Wesleyan students put the brush to the canvas in the Art Studios. 

Squeezed between the Cinema and the music studios, there is a room filled with the background beats of Cibo Mato, headless mannequins and pictures of pregnant nude redheads. Globs of thick mixture and a Maxwell House coffee can decorate the paint-splattered stools. Upon entering, one might think they stepped into the Twilight Zone 2000 or maybe an Oliver Stone film. But no, it’s just the classroom for Painting I in Art Studios South.

The Painting I class is comprised of nine students– four sophomores, four juniors and one senior who participate in one of the least-recognized but most intense classes on campus. Taught by Associate Professor of Art Tula Telfair, they have many painting assignments and there are students working in the studio at least 20 hours of the day.

"On average students put in eight to twelve hours outside of the six hours of class a week," said Nathan Rich ’02, an art major and one of the students in the class. While many classes on campus demand several outside hours of work, few produce such objects as the paintings in this class.

Because of the small size of the class, the students are encouraged to comment on each other’s work. Telfair has critiquing sessions that last entire class periods where the students walk around the room, studying their peers’ work.

"The small environment is so conducive to the critiquing that goes on," said Jessica Ely ’03, a student in the class. "People really work off each other." 

"I haven’t had a class where I’ve gotten to know everyone really well, but in this class that’s possible," said Josh Weeks ’03.

Students are now working on their final paintings and each painting is visibly unique even if most of them are works-in-progress. One detailed canvas depicts a red dress with intricately woven black lace while another green and gray- toned canvas shows an interesting perspective of frolicking koala bears. All show hours of work and dedication.

"This class alone can cause you not to sleep," Rich said, "And that, coupled with the amount of passion the students in the class have, produces some really great stuff."

Telfair, who has been known to require rock music when the students begin painting to keep the energy level up, is well-received by all who have taken this class. 

"You can just see how gleefully excited she is about painting," Weeks said. "This is the first class I’ve had where I really feel lucky to be learning from such an amazing professor."

Telfair, who grew up in Africa, recently returned from Germany after a sold-out showing of her work. She received her Masters of Fine Arts from Syracuse University and paints multi-paneled works. 

"She changes the way you approach a painting so much that it inevitably changes the way you approach everything," Rich said.

Telfair often gives assignments that help familiarize students with different approaches, such as reproducing a master painting, painting portraits or painting still life. Painting I , which is part of a two course series, focuses primarily on observational oil painting while Painting II spends more time on the conceptual aspect. By the end of the year, students have experienced a well-rounded curriculum of art history and painting technique and practice. Most come out feeling they have a firm grasp on all types of painting.

Though Drawing I and an interview are prerequisites for the class, Weeks recommends this class for any painter, aspiring or advanced. 

"There is such a range of ability in the class," Weeks said. "There’s no way you couldn’t improve."

Because of the abundance of paintings produced in the class, there will be a small showing of the work on Wednesday, Dec. 13 during Reading Period. If you want a break from studying, come by the art studios and take a look. From beheaded mannequins to koala bears, you never know what you might find.