyed working in natural papers, fabrics and random objects to create additional texture and depth in my illustrations.  Then, I moved to the digital realm.  I found the digital medium more forgiving, and it allowed me to experiment and try things that I would be hesitant to do in oils.  Now I find myself craving a return to my roots and hope to examine the combination of mediums once again.

Check out the incredible work of UArts graduate students in Book Arts + Printmaking — just in time for your holiday gifts.  This event features books, prints, cards, gifts and snacks!  Stop by and support the Book Arts + Printmaking department.

Mandy Dunn - Grandma Kelly's House

December 14, 4 – 7 pm
Hamilton Hall, CBS Auditorium
The University of the Arts
320 South Broad St.

Jamie Shilling - Let's Live Here

Many University of the Arts Continuing Education students and alums have won prestigious awards or have had their work exhibited in galleries. Other UArts CE students are building careers or have received professional recognition for their work. Whatever CE students accomplish, we love to hear about how they applied what they learned in the classroom to the real world.

In this inaugural Success Stories posting, we look to congratulate Kaytee Riek, Communications + Web Design Dual Certificate student, who recently completed a redesign of the Act Up Philadelphia website while a student in Web I.

I’m a dedicated NPR podcast listener and my favorite program currently is Studio 360. This Peabody Award-winning radio show is hosted by Kurt Andersen (he’s great!),  novelist, journalist and co-founder of legendary Spy magazine.  Each week he discusses various current trends in design, pop culture, literature and the arts in really innovative ways.  He introduces people who are creating and shaping our culture and he provides insightful talks with them about the process and how this affects our world.

By: Alexis Granwell (Instructor, CE + Pre-College)

This past year, I was awarded a two-person show at Lawndale Art Center in Houston, Texas, as well as a Continuing Studies Faculty Enrichment Grant. With the grant support I received, I was able to attend two artist residencies in preparation for the show at Lawndale.  The first was Ragdale Artist Residency in Lake Forest, Ill., where I experimented with constructions for my new sculptures.  The final pieces are primarily made out of Abaca, wire and wood. Following this trip, I spent the rest of the summer creating oversized etching plates that ranged in size from five to six feet.  I also spent the summer making sheets of large handmade paper.   The texture of the paper became an integral part of my printing process for this series.

Each student in Greg Pizzoli‘s Children’s Book Illustration Portfolio Development class is creating a holiday card to send out to agents, art directors, publishers and friends to promote their illustrations.

For this final project, everyone has created a blog to document their unique creative process and experiment with a variety of styles and techniques before finishing their cards. The class will get several of their card designs printed and send them out in time for the holidays.

Student work includes:

Bronto: Heather Riley is experimenting with a variety of techniques; combining watercolor, cut paper and digital to create this fun dinosaur.

The Philadelphia Wind Symphony is to be featured on WRTI Radio’s, “Creatively Speaking.” The segment will air in a 30-minute segment and details the Philadelphia Wind Symphony, beginning this Saturday (12/3) from 11:00 – 11:30 am.  The radio spot features an interview with PWS Artistic Director and Conductor Virginia Allen, General Manager Keith Roeckle and horn player Brittni Deveraux. Allen teaches for the Teaching Artist Certificate program at the University of the Arts.

Next week it will be available as a podcast from iTunes at http://www.wrti.org/creativelyspeaking.html.

Hope you will tune in!