This basic foundation drawing course will focus on the still life as subject matter. All are welcome, from the most experienced; those who love to draw; to the beginners who think they never could, never will draw. The course will cover such considerations as line (gesture, directional, contour), perspective and sighting, ellipses, value, composition, and proportion. Starting with very simple objects (single fruits and vegetables) the drawings will eventually lead to pairings, groupings, and then more complex arrangements of diverse objects. "The politics of the still life" (content) will also be discussed: deliberately selected objects that when put together in a setting open up possibilities of telling a kind of story or visual dialogue. Students will gain a familiarity with basic drawing materials (mostly charcoal, pencils, conte crayons) but will also hopefully gain some inkling into what it takes to come to some kind of "manual override"; when the hand takes over from the eye, and conversely, when the mind and eye can work the hand with assurance.