Visualizing Ecology
Week 9 Painting Assignment
Due:  Thursday Week 10 9 am

Ecological footprint analysis tries to figure out the amount of land, sea and water are required to sustain a human population.  There are a number of ecological footprint calculators that you can use to figure out how much energy, water, and land is required to maintain your current lifestyle.  These calculators ask you questions about your use of fuel (e.g. driving, home heat and appliances), water (e.g.how often you wash your clothes), food (e.g. where and how it is grown) and purchase of recycled or sustainable products.  

1.  Look up “ecological footprint” on Wikipedia.  Take one of the quizzes listed at the bottom of the entry under “Calculators.”  This will give you an idea of what would be included in such an assessment.

2.  Thinking about your own “footprint” make a unified series of four paintings that combine several images and/or text.  Use different aspects of your footprint as a point of departure for each collage.  For example, one collage might be inspired by your mode of transportation.  Another might focus on how your use of electricity affects salmon.  

3.  Think about what will unify the series.  For example, you might use a conventional thing—like a bill and then make drawings on top of it.  Your paintings could use a similar technique or color scheme.  

4.  Think about strategies for making multiples such as photocopying a base image, using stencils, or making a larger work that you cut into smaller pieces.

5.  We will use these images in an art exchange, so we need to have a uniform size:
      4.5” x 8 “.

6.  Choose your favorite image.  Make and sign 5 copies of this image. Bring 5 copies (4.5” x 8” ) to the workshop and we will make a folder and trade them.

Week 10 Art Show

Please bring your portfolio of paintings (class work and homework) to class.  We will hang a mid-quarter show of the work.