<p>heyyy you guys skipped me!!
???
slides?
gosh I love this kid.</p>
<p>kind of autism!! we ( AKA launcher moms) are mesmerized by it (long story)</p>
<p>brown,</p>
<p>It is possible to do Continuing Ed classes at RISD. Their website is a mess right now (not all of the sections have been updated to the new version of the website) but with a little hunting (one of my favorite past times) I found their summer schedule. Look how cheap the classes are compared to regular undergrad classes:</p>
<p>[RISD</a> : Rhode Island School of Design :](<a href=“http://www.risd.com/cfm/ce_courselist_sp.cfm?term=2011/SE]RISD”>http://www.risd.com/cfm/ce_courselist_sp.cfm?term=2011/SE)
[RISD</a> : Rhode Island School of Design : FOUNDATION](<a href=“http://www.risd.com/cfm/ce_foundation.cfm]RISD”>http://www.risd.com/cfm/ce_foundation.cfm)</p>
<p>AND they also offer Certificates (much cheaper path than a second Bachelors):
<a href=“http://www.risd.com/cfm/pdf/curricula/cert_drawpaint.pdf[/url]”>http://www.risd.com/cfm/pdf/curricula/cert_drawpaint.pdf</a>
[RISD</a> : Rhode Island School of Design : FAQS](<a href=“http://www.risd.com/cfm/certif_faq.cfm]RISD”>http://www.risd.com/cfm/certif_faq.cfm)</p>
<p>Can I come with you? My son goes to RISD so I’d have to hide out and wear a disguise. Bears can come too even though she has a thing against RISD. But since Cooper Union won’t let people who already have BFA’s apply this might be our chance. See…you aren’t the only one who dreams of going back to school. </p>
<p>A BFA at Mass Art may be an option for you as well. Since you’ll be in Providence you’ll be a New England Resident and qualify for reduced tuition and Boston is only an hour away by train:
[Massachusetts</a> College of Art and Design | Undergraduate Tuition and Fees](<a href=“| MassArt”>| MassArt)</p>
<p>Mass Art also has Continuing Ed classes:
[Massachusetts</a> College of Art and Design | Continuing Education](<a href=“http://www.massart.edu/Continuing_Education.html]Massachusetts”>| MassArt)</p>
<p>more RISD Continuing Ed
[RISD</a> : Rhode Island School of Design : FINE ARTS](<a href=“http://www.risd.com/cfm/ce_finearts.cfm#DRAW]RISD”>http://www.risd.com/cfm/ce_finearts.cfm#DRAW)</p>
<p>I have HFA, not aspergers, full blown but pretty often confused with aspies since I am high functioning. Not that we are all terribly different anyhow.</p>
<p>im a female autistic too! (: why are you all mesmerized by it btw?</p>
<p>here is my older site it needs serious updating and as you can see my slides REALLY suck, and it has my older work but here it is nontheless, plan on improving this a ton before submitting my portfolio</p>
<p>[Wix.com</a> doraelia created by doraeliaruiz based on Photography 101](<a href=“http://www.wix.com/doraeliaruiz/art]Wix.com”>http://www.wix.com/doraeliaruiz/art)</p>
<p>I want a llama and the car with the mosque t-shirt.
I like the tree/city painting and that cloud thing over the desert. Thanks for sharing your work.</p>
<p>thanks, wish I had my newer stuff on there, in time tho</p>
<p>If you are looking for some technical instruction and more of a foundation in basic skills you are far better off at RISD than the other art schools mentioned. Most art schools now have a very conceptual bent and the focus is on teaching “thinking” rather than technique or actual instruction in traditional drawing and painting skills. While the RISD painting department may also be moving towards this “conceptual” approach the overall emphasis of the school seems to be a lot of actual technical instruction. Also since you seem to be combining your art and “craft” approches RISD seems a logical place for you. Another option if you are looking for some actual instruction in technique and drawing skills might be some of the more traditionally oriented museum types of schools. But from my observations most of the well known contemporary art schools are doing very little traditional technical instruction.</p>
<p>@drae27 – great idea about continuing education or certificate.
Since you already have an ivy BA, unless you want to be a student all the time, a cert or continuing ed class (which you can still include on your resume for work) would give you some credentials, technical skills that you seem to want, and a good sense for less money if you really want to pursue this for another 4 years.
As far as conceptual vs. technical – frankly, I’ve never really understood the distinction that people make from school to school. Most schools for drawing, painting, sculpture, everything are conceptual – otherwise, you can draw “binky” from the matchbook cover (that’s a reference for older readers!). If you really want to pursue another bachelor’s degree, consider Pratt or SAIC, where you will be in different and bigger art communities from where you’ve been in Providence. Pratt is in Bklyn, and there are a lot of affordable apts. close by. They may even have graduate housing, not sure. It’s a well-respected school, near Manhattan and generally a great place to get a great art education. SAIC is known for being conceptual, and I’m not sure it would give you what you are looking for – although it’s also a great school and in a great city. It’s less directive and more interdisciplinary and create your own curriculum-type of place. Wonderful if it is what you are looking for. Good luck!</p>
<p>Don’t worry about bears - she does not bite, but only tries to look at question/issue from all angles to make you think outside the box. She knows much about schools and art scene.</p>
<p>Hey there
I’m one of the ‘launcher moms’. Don’t mind us - the interest in autism has to do with my family. I have three daughters and my middle daughter who is currently a junior in high school has Asperger’s disorder. She also has nonverbal learning disability and while she would love to be able to draw, her fine motor skills are such that she cannot do that. We have discussed the unique ways in which my Aspie girl functions quite a bit in our ‘After the Launch’ thread (because we share our life/family situations) and also probably in the book thread as well. My oldest daughter is a bit ‘aspergery’ but would never qualify for an official diagnosis (she also has fairly intense ADHD). She was ‘launched’ to MICA (was accepted at RISD, Purchase, CIA, Pratt, Parsons, LCAD, Syracuse) last year but had to withdraw before the end of the first semester because of mental health issues… which unfortunately continue at the moment. I have her working with the social worker who works with my Aspie girl in order to develop stronger social and self-advocacy skills. We shall see if she will be able to return to MICA at some point.
I hope you feel welcomed to our little community and I hope you know that we ALL honestly just try to help in our own way.</p>
<p>Thanks guys for all the input. I looked around and seemed to like Carnegie Mellon and SMFA Boston as well. I am hoping my BA credits will transfer and I will only need to do 2 years. </p>
<p>I am torn I need technical instruction like I need water, no one has ever taught me how to specifically draw a single thing in my life in all my courses. Its been conceptual entirely. That’s fine but Its starting to limit how I want to expand my art. </p>
<p>At the same time since I have no technical skill its a bit intimidating. </p>
<p>Its nice to hear about another woman with autism into the arts! I know what you mean about the difficulties going to school with autism, I seem to need a mixture of community and yet big enough that i dont feel watched at every turn. Brown was very much like that, tons of people with uncombed hair, very casual clothing, very open minded and quirky—it was relieving as an aspie to not look like a walking sign of autism but to fit into the mold at least anonymously. </p>
<p>I went on to Colombia which was just anonymity, no community whatsoever. No one cared who you were and if you came or left, my own advisor didnt even know my name. It was horrible. </p>
<p>All this time at colombia and in the world I feel like a square peg trying to jam myself into a round hole and I finally woke up and thought WHY? I hate it anyway. I paint and such and get showings (but the only places i know how to submit to are posted on craigslist and such). I dont know basic things about art that feel so limiting and so many of the art galleries I visit seem VERY MFA based, like you feel like an outsider if you have no formal training…people say art isnt like that but from my experience it is a gentlemens club and those without formal degrees in art need not apply…just my own opinion maybe I am looking in all the wrong places. </p>
<p>The thing is overall im only 26 and I think in autism age I am like 22 (we mature slowly) and I would rather spend time and money harnessing my craft than spend more time and money forcing myself to do things i absolutely hate…like graduate school in education. The only thing I love, the only reason I can get out of bed sometimes is art. Its the only thing that saves me, from meltdowns, from killing myself sometimes. So why ignore that type of drive? </p>
<p>I used to see art as my weakness. The fact that i painted and was artistic was some sort of flaw and I had to “grow up” and put on a suit and push away the canvas and get a real job. </p>
<p>But i would rather be poor flipping burgers and painting on cardboard boxes than make 100k a year. </p>
<p>So i figured its time to stop ignoring and pushing away the thing that has been literally staring me in the face…my art. I could fail trying, but at least I ****ing tried.</p>
<p>Hello again
Your drive and love of art is very admirable! I have heard my oldest daughter talk about art in the same way, though right now she has difficulty doing much of anything because of severe depression/anxiety issues. That makes things complicated. I wonder how well she could do in the professional art universe because of her social limitations – but I hope that if she can get over the anxiety that that part will maybe fall into place. Hard to say. It was like pulling teeth to get her to agree to put one itty bitty piece into the student art show at the art center where she is currently taking a painting class. </p>
<p>I will suggest one thing that really helped my kid – I have/had some interest in botanical art and took botanical drawing classes at the Lasdon arboretum here in Westchester county. At one point, I think my oldest daughter was a freshman in HS then, she started coming with me. The technical drawing aspect of botanical drawing is what I think really moved her technical skills to the ‘next’ level. She really is very good at drawing and at ‘realism’. Her art teacher in high school also pushed realism (at the expense of more conceptual work) so when her portfolio was reviewed it was very common to hear her reviewers remark that her work was very developed and ‘mature’. </p>
<p>I totally get what you say about chronological age vs. autism age. My 17 year old Aspie girl behaves much more like a 12 or 13 year old than 17. We are planning to have her go to community college because she doesn’t have the skills she needs to be able to live independently (and quite frankly, we’re more than a little burned with the oldest daughter).</p>
<p>Anyway, I just wanted to point out that there are other sources for really sound ‘skills’ development that you seem to want/need that wouldn’t require the graduate school route. I know the NYC botanical gardens has a certificate course in botanical art. Now that I’m facing unemployment at the end of the month perhaps I’ll mosey on down and take a class or two again myself – just for fun. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>It’s admirable that you desire to learn how to draw. The best kinds of abstract artists are the ones that mastered formal concepts of drawing and design. But yeah, trying continued ed classes seems like a terrific idea. If you truly want technical instruction try PAFA. They are probably the most respected art school as far as traditional ones go. Their proffessors are also amazing painters. Try continued ed and take workshops and then apply for grad school. I think thats the best choice.</p>
<p>repeat, art is for everyone
[ArtPrize</a> - An open art contest based in Grand Rapids Michigan, the world’s largest Art Prize.](<a href=“http://www.artprize.org/]ArtPrize”>http://www.artprize.org/)</p>
<p>Gmom
I was there Saturday. missed azaleas but gosh peonies are amazing, out of the world-ey.
mommy friend who got membership (and invited me along for free) said “too bad people have no time to appreciate these things”
which was used to be her, when she was real estate lawyer-ing and mommy-ing.
kid grown and being laid off, she is having a grand time, for compensation$$ is still way bigger than common folks’ regular paychecks. which could be you, just in time for their rose garden!</p>
<p>brown, your passion and motivation are clear now! Most art schools are pretty small, but make sure you get feedback on their campus and community feel so you don’t have another elitist invisible experience like at Columbia. </p>
<p>Honestly, I think you are going to get decent technical instruction wherever you are accepted, especially if it is one of the schools you have listed or any well-known program. Don’t stress too much about picking the most technically proficient school. Not all engineers need to go to MIT to be good, right? I am trusting MICA to educate my D and I know she is 80% passion and vision and only 20% technical going in. </p>
<p>I love the suggestions on botanical gardens or even just private instructors to get you some instruction. D had a flaky art teacher in years 1 and 4 of HS where she learned nothing and a good instructor years 2, 3 where she learned everything. We had to seek out outside art instruction to keep her growing this past year. You could do that in any sizeable city and certainly in Nashville or Providence.</p>
<p>Just curious, did you finish the program at Columbia? I’ll bet you can find a way to combine your love of creation with your undergrad/grad focus so that you have a source of income while you pursue your studio art. (Always handy to have a second skill.)</p>
<p>So exciting! You will have to keep us posted!</p>
<p>thanks I left colombia without finishing, I was taking a research degree so it didnt really qualify me to do anything. </p>
<p>here is a piece i worked on tonight, [Reslane</a> Colors and Designs: recent painting](<a href=“http://reslaneshop.blogspot.com/2011/06/recent-painting.html]Reslane”>http://reslaneshop.blogspot.com/2011/06/recent-painting.html)</p>
<p>on my blog are some posts about autism as well for those moms interested. </p>
<p>on another note I have ordered some drawing books, registered for CE RISD and am considering MFAs but hesitantly, Im still not sure I am qualified for MFA at this juncture.</p>
<p>Hi Brown. Just wondering. Have you gone to any of the art schools in the city where you are located now and had an interview with a counselor? Since you do have work to show, and some course work in art from your Providence years, this might be a way to go. I think that you could get guidance from them. Another idea would be to go to a National Portfolio day for graduate students (although I don’t know when they are–just google National Portfolio Day), as there would be many schools available to speak to you and look at your work. Since you already have a BA, even if you are not ready for a MFA, you probably would not need to do a whole program. We have a friend, age 25, who had a BA in hotel management, and wanted to get a MFA in fashion curating. As she did not have the requisites, she is doing a post bachelor’s certificate program at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia to get the technical background she needs to pursue her MFA. Perhaps something like that would work for you. I also have to second Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art for “technical” painting. It is a fine school. Good luck!</p>