11.8.15 Day 1 with Michelle Rawlings

On November 8, T/AP began the first of three sessions with Dallas-based artist Michelle Rawlings. Michelle received her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2012, with a concentration in painting. She recently had her first international solo exhibition at the Raster Gallery in Warsaw, Poland, following an exhibition at Hello Project in Houston. More information on her and her work can be found at michellerawlings.com.

^{Works by Michelle Rawlings}

During her first session with the students, Michelle showed a PowerPoint presentation of paintings that reference compassion. She meditatively cycled through the series of images, asking students to absorb and reflect with limited dialogue.

Following the presentation, Michelle directed students into groups of two and instructed them to observe and describe in writing aspects of their partners such as posture, body type, fashion embellishments, etc.

Michelle then asked the students to draw their partners, articulating small details such as a wrinkle in their clothing or a loose strand of hair. Through the contrast of these two exercises, Michelle emphasized the significance of quiet and compassionate observation in art.