Expressing the Full Range of Life in a Self-Portrait Students delve into the creative process with focus on the self-portrait. To learn about the history of the self-portrait, they view some of the most famous self-portraits in Western art by Dürer, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Anguissola, Vigee-Lebrun, Kollwitz, Escher, and others. Then they create their own. Through lectures and readings on art by Maharishi, students come to appreciate art from the deepest perspective — that all art originates within the Self of the artist, and they verify this from their own experience as artists. Topics include: principles of design and drawing. Students learn to use and combine the simple elements of line, shape, tone, and change of direction to foster self-expression. (2–4 units)

Students gain an appreciation for the mechanics of creation as experienced in the natural world and within the realm of one’s own awareness as they engage in creative expression and the making of art. Through the experience of an ongoing interdisciplinary project, inspired by their observation of nature, students prepare a unique aesthetic presentation. Topics include: drawing from nature, photographing nature, design and camouflage, math in nature, music in nature, the language of nature — Sanskrit, perceptual exercises, birdwatching, and earth and environmental artists, including Goldsworthy, Long, and the Harrisons. Materials fee: $35. (4 units)

Art is a celebration of life. This course cultures an appreciation and sense of awe for all art forms. Slide lectures, discussions, workshops, and readings reveal that art is structured in the multilayered consciousness of the artist and the audience, and in the collective consciousness of the culture. The greatest art works give glimpses of the goal of all creativity — the universal Self in higher states of consciousness— and thus continue to inspire people throughout time. Topics include: the fundamentals of art: form, function, and symbolism as seen in art from many eras and cultures; the achievements of sacred art; the range of contemporary approaches to interpreting art; and creativity in art and the cosmos as brought to light by creative geniuses. A highlight of the course is a 2–4 day field trip to a major art center. Field trip fee: $50–200. No prerequisites. (4 units)

This course provides the knowledge and practical experience of how visual elements are organized by principles universal to the fine and applied arts. Topics include: examining and applying design principles and vocabulary such as figure/ground, interdependence, symmetry, rhythm, shape, and texture; understanding how these principles and their components apply to the scope of the visual arts, including drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, graphic design, architecture, fabric design, and landscaping; and understanding and expressing how design principles can be correlated to the balance and order of the universe and to individual life and living. (4 units)

The Art of Film emphasizes film technique, such as the use of lighting, camera angles, and mise en scene. It takes the student out of the realm of the Saturday night “movie” and into the world of film as a major art form of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Our primary texts in this course will be the films themselves, including the masterworks of some of the world’s finest directors. Course requirements include the writing of film reviews, a short screenplay, and the analysis of key scenes from a film we will have viewed. (Same as LIT 363) (4 units)

This film survey traces the evolution of primarily American and European cinema from the early days of Griffith and Eisenstein through the twentieth and into the twenty-first century. It includes examples of history-shaping movements such as Soviet formalism, German expressionism, French realism, Italian Neo-realism, film noir, surrealism, and nouvelle vague. As in LIT 363, we will watch a selection of some of the finest “world masterpieces on film.” (Same as LIT 365) (4 units)

Students journey through the most nourishing creations of human culture in art, architecture, music, language, customs, and cuisine. They explore how these express both values unique to the culture and universal values of consciousness. This course is taught as part of the Rotating University program, focusing on the art and culture of a particular region while off campus, for example, in foreign countries. (Travel and lodging costs are additional.) Topics include: introduction to a foreign language, keeping a diary relating the experiences on the trip to one’s own personal growth of consciousness and the appreciation of another culture. Can be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. (1–4 units)

Students produce, direct, act in, and edit original video projects for theatrical, television, or Web presentation. Students may work on both fiction and non-fiction projects with a commercial or fine art orientation. A strong emphasis of the class is on creating integrated, artful works that have a positive effect on the world. Topics include: narrative structure, storyboarding, character design, and set design; lighting, camera movement, acting, and directing; editing, sound and music, animation, and compositing; distribution strategies and exhibition channels. Lab fee: up to $100. (4 units)

Video editing requires the students to be able to synthesize all the different elements of their video into a greater whole. Students produce and direct video productions, and then complete them in the Department's non-linear digital video editing lab with a particular emphasis on creative approaches to editing. For inspiration, students analyze examples of great camerawork, lighting, mise en scene, and montage. Topics include: the language of the moving image, the 180 degree system, Murch's Rule of Six, and principles of dramatic unity; shot selection, cutting techniques, sound mixing, and color correction; special effects, filters, keys, and keyframes. Lab fee: up to $100. (4 units

In this course, students will create an actual screenplay. More than just learning the form of screenwriting, students will write with the full intention of producing a filmable script. We will study a number of models, including films, film clips, and a published screenplay. To help ensure success, before beginning to write the screenplay students will compose a premise, a structure-step, and a scene outline. [Same as WTG 364] (4 units)

In this course, students develop powers of observation and imagination, abilities that are vital for all the arts. Students focus on establishing the use of principles of drawing through observational methods. Topics include: still life, figure drawing, interior and landscape. Art and design majors take drawing courses as they advance through the curriculum. Can be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. Materials fee $35.

Students learn to use the power of drawing to convey a story, thus revealing in a visual narrative the sequential unfoldment of consciousness. Students engage the fundamental principles of drawing while introducing a variety of methods and materials; this sustains aesthetic unity while encouraging diversity in the discovery process and the resulting image. Taught in an open studio situation, the course allows the teacher to address both the general needs of the group and of the individual student to advance in the experience of drawing as a means of self-expression. Materials fee: $35.

Painting expresses the artist’s connection with the deep laws fundamental to seeing and creating visual images. Students are immersed in the fundamentals of drawing and painting from nature and a variety of other subject matter. The curriculum addresses the students’ development of formal and technical skills along with conceptual and critical understanding of the language of painting as preparation for independent studio work. Can be repeated for credit with permission of instructor. (1–4 units each) (may be repeated)

Students learn to use the photographic medium as a tool for exploring and expressing the finest values of the Self. Students develop their work by learning basic camera techniques and darkroom procedures, while they are also introduced to a broad range of fine art photography. Students must have access to a 35mm camera. Can be repeated for credit (with more advanced projects) with permission of instructor. Lab fee: $150–$200 per course. (1–4 units each)

The goal of photography is to enliven the most refined values of consciousness and in this way support the evolution and growth of both the photographer and viewer. Digital photography helps strengthen the connection between the photographer's vision and the resulting images by providing nearly instant feedback and furnishing ever-subtler tools for self-expression. In this course, students will learn foundational principles that underlie commercial digital photography, which is rapidly becoming the technology standard of professional photographers. Principles from the Science of Creative Intelligence will be used to consolidate both the experience and understanding of digital photography. Topics include: mastering the digital camera, managing a digital workflow, color management in theory and practice, visualizing light and how to control it in the digital darkroom. No prerequisites. (1-4 units)

Students learn the entire process of ceramics from making clay to firing pottery, providing them with the basic skills necessary to express consciousness in matter in this medium. Topics include: addressing the vessel with hand-building methods such as pinch, coil and slab construction; basic glazing methods; earthenware, stoneware and raku firing methods. Lab fee $45.

Wheelthrowing opens a new dimension of experience for the student potter. The challenge to center and form a pot while the clay is spinning through the hands leads to a synchronicity that powerfully connects potter and pot, consciousness and matter, in the process of creation. This intensive course focuses on establishing the student's basic wheelthrowing skills with simple forms. Topics include: addressing form, glazing and function in wheelwork. Lab fee $45. (Prerequisite: FA 341)

The integration of surface and form is a further development of the connection of inner and outer aspects of the ceramic form. Students continue to develop and integrate handbuilding and wheelthrowing methods of forming. Topics include: specific focus on exploring glaze, and surface possibilities such as drawing, color, texture, and their relation to the aesthetic and functional components of ceramics. Lab fee $45. (Prerequisites: FA 341 & 342)

Sculpture has a natural relationship with the development of ceramics in that it extends the 3-dimensional play and enriches the possibilities of storytelling—consciousness revealing its process of unfoldment—in clay forms. Topics include: focussing on the various visual, functional and conceptual considerations (including tile, bas relief, freestanding form, and installation) that take ceramics in a sculptural direction. Lab fee $45.

By exploring organic forms and creating designs from imagination, students make original sculptural surfaces that emerge from a two-dimensional plane. Exercises that expand the capacity to envision and create give students a deeper appreciation of the nature, creation, and function of sculpture, and thus the opportunity to express the fundamental laws that structure form in the natural world. Topics include: low, middle and high relief; organizing principles of two and three-dimensional design (balance, rhythm, economy, etc.); light and shadow; transforming clay reliefs into plaster reliefs; the history of relief sculpture. Materials: paper/cardboard, clay and plaster. Materials fee: $40 (4 units)

Students continue the exploration and expression of form on a more personal level—they have the opportunity to mirror the different layers of their own consciousness in life-like self-portraits. Students experience the controlled creation and evolution of their portrait as they sculpt in clay, transform the portrait into plaster, and cast the finished work in porcelain. Topics include: drawing the portrait (contour and tonal); sculpting the portrait; working from observation; organizing principles of three-dimensional design; proportion; form relationships; making plaster molds; slip casting; photographing sculpture; and the history of portrait sculpture. Materials: clay, plaster, and porcelain slip (liquid clay). Materials fee: $40 (4 units) Prerequisite: FA 351

This course emphasizes sculpting the human figure, which has the potential to embody the fullness of consciousness within the cosmos. Students continue to explore the principles that structure form. In addition, they develop skills and gain the technological know-how for sculpting, mold-making, casting, making limited editions, and mass production. Topics include: drawing the figure (contour and tonal); principles of three-dimensional design; making an armature; sculpting the figure in clay; working from observation; form/space relationship; proportion; anatomy (skeletal and musculature); mold-making, casting slip (liquid clay); the history of figure sculpture. Materials: clay, plaster and slip (liquid clay). Materials fee: $40 (4 units) Prerequisites: FA 351, FA 352

Students explore the digital image, the visual world and imagination in a series of image creation and manipulation projects. Goals of the course are to gain comfort and develop expertise with digital imaging tools, and to apply this expertise by developing a portfolio that explores the nature of visual reality. Topics include: the digital camera, the scanner, and the printer; composition, light and shadow, depth of field, and color; image creation strategies, digital painting, digital 3-D modeling and rendering, and digital photography; selection tools, transformations, filters, layers, and masks. Lab fee: up to $100 per course. Prerequisites: basic computer skills. (4 units)

Students work on multi-faceted projects that bring art to life by integrating illustration, photography, typography and graphic design. Projects include poster design and book design (which may have either a commercial art or fine art orientation), and stationery design, brochure design and advertising design (which have a more purely commercial orientation). Topics include: digital painting and drawing, vector graphics manipulation, and digital page layout; drawing and illustration techniques, typography, and principles of graphic design; letterform design, logo design, and page design. Lab fee: up to $100 per course. Prerequisites: FA 361 or equivalent experience. (4 units)

Students undertake study of XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets, and principles of design for dynamic media, which they apply in the creation of a portfolio of beautiful, highly functional, standards-compliant, and highly usable Web pages. Topics include: creative approaches to Web design; XHTML syntax, tags, attributes, entities, DTDs and validation; CSS; creating hierarchies with color, type, and imagery; principles of usability for interactive media; using a visual lexicon for designer-client communication; examples of outstanding Web design studios; homesteading the noosphere. Prerequisites: CMM260, FA 361, or equivalent experience. (4 units)

Students learn to use advanced tools for Web design and interactive animation, 3-D, and video, to build richly interactive Web sites that inspire the viewer. Topics include: Web 2.0; conceptualizing the user experience; creating innovative and elegant user interfaces; interactive vector graphics animation; OpenLaszlo and techniques for rapid development of rich Internet applications; 3-D animation for the Web; streaming video; creating cinematic user interfaces. Prerequisites: FA 363 or equivalent experience. (4 units)

Students explore the great achievements of art and architecture in the ancient cultures of prehistoric Europe, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, and the European Middle Ages. In each of these cultures, the quest for immortality created art that continues to inspire human consciousness. Students also examine how subsequent artists, including contemporary artists, have been influenced by art from these periods. Topics include: sacred sites, the development of styles in Egyptian art and Greek art and how they mirror the stages of the development of consciousness, and the creation of a heavenly kingdom on earth in Christian art and architecture. A highlight of the course is a 3-4 day field trip to major art centers such as St. Louis and Kansas City. Field trip fee: $175–$225. (4 units)

Students focus on the most inspiring creations of Western art and architecture from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century. They discover how artists expressed both sacred and secular values in their quest for perfection in art and fullness in life.Students also explore how the art of the past has influenced later artists, including contemporary artists. Topics include: the transformation of art and life in the Renaissance and its reverberations in later periods; and the artistic styles, world-views and aspects of consciousness expressed in the major visual paradigms of this epoch: Renaissance, Modernism, Post-Modernism and an emerging art of the future—an art of expanded awareness. A highlight of the course is a field trip to a major art center such as Chicago. Textbook fee: $25; field trip fee: $175–$225. (4 units)

Students focus on major movements in art from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century, and also examine the influence of Japanese and African art on artists of this period. Students explore how modern art and culture express a quest for self-realization in higher states of consciousness. Topics include: the search for transcendence in the art and theories of modern artists; the phase transitions from traditional art to modern art, post-modern art and a visionary art of the future; the styles of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism, Expressionism, Non-Objective Art, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Environmental Art, an art of refined perception, etc. A highlight of the course is a 3-4 day field trip to a major art center such as Chicago.Textbook fee: $20; field trip fee: $175–$225. (4 units)

Students journey through the glorious traditions of world art, including Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Islamic, African, and Native American art. All traditions are illuminated in the light of how they reflect both unique cultural values and universal values, such as the aspiration to embody the wholeness of life in higher states of consciousness. Students also explore how the arts of these cultures continue to inspire modern artists. Topics include: the nature and functions of sacred art, the embodiment of forces of nature in Indian art, Taoist and Buddhist painting and sculpture, Japanese woodblock prints, Islamic design and architecture, African masks and ritual objects, and Native American art and artifacts. A highlight of the course is a 3-4 day field trip to major art centers such as St. Louis and Kansas City. Textbook fee: $25; field trip fee: $175–$225. (4 units)

In this course students study with an artist or art-related facility, with the approval of their major advisor. Students document their experiences in sketchbooks and journals. Fieldwork must be completed at least two months before graduation. Prerequisite: consent of the Department of Art and Design faculty. (1–4 units)

This seminar focuses on current trends in art and design, and the potential for the artist and designer in the future. Topics may include theoretical, critical, and historical explorations in the worlds of drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, graphic design, Web design, and film/video. Students participate in research projects and a field trip. Field trip fee: $250–$650.

students have the opportunity to build on the experience of previous painting courses through the further development and deeper understading of their own expression with paint. the focus of this course is to allow the student to form a strong personal direction and develop a personal conceptual framework in their studio exploration in painting. topics include: exploring different methods and materials in painting, research in the history and current developments in the field of painting. lab fee: $45. pre-requisite: FA 311, fa312, FA 313. can be repeated for credit.

Students have the opportunity to build on the experience of previous sculpture courses through the further development and deeper understanding of their own expression in three dimensional form. The focus of this course is to allow students to form a strong personal direction and develop a personal conceptual framework in their studio exploration 3D media. Topics include: exploring advanced methods and materials.... in clay, plaster, wax, resin, etc. Students will also be engaged in researching the history and current developments in the field of sculpture. Lab Fee $35. (Prerequisite: FA 341, 342, 343). Can be repeated for credit.

students have the opportunity to build on the experience of previous ceramics courses through the further development and deeper understanding of their own expression in clay. the focus of this course is to allow the student to form a strong personal direction and develop a personal conceptual framework in their studio exploration in ceramics. topics include: exploring advanced methods and materials in clay and glaze, firing kilns, research in the history and current developments in the field of ceramics. lab fee $45. (Prerequisite: FA 341, 342, 343). Can be repeated for credit.

Students focus on advanced investigation of digital imaging, video, animation, graphic design or Web design, according to their chosen area of specialty, with a particular emphasis on creating strongly integrated works in which each detail contributes to the theme of the whole. Through workshops, students also develop practical skills that are useful to a career as an artist/designer, and that include portfolio preparation, writing a resume, and developing good relationships with clients or employers. (4 units) (Prerequisites: 12 units of FA 361, FA 362, FA 363, FA 280, FA281, CMM 311, CMM 312, CMM 321, or CMM 322, lab fee up to $75.) May be repeated for credit.

Improvisation becomes the most truthful when the mover acts from the deepest part of himself. The course focuses on building strength, flexibility, range of movement and the experience and understanding of the mechanics of the creative impulse, so that dancers or actors can begin the exploration of movement in the context of themselves, music, other students, and the environment of the theatre. (4 units — may be repeated)

As an extension of Movement and Improvisation I, this course extends the understanding of creative truthful movement as spontaneous, natural, arising from pure consciousness, and the source for a further exploration of the principles of space weight, time, flow, and other fundamental principles of movement. Prerequisites: ESS 332 and permission of the instructor. (4 units)

The most truthful and most satisfying movement and performance comes out of a deep connection to the Self, pure Being. Cycles of performance and critique develop the ability to discriminate between stronger and weaker performances, establish confidence in the many layers of the personality, and strengthen all performance skills. Prerequisites: ESS 333 and permission of the instructor. (4 units)

This overview course presents the fundamentals of anatomy and physiology of exercise, skill acquisition, skill analysis, and care and treatment of common athletic injuries in light of the intimate dialogue of body to mind. The goal of the course is to understand that as the physiology is nurtured, the mind is stimulated to greater possibilities. Through cycles of rest and activity students comprehend the possibility of perfection in the body-mind continuum. Open to all students. (4 units)

Experiencing the silent, unmoving source of movement leads to an understanding of not only the student’s deepest nature, but allows the student to apply that understanding to the creation of characters. In this course masque building, masque work, and movement exercises help to create fully developed stage personalities. Open to all students. Suggested prerequisite: ESS 332. (4 units)

What is beauty? Can musical talent be developed? Can we learn to perform without stage fright? These are some of the fundamental questions explored in this course — both theoretically and through practical experience. Students hear a colorful palette of Maharishi Gandharva Veda ragas as well as music from other cultures and time periods, to gain appreciation of the subtle, underlying principles of perception and aesthetics that govern ragas — and all music. Included in the course are daily practice time and regular music lessons in tabla and one of the following: bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. (4 units)

Exploratory research indicates that the effects of listening to Maharishi Gandharva Veda music include an increase in brain wave coherence, more integrated behavior, and a tendency of mental activity to settle down and experience finer states of awareness. This course presents an overview of current research, while giving students the opportunity to study this music and explore their own responses to it. Included in the course are daily practice time and regular music lessons in tabla and one of the following: bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. (3–4 units)

Awareness of pitch and tuning, vocal training, and studying the ten basic scales in Maharishi Gandharva Veda music — these are the main aspects of this course. Students are introduced to the concepts of relative pitch versus perfect pitch, and learn to develop both skills through techniques of “horizontal” and “vertical” listening. Elementary keyboard skills are taught to help support pitch identification. Included in the course are daily practice time and regular music lessons in tabla and one of the following: bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. (3–4 units, may be repeated)

Music has a powerful impact on human awareness. This course presents the profound correlation between sound, music, and consciousness. Special emphasis is given to the Shruti aspect of the Veda as the most coherent and primordial sound value in creation, and the mechanics of consciousness manifesting as sound and transforming into matter. The theoretical understanding is supported and integrated with the personal experience of hearing and playing the ancient art and science of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. Included in the course are daily practice time and regular music lessons in tabla and one of the following: bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. (3–4 units)

The goal of this course is to study the uniquely sequential unfoldment of tones in a raga, and how these tones give rise to melody. Topics include musical form, composition, interpretation, improvisation, embellishment, and cognition. Raga melodies are compared to melodic development in other musical styles, while students enhance their sense of musical direction and balance. Included in the course are daily practice time and regular music lessons in one or two of the following: tabla, bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. Prerequisite: at least one of the following — FA 260, FA 320, FA 410, or FA 403; or consent of the instructor. (4 units)

Students become fluent in the 5 major Gandharva rhythmic cycles and their variations and study basic principles of rhythmic improvisation in Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. Rhythm is explored in light of its fascinating correlation with the verses of the Veda and with rhythmic cycles in nature and in life. Included in the course are daily practice time and regular music lessons in one or two of the following: tabla, bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. Prerequisite: at least one of the following — FA 260, FA 320, FA 410, or FA 403; or consent of the instructor. (4 units)

Time theory prescribes specific ragas to be performed at corresponding times of day or seasons. Several ragas for various times will be studied in detail, to learn to differentiate the melodic patterns and subtle musical characteristics of each one. Included in the course are daily practice time and regular music lessons in one or two of the following: tabla, bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. Prerequisite: at least one of the following — FA 260, FA 320, FA 403; or consent of the instructor. (4 units, may be repeated)

This course is for students who are well on their way to completing the major in Maharishi Vedic Science with emphasis in Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. It is designed to help students focus on specific aspects of musical development under the guidance of the faculty. Included in the course are daily practice time and regular music lessons in one or two of the following: tabla, bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. Prerequisites: at least six Maharishi Gandharva Veda music courses and consent of instructor. (2–4 units; may be repeated)

This course gives students the opportunity to polish their performance skills in preparation for a student recital. Included are practical considerations such as advertising, stage preparation, sound checks, etc., as well as oral presentations and written assignments related to the performance. Daily practice time and regular music lessons in one or two of the following: tabla, bamboo flute, sitar, or voice, taught by resident performers of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music are also included in the course. Prerequisites: at least four Maharishi Gandharva Veda courses and consent of instructor. (2–4 units; may be repeated)